Samsung spills the beans on new Bixby update as more users receive it

Samsung quietly began releasing a new update to its AI assistant Bixby a few weeks ago. Availability was limited but it was evident that Samsung’s focus with this new update was to streamline the user experience. More users are now starting to receive the latest Bixby version and, as a result, Samsung has finally and formally disclosed all the changes it brings.

First of all, the entire Bixby Home UI was completely redone, from the color of the background to the location of Bixby Capsules and everything in-between. Bixby Home is no longer split between two main Home and All Capsules categories but instead every bit of information related to Bixby is centralized in a single home screen.

Bixby Voice also got a significant UI change with a focus on occupying less screen real estate when active. This was a major gripe for Bixby users but Samsung is now taking a first step into addressing it. When summoning Bixby Voice while using an app such as Maps, for example, the assistant will no longer go full screen but it will occupy only a small portion instead.

Bixby is now available on Samsung DeX

Aside from attempting to streamline the Bixby user experience with a modernized UI, Samsung has also been working on expanding the Bixby virtual assistant across its entire ecosystem. Last month the company launched a new update that brought better integration between smartphones and smart TVs, and now Samsung is bringing Bixby to DeX.

Samsung DeX users can now finally issue voice commands to control various aspects of the UI. In theory, this should help with productivity or it could at least bring a bit more convenience to the DeX user experience as a whole.

Have you been using the new version of Bixby on your smartphone or are you waiting for the update to arrive? What are your thoughts on the latest features and UI changes, and is there something you wish Samsung had done differently with the new update? Share your thoughts below.

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Galaxy A70 One UI 2.5 update in India improves Super Steady Mode, GPS

Samsung is now releasing the One UI 2.5 firmware update for the Galaxy A70 in India. The update debuted in Europe, more specifically Ukraine, late last week and it is now rolling out in India bearing firmware number A705GMDDU5CTK4. The November 2020 security patch is included and the entire package weighs about 1.32GB.

The update brings the same new features as before, including Bitmoji stickers for the Always On Display, new Wi-Fi monitoring and password request tools, a new Split Keyboard mode when using Samsung Keyboard in landscape mode and more.

More stability improvements coming your way

In addition to the usual One UI 2.5 additions, the changelog also mentions stability improvements to GPS and, more importantly, the camera’s Super Steady Mode, the latter of which was introduced through a previous firmware update last year.  Better compatibility with third-party apps is also referenced, though it’s unclear whether this applies to all third-party apps or a select, unnamed few.

You can download the latest Galaxy A70 update in India by opening Settings on your phone, accessing Software update, and tapping Download and install. As usual, SamMobile offers an alternative method of downloading new Samsung firmware. By visiting our firmware archive, you can browse for and download the latest update to match your particular smartphone model – in this case the SM-A705GM – and install it on your phone using a Windows PC.

Thanks for the tip, Sonu Anand!

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Samsung’s Among Us livestream on Twitch is giving away prizes today

Samsung has teamed up with esports organization Gen.G for an upcoming, imminent event on the streaming platform Twitch, and the company has prepared mobile product giveaways for gamers and fans. If you haven’t followed Samsung’s official Twitch channel before then the company is giving plenty of reasons today, especially if you’re a fan of the online multiplayer video game Among Us and/or a fan of streamers: Shubble, OMGChad, Strawburry, and Gen.G creator Sydeon, or a fan of Loren Gray and JoJo Siwa who will be headlining the event.

The livestream will be revolving around the popular online video game Among Us. The premise of the game is that players are stranded on a spaceship with one player – who is picked at random – acting as the Impostor on its way to sabotage the ship. The other players – called Crewmates – are unaware of who the Impostor might be, and doubting another player is a core part of the experience. It quickly becomes a game of lies, deceit, and a lot of humor.

Viewers have a chance to win Samsung prizes

The two-day event will be headlined by Loren Gray and JoJo Siwa who will be joined by a third celebrity mystery guest on the second day. The livestreamed event is scheduled to kick off later today, November 23, at 7 pm EST on Samsung’s official Twitch channel.

Viewers can follow and interact with the stream, ask questions and guess who the Mystery Gamer might be using #SamsungMysteryGamer for a chance to win prizes. Winners will be entered into giveaways for Galaxy products throughout the event.

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Samsung India is exporting nearly 20x more phones than closest rival

The large majority of mobile phones that were exported from India throughout Q3 2020 were made by Samsung, and market watchers expect the trend to continue this year at least until Samsung India crosses the $1.5 billion export value mark. This means that Samsung’s products should constitute 98% of all mobile phones exported from India in 2020 from all brands combined.

According to Business Insider citing market research firm techARC, India exported a total of 12.8 million mobile devices in Q3 and a whopping 11.6 million of those were Samsung-branded. The gap between Samsung and the second-most successful brand, Xiaomi, was absolutely massive. The Chinese rival failed to reach 1 million exports and only shipped roughly 0.6 million mobile devices. It was followed by Lava with 0.2 million phones.

Out of the 11.6 million mobile phones exported by Samsung India in Q3 2020, 9.8 million units were smartphones. The rest were presumably feature phones and other categories of mobile devices.

The Galaxy A51 saw the highest export figure of all

The Galaxy A51 has so far seen the highest number of exports from India this year. It’s the most successful device so far, at least judging by its popularity. Then again, this is far from shocking given that the Galaxy A51 was the most shipped phone in the first half of 2020 when it even surpassed all but one iPhone model.

The report didn’t mention exactly how many Galaxy A51 units have been exported from India this year or throughout the third quarter but by the end of H1 2020, Samsung had shipped 11.4 million Galaxy A51 units worldwide.

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Samsung increases Noida mobile display plant investment – again

Barely weeks have passed since Samsung decided to throw more money at its Noida mobile OLED factory project and it’s now doing an encore. To date, the company committed approximately Rs. 1,500 crore to the facility, with new disclosures confirming an extra Rs. 5,000 crore – equating to over $675,000 – is on its way. That’s according to Satish Mahana, the industrial development minister for Uttar Pradesh.

The official said Samsung has so far been among the state’s key partners in driving economic growth in a post-lockdown world. In addition to being one of the rare few prospective investors in Uttar Pradesh who haven’t really scaled down their plans over the course of this year but have instead doubled down on them – repeatedly, following today’s development.

Samsung remains adamant to invest in India

While the Noida plant construction was previously targeting mid-2021 completion, the latest investments upgraded those expectations. Therefore, Samsung now expects all heavy construction work to be completed as early as January. The plant should consequently start commercial display production no later than April, Mahana said.

Samsung’s latest India investment is meant to result in an export-oriented factory specializing in small OLED for smartphones. Samsung previously projected the initiative will create around 1,500 jobs in the country. The overall value of the project was previously pegged at north of half a billion dollars. Looking at the bigger picture, the move is part of Samsung’s pursuit of domestic manufacturing subsidies from New Delhi. While this year’s developments impacted some of its near-term revenue targets, it would appear Samsung’s overall investment strategy remains as fixated on India as ever.

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Galaxy M11 lands in another Asian country six months into its debut

The Galaxy M11 was released in India nearly six months ago and the smartphone had since reached additional markets in Europe as well as the UK. You’d think that by now the Galaxy M11 would’ve went on sale in all the markets where it was planned for release but that’s not quite the case. Six months after its original debut, the Galaxy M11 is only now being introduced to Myanmar where prospective buyers can pick the 32GB variant.

The Galaxy M11 is available in Myanmar in two color options: black and blue. The phone has dual SIM capabilities and although a 64GB model with 4GB of RAM exists, it has yet to be listed at Samsung’s online store in the region. In fact, Samsung isn’t outright selling the Galaxy M11 in Myanmar through its own e-shop but via retail partners UC, M9, Shop, and Tomato.

Samsung is selling the Galaxy M11 in Myanmar for the suggested retail price of 209,000 MMK, or the rough equivalent of $159. What you’re getting in return for your money is a budget phone equipped with a 6.4-inch PLS TFT LCD Infinity-O display, the Snapdragon 450 chipset, 3GB of RAM, a triple main camera setup comprising 13MP, 5MP, and 2MP sensors, as well as an 8MP selfie shooter. The Galaxy M11 is powered by a 5,000mAh battery with support for 15W fast charging.

• Buy the Galaxy M11 at Samsung Myanmar / retail partners

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Samsung resumes One UI 3.0 beta with Galaxy Z Flip, more to follow

Samsung is resuming its One UI 3.0 beta program following a concerning setback that saw it pause all testing last week over performance issues led by severe battery drainage. Fortunately, it would seem the delay was rather brief, at least relative to how a company official explained the seriousness of the problem. The One UI 3.0 beta resumed earlier today, starting with both the LTE and 5G variants of the Galaxy Z Flip, according to an update communicated via the Samsung Members app.

Testing has so far continued only in South Korea, but that shouldn’t be indicative of the program’s future availability as it’s likely only a reflection of how niche of a device the Galaxy Z Flip is. After all, consumers outside of Samsung’s home country have already been using the One UI 3.0 beta by the time everything ground to a halt last week.

Galaxy S10, Galaxy Z Fold 2 joining One UI 3.0 beta this week

Following today’s development, owners of the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Z Fold 2 can expect to be able to sign up for the beta program later this week. The Galaxy S20 series was unaffected by last week’s development and continues to receive experimental updates. In fact, its latest such firmware release just provided us with a pretty big hint about the much-anticipated public release of the new operating system version.

One UI 3.0 is Samsung’s first mobile OS based on Android 11. This particular implementation is also the one expected to run on the company’s next range of flagships out of the box. That would be the Galaxy S21 family which is widely rumored to be both launching and releasing in January.

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Samsung upgrading OLED line in pursuit of iPad Pro (2021) contract

Samsung is currently trying to woo Apple with an upgraded line of small-sized OLED displays in hopes of scoring a contract for the iPad Pro (2021) series. Industry sources from the company’s home country claim the factory undergoing the remodeling is the A4 plant that Samsung operates in Asan-si, Chungnam. Apple is said to have asked both Samsung Display and LG Display for significantly higher specifications compared to the largely Samsung-dependent iPhone 12 family and is still awaiting price quotes from both manufacturers.

In response to that request, Samsung is reportedly ramping up the production capabilities of its new Blue QLED technology which it perfected just weeks ago. LG, however, already has the necessary setup for mass-manufacturing tablet-sized OLEDs based on a similar tandem structure due to a number of dashboard screen contracts it previously won from European and American automakers.

Apple asked for higher iPad display specs but isn’t sure it wants to pay for them

LG’s advantage may not matter if Apple opts to launch the new iPad Pro line later than Q1 2021. Yet reports from several months ago suggested it is planning to introduce the new iOS tablets early next year. Furthermore, it would naturally prefer to go with LED LCDs over traditional OLEDs due to the associated costs – assuming the former tech is advanced enough to serve as a viable alternative. Which modern display techniques like local dimming do make possible.

Finally, Samsung Display’s lucrative Apple contract has been threatened for a while now, and today’s report underlines the risks its business faces should Cupertino decide to prioritize cost-effectiveness over innovation with the next generation of its high-end tablets. Because it tends to sell a lot of those every year. And high-margin product lineups like the iPad Pro are ripe for optimization that has kind of been the keyword of Tim Cook’s CEO stint.

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Yet another report calls Galaxy Note series future into question

There have been rumors in the past regarding the possibility of the Galaxy Note series getting discontinued once Samsung brings S Pen compatibility to the Galaxy Z Fold series. Recently, it was revealed that Samsung will bring S Pen compatibility to the Galaxy S21 Ultra. Now, another report claims that the South Korean tech giant will terminate the Galaxy Note series.

According to a report from Aju News, Samsung has developed the final sample of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 for production and it will launch the foldable phone in June 2021. It is being reported that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will feature an S Pen, an under-display camera, and a second-generation Ultra Thin Glass (UTG). More importantly, the report states that Samsung will stop launching new Galaxy Note series smartphones going forward.

The inclusion of the S Pen in the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s compatibility with the company’s stylus point towards the possible discontinuation of the Galaxy Note series. If this turns out to be true, it could break the heart of Galaxy Note series fans. It also remains to be seen how Samsung will plug the gap between the price of the Galaxy S21 series and the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

Galaxy Note series smartphones have been famous for offering large-sized screens, S Pen, and software optimizations that are better than that of the Galaxy S series. If the Galaxy Note series gets discontinued, Samsung needs a solid plan to compete with mid-year smartphone launches from rival firms and to offer something even better to Galaxy fans in the middle of the year.

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Samsung postpones its plan to stop LCD production

Samsung Display had originally planned to stop the production of LCD panels by the end of 2020, but it is now being reported that the plan has been slightly postponed. The company now plans to end the production of LCD panels at its L8 fab in the Asan plant by March 2021.

The reason behind this delay is being attributed to the current COVID-19 scenario and the recent rise in demand for LCD panels. It is being reported that the South Korean tech giant has informed its decision to the related companies. Samsung is also in talks with various companies to sell its equipment. The company will finalize the buyer by February 2021 and shut down the LCD production by March.

Samsung has been manufacturing LCD panels at its Asan plant in South Korea and its Suzhou plant in China. The company has already signed a contract to sell its Suzhou plant to CSOT (China Star Optoelectronics Technology), a Chinese firm that makes LCD and OLED panels. Earlier this year, Samsung sold some of the equipment from its L8 plant to Efonlong, another Chinese display manufacturing firm.

The South Korean display giant is transitioning from LCD panels to Quantum Dot (QD-OLED) displays. The company recently announced its plan to invest around $11.7 billion until 2025 to expand its QD-OLED business. However, it would only be able to make 30,000 QD-OLED panels per month by the second half of 2021. That is enough for just two million 55-inch TVs per year (considering a 100% yield), but 200 million TVs are sold every year.

Experts believe that Samsung’s production capacity will improve as it keeps investing in its technology and related equipment. Samsung Visual Display business, which actually sells TVs, will reportedly not launch any QD-OLED TV next year as the idea of OLED has been against the company’s marketing strategy for the past 4-5 years, so the potential customers for Samsung Display’s QD-OLED panels could be Panasonic, Sony, and TCL.

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