Galaxy Watch Active 2 gets improved GPS performance with latest update

Samsung has been consistently improving the Galaxy Watch Active 2 with software updates. A few months ago, the smartwatch received the Tizen UI 5.5 update and some markets got access to the ECG functionality. Now, the South Korean tech giant has released a new update for the Galaxy Watch Active 2, and it brings improved performance and a few new features.

The Galaxy Watch Active 2 is now receiving a new software update in the US. The new update has a download size of 45.42MB and it bears firmware version R825USQU1BTJ6. The official changelog mentions improved GPS accuracy and connection strength, and voice guidance via a connected Bluetooth headset while exercising. Samsung has also added voice guidance for things like traveled distance and heart rate data when the Auto Lap feature is enabled during cycling and running.

Samsung had released some of these features to the Galaxy Watch Active 2 in South Korea last month. Since the watch was released, it has received several new features via software updates, including Fall Detection, Running Analysis, scrolling screenshots, smart reply, chat history, support for new emojis and images, and VO2 max.

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Samsung builds more hype around Exynos 1080 5G with new promo video

Samsung has followed up on its original November 12 Exynos 1080 announcement with a brand-new official introduction video meant to build up some hype around the upcoming high-end chipset. The new minute-and-a-half promotional video details some of the best characteristics of the Exynos 1080 5G silicon.

In case you’ve missed the original announcement, the Exynos 1080 SoC has eight CPU cores, four of which are ARM Cortex-A78 cores, as well as a Mali-G78 graphics processing unit and support for LPDDR5 RAM. The other four cores unspecified in the video are of the Cortex-A55 variety.

Betting on AI and 144Hz refresh rate

The latest promotional video focuses on explaining more of the features supported by the Exynos 1080 5G chipset, such as HDR10+ in 4K UHD and 144Hz support at FHD+ display resolutions. The chipset also supports mobile photography through AI and it can handle sensors of up to 200-megapixels. The incorporated 5G modem is capable of topping speeds of 5.1Gbps.

The video doesn’t reveal anything new or groundbreaking about the upcoming 5nm solution but the message here is that the Exynos 1080 5G is so fast that it makes your phone fly, figuratively of course. Hopefully this will indeed be the case and the Exynos 1080 5G will help Samsung recover its image. The Exynos 1080 is expected to debut inside a Vivo smartphone in early 2021.

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Galaxy A12 vs Galaxy A11: Better in every aspect that counts

This week Samsung took the veil off two brand-new budget phones destined to hit the shelves in early 2021, namely the Galaxy A12 and the Galaxy A02s. The Galaxy A12, in particular, is meant to succeed the Galaxy A11. The latter was announced in March 2020 whereas latest model is a couple of months away from release.

The Galaxy A12 will be going on sale before the Galaxy A11 will have a chance to celebrate its one-year anniversary. It will become available in Europe in January 2021 for the starting price of 179 EUR. But should you upgrade from the Galaxy A11 to the newer model? How do these two budget phones compare side by side and was the Galaxy A11 made obsolete by the sequel? Let’s try to find out.

Galaxy A12 versus Galaxy A11

Both the Galaxy A11 and the Galaxy A12 have a TFT display with a pixel count of 1560 by 720 but the new model has a 6.5-inch panel that’s 0.1-inch larger, as well as an Infinity-V display notch as opposed to a Infinity-O corner cutout. The Infinity-V display notch is virtually the only characteristic that feels like a downgrade over the previous model.

Other than that, the Galaxy A12 is offered with more memory configurations and it carries four rear-facing cameras instead of three. The main shooter has a 48MP resolution and the phone benefits from the addition of a 2MP macro sensor, albeit in the real world you probably won’t get a lot of use out of it.

Lastly, the Galaxy A12 arguably has a more modern design with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner as opposed to a rear-facing one, and it’s powered by a larger 5,000mAh battery versus 4,000mAh. Under the hood, it should also use the MediaTek Helio P35 SoC as opposed to the Snapdragon 450 chipset.

All in all, yes, the Galaxy A12 has improved upon the existing formula in nearly every aspect and by spending a few tens of EUR on top of the A11’s price, you will be getting a better phone for your money. But should you ditch the Galaxy A11 for the Galaxy A12 if you already own it? Perhaps it is worth it as long as you find a good trade-in offer, otherwise you might be gaining too little in return for your efforts.

You can check our new device comparison widget below for a closer look at how the Galaxy A11 and Galaxy A12 compare. Feel free to let us know in the comment section if you own the Galaxy A11 and/or if you plan to buy the Galaxy A12 come February.

Galaxy A11

VS.

Galaxy A12

Full comparison

General Information
Model name	Galaxy A11	Galaxy A12
Model number	SM-A115F	SM-A125F
Model type	Bar	Bar
Color	Blue (Blue) Black (Black) Red (Red) White (White)	Blue (Blue) Black (Black) White (White) Red (Red)
Announced	2020, March	2020, November
Released	2020, March	2020, November
Physical Specifications
Dimensions	Bar: 161.4 x 76.3 x 8.0 mm	Bar: 164 x 75.8 x 8.9 mm
Weights	177g	205g
Operating System
Operating system	Android 10
One UI version	2.0
Network
Networks	2G 3G 4G	2G 3G 4G
Display
Kind	Main Display	Main Display
Name	Infinity-O Display	Infinity-V Display
Technology	PLS TFT LCD	PLS TFT LCD
Size	6.4 inch / 162.56 mm	6.5 inch / 165.1 mm
Resolution	HD+ / 1560x720 pixels	HD+ / x pixels
Pixel density	268 PPI	PPI
Screen to body ratio	~81.6%	%
Memory
RAM/ROM sizes	2 GB RAM with 32 GB ROM 3 GB RAM with 32 GB ROM	3 GB RAM with 32 MB ROM 4 GB RAM with 64 GB ROM 6 GB RAM with 128 GB ROM
Rear camera
Megapixels	13MP	48MP
Aperture	F1.8	F2.0
Battery
Standard battery capacity	4000 mAh	5000 mAh
View full comparison »

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Samsung dominated the EMEA smartphone market in Q3 2020

Smartphone sales have bounced back in Q3 2020 in spite of the mark left on the global economy by the coronavirus, and Samsung even managed to improve its market share in Europe compared to Q3 2019. Huawei’s woes meant higher smartphone sales for Samsung across the Old Continent and the company had a leading market share of 37.1% in the third quarter.

Market research firm IDC reveals that in Western Europe alone, Samsung’s Q3 market share topped 35.6% 2020, down 0.2% from a year ago. However, this decrease was offset by success in other parts of Europe. The company had shipped 10.3 million smartphones in Western Europe, and a total of 29.6 million smartphones across the entire EMEA region, retaining the title of EMEA’s largest smartphone vendor.

Samsung had a strong quarter in the Philippines

Samsung also had a fairly strong third quarter in the Philippines according to another IDC report that reveals a quarterly growth of 42%. However, the company’s market share in the Philippines did shrink by 19.5% year-on-year.

The company was able to increase its quarterly market share through its strategy of releasing multiple smartphone models at varying price points. Some of the more successful models were the Galaxy A01 Core and the Galaxy A11 in the budget category, while customers looking for a flagship solution have gravitated towards the Galaxy Note 20.

As for the fourth quarter of the year, IDC estimates that smartphone shipments could increase despite the coronavirus restrictions that were recently set in place again in some European countries. The lower sales that may result from lockdowns could be offset by strong holiday season sales and 5G growth.

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Samsung locked out Galaxy Z Fold 2 users with One UI 3.0 beta

Samsung’s One UI 3.0 beta program hasn’t been without faults. Last week the beta release for a handful of devices was delayed due to battery life concerns, but that’s nothing compared to what some Galaxy Z Fold 2 owners in South Korea have experienced today. Samsung started rolling out a buggy One UI 3.0 beta build for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 in South Korea that prevented users from unlocking their phones.

With no way to unlock the phone, the only viable solution to regain control over the Galaxy Z Fold 2 running this particular One UI 3.0 beta build – firmware version F916NKSU1ZTKB – was to perform a factory reset. But once again, because the buggy update was preventing users from unlocking their devices, they were unable to back up their files before factory resetting it.

Luckily, Samsung had reportedly pulled the plug on the problematic One UI 3.0 beta release fairly quickly, meaning that only a relatively small number of Galaxy Z Fold 2 owners and beta testers in South Korea were affected. Needless to say, we don’t expect this particular One UI 3.0 beta firmware version to reach the Galaxy Z Fold 2 in other markets, but make sure you steer clear of firmware version F916NKSU1ZTKB in the unlikely event that you come across it.

In closing, although it’s difficult to ignore the gravity of the issue at hand, there’s no way around the fact that beta firmware updates exist precisely because Samsung wants to prevent such problems from cropping up in public firmware releases. Testers who consent to the beta program should do so primarily for the purpose of hunting down bugs. There’s an inherent risk associated with running unfinished firmware, reason why it’s generally advised to avoid installing beta builds on your main and/or only smartphone.

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Samsung has finally released the Chromebook 4 series in the UK

Samsung customers in the UK who might be looking for a lightweight and cost-effective notebook have finally been given the option of buying the Chromebook 4 and Chromebook 4+. The Chromebook 4 series debuted in the USA a little over a year ago and it’s only now reaching the UK for a starting price of £299.

Samsung’s narrative pertaining to the product’s release in the UK is the same as before. The company claims that the Chromebook 4 series represents a new gold standard of value all thanks to its ability to combine decent performance with competitive pricing.

Chromebook 4 series specifications and UK price

The Samsung Chromebook 4 and Chromebook 4+ are more dissimilar on the outside rather than on the inside, as both models use the same type of Intel Celeron N4000 CPU with Intel UHD Graphics 600 and 4GB of PLDDR4 RAM, as well as the same camera, WLAN, and speaker configuration.

Other than that, the Chromebook 4 has a 11.6-inch HD display whereas the Chromebook 4+ is equipped with a larger 15.6-inch FHD panel. The latter model is wrapped in a plastic body measuring 287.9 x 202.3 x 16.7 mm and weighing 1.18 Kg. The Chromebook 4+ has a body made from aluminum and plastic, measuring 359.7 x 245.2 x 16.5 mm and weighing 1.69 Kg.

The Chromebook 4 is available in the UK with 32GB of storage for £299. The Chromebook 4+ is available with 32GB / 64GB of storage for £349 and £379, respectively. You can refer to the links below for more details.

• Buy the Chromebook 4 at Samsung UK
• Buy the 32GB Chromebook 4+ at Samsung UK
• Buy the 64GB Chromebook 4+ at Samsung UK

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Exclusive: Galaxy S21 features to include Bixby Voice as a biometric option

The Galaxy S21 series is expected to launch running version 3.1 of One UI, just like the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S10 ran One UI 2.1 and One UI 1.1 out of the box respectively. There will naturally be a couple of new features that will be exclusive to the Galaxy S21 until One UI 3.1 is released for other Galaxy devices, and according to our sources, one of those features will be the option to use Bixby Voice as a biometric method for unlocking the device.

Bixby itself has had the ability to unlock the device to follow your commands when you wake it up by saying ‘Hi Bixby’, and initially, it also offered the option to set a voice password for hands-free device unlocking. Neither of those features can be found in Bixby anymore, but we’re told One UI 3.1 will let you select Bixby voice unlock from the phone’s lock screen security settings, though the exact details of how it will work are unclear at this time.

Voice unlock will probably not be the most secure biometric method, as anyone with a recording of your voice may be able to unlock the phone, similar to how facial recognition can be fooled with a picture of your face. Fingerprint authentication, along with the good old pattern and pin/password methods, will remain the only trustworthy biometric features on Galaxy phones unless Samsung brings the iris scanner back, which is unfortunately out of the realm of possibility because of the craze for bezel-less displays that continues to grip the industry.

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These case renders give you another look at the Galaxy S21

There’s a lot of excitement for Samsung’s next flagship series. Particularly since it was revealed that the Galaxy S21 announcement will take place in early January. Samsung will be launching three models this time around as well.

We’ve already seen multiple leaked renders of all devices. Now, we’re getting another look at the Galaxy S21. These case renders are meant to show off the protective covers but they give us a glimpse of the device as well.

Galaxy S21 cases give us another look at the device

A major leak has already revealed that the Galaxy S21 is going to have a flat display and a plastic back. The rear camera setup is a new design element for the upcoming flagship series. It wraps around the frame and has circular cutouts for the camera sensors. As you’d expect, all of the physical buttons are placed on the right side of the frame.

The Galaxy S21 is expected to feature a 12-megapixel ultra-wide, 12-megapixel primary, and 64-megapixel telephoto camera. It’s also said to feature a 6.2-inch FHD+ resolution 120Hz refresh rate display. As we’ve seen in earlier renders and see here as well, it’s going to be a flat panel.

Samsung will be utilizing the Snapdragon 875 chipset for the entire Galaxy S21 series in select markets. The vast majority of customers will get the Exynos 2100-powered version instead. Early reports suggest that the Exynos 2100 may be able to match the Snapdragon 875 on performance.

The company is yet to confirm its 2021 flagship launch plans. Word on the street is that the next Unpacked event will take place in January. The new handsets are expected to hit shelves later that month.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 2 display may support 120Hz refresh rate

The Galaxy Z Flip 2 is due next year and fans already have a long wishlist of features they want to see. Samsung’s first clamshell foldable, the Galaxy Z Flip, was very well received. Naturally, the expectations are high for its successor.

Not much is known about Samsung’s next foldable smartphone. There’s a new rumor out today and it claims that the Galaxy Z Flip 2 display will have support for 120Hz refresh rate. That would be a significant improvement over the Galaxy Z Flip.

Galaxy Z Flip 2 display may support 120Hz refresh rate

Samsung is no stranger to making foldable displays with 120Hz refresh rate support, at least not anymore. The Galaxy Z Fold 2’s internal display does support the higher refresh rate. It also happened to be the company’s second Ultra-Thin Glass display, a technology that was introduced with the Galaxy Z Flip.

So in many ways, this is perhaps one of the safest rumors about the Galaxy Z Flip 2. @UniverseIce posted about it on Weibo. It’s not an outlandish claim and neither is it impossible for Samsung to offer it at the Galaxy Z Flip’s price point. He seems to call it the Galaxy Z Flip 3 probably because the Galaxy Z Flip 5G was technically the second clamshell foldable from Samsung.

It’s also claimed that the display will have narrower bezels which is something that’s always well received. Finally, the source mentions that the next Galaxy Z Flip will be cheaper. If that does turn out to be true, it’s going to make a lot of Samsung fans happy.

Samsung isn’t expected to unveil the Galaxy Z Flip 2 at its next Unpacked event. That will only be for the Galaxy S21 series. Recent reports have suggested that the new foldable may not be unveiled until Q2 2021.

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Galaxy S10 Android 11 One UI 3.0 beta program is now live

Samsung has kicked off the One UI 3.0 beta program for the Galaxy S10 lineup today. The Galaxy S10 series, along with Samsung’s 2020 foldables, was supposed to get the beta earlier this month, but high battery drain in the initial test builds forced Samsung into delaying the launch for all devices. However, it seems the company now has everything in control – the beta was released for the Galaxy Z Flip earlier this week, and it’s now out for the Galaxy S10 trio.

The One UI 3.0 beta program for the Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, and Galaxy S10+ is live in India, South Korea, and the United Kingdom at the time of this writing, but it’s possible that users of these devices in Poland and Germany will also be able to access the beta later today or tomorrow. As always, you will need to register for the program through the Samsung Members app. Once you’re enrolled, you will be able to download the first beta update through the Settings » Software update menu on the phone.

Don’t forget that beta software can have many quirks and bugs, and if your Galaxy S10e, S10, or S10+ is your only phone, you might want to wait for the stable Android 11 and One UI 3.0 update instead of dipping your toes in unfinished software. The stable release for Samsung’s 2019 flagships is expected sometime early next year, though the release schedule will ultimately depend on how quickly Samsung is able to get things working without issues.

Galaxy S10e

• Model: SM-G970F
• Dimensions: Bar: 142.2 x 69.9 x 7.9 mm
  
• Display: 5.8 inch / 147.32 mm Dynamic AMOLED Display
• CPU: Exynos 9820
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

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 S10+

• Model: SM-G975F
• Dimensions: Bar: 157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8 mm
  
• Display: 6.4 inch / 162.5 mm Dynamic AMOLED Display
• CPU: Exynos 9820
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

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Samsung brings its Odyssey gaming monitors to India

Almost 11 months after unveiling its Odyssey gaming monitors, Samsung is bringing them to the Indian market. The company has announced that it is launching the Odyssey G9 and the Odyssey G7 gaming monitors in India. The company has started taking pre-orders for its new monitors today via its website, and the pre-order period will end on December 31.

The 27-inch Odyssey G7 is priced at INR 49,000, while the 49-inch Odyssey G9 will cost INR 1,99,000 in India. The company has not revealed the pricing for the 32-inch Odyssey G7 monitor yet. All three new monitors feature VA QLED panels. The 49-inch Odyssey G9 features a resolution of 5,120 x 1,440 pixels, while the 27-inch and 32-inch variants of the Odyssey G7 monitor use a QHD panel.

All three gaming monitors feature 1ms gray-to-gray response time, a 240Hz refresh rate, 178-degree viewing angle, Nvidia G-Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, and HDR. The Odyssey G9 has DisplayHDR 1000 certification with 1,000 nits peak brightness and 600 nits typical brightness. The Odyssey G7 has DisplayHDR 600 certification with 600 nits peak brightness and 350 nits typical brightness.

Samsung’s new gaming monitors have 1 HDMI 2.0 port, two DisplayPort 1.4 ports, and two USB 3.0 ports. All of them can tilt and swivel, but only the G7 can pivot. Other features of the monitor include the picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture modes, Eye Saver mode, and RGB lighting in the rear core.

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Galaxy Note 10 One UI 3.0 Beta update registrations now open in India

Samsung opened the One UI 3.0 Beta program for Galaxy Note 10 series users in the UK two weeks ago. Now, the company is expanding it to the Indian market. Samsung has announced that it has started accepting registrations from Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ users in India who want to test the Android 11-based One UI 3.0 Beta update on their phones.

If you are in India and want to beta-test the One UI 3.0 update on your Galaxy Note 10 or Galaxy Note 10+, you can open the Samsung Members app on your smartphone and click on the banner image. Once you complete the registration, your smartphone will be enrolled in the beta program, and then you will receive the update. Keep in mind that this is a beta update and it will have plenty of bugs and performance issues.

The One UI 3.0 Beta update brings Android 11 to the Galaxy Note 10 and the Galaxy Note 10+ along with design and UX improvements. It also brings one-time permissions, chat bubbles, a separate area in the notifications shade for messages, enhanced Digital Wellbeing, new privacy controls, improved lock screen and AoD widgets, and a dedicated media controls widget in the notifications shade.

The new update also brings improved stock apps, improvements to Samsung Keyboard, DeX and Samsung Internet improvements, and the ability to customize the call screen with images or videos. There are improvements to Bixby, Bixby Routines, image editor, parental controls.

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Samsung’s smartphone market share rises in Canada

Samsung’s smartphone business has been doing pretty well in western markets. Recently, the South Korean tech giant dethroned Apple in the US for the first time in several years. Now, it is being reported that Samsung’s market share improved in Canada during Q3 2020.

According to a report from Counterpoint Research, Samsung’s market share in Canada was 33% during the third quarter of 2020. It is slightly higher than the 32% market share that the company had during Q3 2019. Apple is still at the number one position in Canada with a market share of 53%. However, its market share has dropped 3 percentage points compared to the numbers from Q3 2019. LG was the third-biggest smartphone brand in Canada, but its market share was just 4% (compared to 3% in Q3 2019).

Samsung’s smartphone sales were driven by robust demand for the Galaxy Note 20 series, Galaxy A51, Galaxy A71, and the Galaxy S10 series. Smartphone sales in Canada jumped 13% year-on-year due to pent-up demand since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Six out of the top ten best-selling smartphones were from Apple, with the iPhone 11 being the best-selling phone in Canada. The remaining four smartphone models were from Samsung.

Apple’s market share is set to rise in Canada due to the launch of the iPhone 12 series. To counter the new iPhones, Samsung is planning to launch the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra in January 2021.

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