الغريب: يناير 2021

الأحد، 31 يناير 2021

Is Samsung faking moon photos with Galaxy S21 Ultra’s 100x Space Zoom?

The Galaxy S21 Ultra has the most versatile smartphone camera on the market right now. Thanks to its dual-telephoto cameras (3x zoom and 10x zoom) and the Zoom Lock feature, it is well-equipped to take clear images of faraway subjects. However, some consumers and experts have expressed doubts over its ability to take real photos of the moon. It was being alleged that Samsung is using AI trickery to fake images of the moon, similar to what Huawei did a couple of years ago with the P30 Pro.

The conspiracy was that Samsung is slapping a texture of the moon onto anything that resembles it. So, Raymond Wong from InputMag decided to investigate those claims by talking to experts and comparing the images of the moon shot using the Galaxy S21 Ultra and a $4,800 camera rig. He talked to some tech reviewers, including Michael Fisher (a.k.a MrMobile), Danny Winget, Dave Lee (Dave2D), Max Weinbach, and Brian Tong.

Easy to Show. Tried it just now. Here: Even if you take an unsharp/messy photo of something that looks like a moon it snaps a moon(ish) texture on it. simple as that. No magic hardware just clever software (combination), huawei did same year ago. pic.twitter.com/BmVhUPnq8v

— Alexi Bexi (@alextv) January 21, 2021

Dave Lee suggested that the images could be fake or at least optically enhanced beyond reality. He said, “I think if it is fake, they’re doing some higher-level stuff than Huawei.” Michael Fisher tried to trick the Galaxy S21 Ultra into thinking that a golf ball placed against a black background is the moon and checked if the phone is adding moon textures over it. Wong tried to do the same using a clove of garlic and taking a 100x shot. However, the Galaxy S21 Ultra didn’t turn those objects into a moon by adding textures.

Max Weinbach tried to search the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s camera APK to see if it had textures of the moon, but nothing turned up. Brian Tong said, “I don’t think the S21 Ultra is making up textures that it adds on top of the Moon. Adding textures seems way too aggressive. I could understand AI maybe filling in the blanks to a certain degree.”

$1,200 Galaxy S21 Ultra vs $4,800 Sony A7R III: Who took better shots of the moon?

After receiving mixed opinions from the experts, Wong figured that the only way to prove what was going on is to compare the Galaxy S21 Ultra with a mirrorless camera and a long-range zoom lens. He captured an image of the moon with the Sony ASR III, which had a $2,000 200-600mm lens attached to it. The patterned lines and textures lined up between the shots of the two devices. Moreover, even after cleaning up the image from the mirrorless camera and then sharpening it in Adobe Lightroom, the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s image turned out to be better.

In the end, it was proven that Samsung isn’t faking photos of the moon, but there was a lot of software processing going on in the background. In fact, the Galaxy S21 Ultra shot better images of the moon than the Sony mirrorless camera that costs thrice as much as the smartphone. Even in our review of the Galaxy S21 Ultra, we managed to capture some impressive images of the moon in the day and the night.

You can read more on this subject and how Samsung is using AI to improve its 100x Space Zoom so that it can capture such excellent shots of the moon in the detailed article on InputMag by clicking the source link below the article.

What do you think about the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s camera and its AI optimization techniques? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post Is Samsung faking moon photos with Galaxy S21 Ultra’s 100x Space Zoom? appeared first on SamMobile.

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Samsung’s Chromebook shipments grew 4x in 2020, driven by the pandemic

The demand for affordable laptops and tablets was through the roof during 2020, thanks to the pandemic. Samsung managed to ship close to 10 million Galaxy Tab devices in Q4 2020 and over 31 million tablets over the course of the whole year. Now, the South Korean tech giant’s Chromebook shipment numbers have been published.

The company managed to ship a million Chromebook devices in Q4 2020 according to market research firm Canalys. That’s a staggering 6.3x growth compared to Q4 2019. In all of 2020, Samsung managed to ship close to 2 million Chrome OS laptops, which is a 4x growth compared to 2019.

Although the South Korean firm had the highest growth in the global Chromebook market, it still has a lot of room to grow. HP was the biggest Chromebook brand in 2020 with 9.4 million shipments and a 31% market share. Lenovo shipped 6.8 million Chromebooks and acquired a 22% share of the market. Dell (15% market share) and Acer (14% market share) were ranked third and fourth, respectively, with shipments of 4.6 million and 4.3 million.

Samsung launched the Galaxy Chromebook last year, and it was the first Chrome OS-powered laptop with a 4K AMOLED screen. The company had also launched two affordable Chromebooks—Chromebook 4 and Chromebook 4+—a few months prior to that. It recently unveiled the Galaxy Chromebook 2, the first Chromebook in the world with a QLED screen. The new laptop also features improved battery life compared to the original Galaxy Chromebook.

The post Samsung’s Chromebook shipments grew 4x in 2020, driven by the pandemic appeared first on SamMobile.

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الجمعة، 29 يناير 2021

Samsung Display is building a new OLED manufacturing line for laptops

Samsung Display is reportedly getting ready to increase its OLED production capacity in anticipation of high demand. According to reports from the local media, Samsung is building the new production line at the A4 plant in Asan, or rather, it’s converting the existing A4 line to be capable of producing 30,000 medium-sized OLED sheets every month.

Interestingly, Samsung Display isn’t building this new line in preparation of higher OLED demand from the smartphone segment. Instead, the A4 line — which the company is apparently referring to as ‘Project N’ — will be destined to manufacture mid-sized OLED panels for laptops. The source claims that these OLED notebook panels will have an 18 or 20 inch diagonal, which means the A4 line should be unrelated to Samsung’s new 14-inch 90Hz OLED display for laptops.

Mass production could begin in late-2022

All this doesn’t mean that Samsung Display isn’t bracing for a higher smartphone OLED demand. On the contrary, the company might become the sole LTPO OLED supplier for Apple’s upcoming iPhone 13 series, and the company is reportedly already preparing to increase production for this purpose.

As for Samsung Display’s plans for the notebook market, the company will reportedly start shipping new equipment for OLED manufacturing at the A4 line later this summer. Production could begin by the end of 2022.

The post Samsung Display is building a new OLED manufacturing line for laptops appeared first on SamMobile.

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Samsung’s gearing up to unleash five new Galaxy phones on the market

Samsung is getting ready to unleash a handful of new low-to-mid-range Galaxy smartphones, and support pages for five new models have already gone live in various regions. Samsung India’s portal now includes support pages for the Galaxy F12 and the Galaxy F62, indicating that the two new devices that were supposedly developed in collaboration with Flipkart will be released soon.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy A52 5G support page went live in Austria, whereas the Galaxy M02 and the Galaxy A72 have received support pages in Thailand and the Caribbean, respectively. All of this means that Samsung is gearing up to release these smartphones soon, though time will tell exactly when it will happen.

As for availability, the Galaxy F12 and Galaxy F62 will most likely remain exclusive to India but Galaxy A / Galaxy M-labeled variants with similar specs could land in additional markets. As for the other Galaxy A and Galaxy M models that have received support pages, you can be certain that they’ll enjoy a wider release.

Samsung’s mid-range portfolio has gained more popularity last year as shifts in the economic landscape led to fewer flagship sales. With the Galaxy S21 series now available for purchase, Samsung can focus on its non-flagship offerings for a few good months until the next Unpacked event takes place. We’ll review most of these upcoming devices once they hit the shelves so stay tuned.

The post Samsung’s gearing up to unleash five new Galaxy phones on the market appeared first on SamMobile.

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Samsung confirms rollable, slidable smartphones are coming

Samsung’s foldable smartphone experiments will soon extend to at least two novel form factors based on rollable and slidable designs. The tech giant confirmed the said plans indirectly earlier today. I.e., its sister company Samsung Display did.

Samsung Display’s tech was at the heart of every foldable Galaxy smartphone released to date. It should hence come as no surprise that this trend will continue moving forward. After all, it’s not like third-party suppliers are lining up to pitch their own solutions for turning flexible screens from a futuristic concept into a mass-market reality to Samsung.

And even if they were, Samsung is pretty much the only game in the foldable mobile town right now. Imagine saying that two years ago, when the Galaxy Fold was rushed to the market just so Samsung could secure the bragging rights of releasing history’s first foldable smartphone.

Are the Galaxy Z Fold and/or Flip in danger of discontinuation?

And while the display R&D focus is now shifting to other form factors, neither the Galaxy Z Fold nor the Galaxy Z Flip series is likely to get canned anytime soon. Moving forward, Samsung is still expected to launch four foldable smartphones in 2021.

The envelope-pushing refresh rates of the last few generations of Galaxy flagships will be fully embraced by the company’s growing portfolio of bendable devices, Samsung Display said during today’s investor conference.

The post Samsung confirms rollable, slidable smartphones are coming appeared first on SamMobile.

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Samsung shipped close to 10 million tablets in Q4 2020

A lot of business took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Samsung has a reason to be happy. Thanks to social distancing norms around the world and a sharp rise in demand for work-from-home and remote learning tools, Samsung saw increased profits in Q3 and Q4 2020. The South Korean tech giant shipped not only memory and storage chips for PCs, laptops, and servers, but also millions of tablets during the pandemic.

Samsung managed to sell close to 10 million (9.9 million to be exact) Galaxy Tab devices globally during Q4 2020, coming in as the second-biggest tablet brand in the world. The company’s tablet market share was 19% during the quarter, and that’s a 40% growth compared to Q4 2019. Apple was the biggest tablet vendor during the same quarter, with a market share of 36% and shipments of 19.2 million iPads. Amazon shipped 6.5 million Fire tablets and acquired a 12% share of the market. Lenovo and Huawei shipped 5.6 million and 3.5 million tablets, respectively.

Over the course of the complete year, Samsung shipped 31 million tablets in 2020. The company’s market share was 19%, a healthy 40% improvement compared to 2019. Apple shipped 58.8 million iPads last year, grabbing a market share of 37%. Huawei, Amazon, and Lenovo’s shipments stood at 16.3 million, 15.9 million, and 14.2 million, respectively, during 2020. From the looks of it, all brands selling tablets benefitted from the pandemic due to the unusually high demand for devices that help in remote learning.

Samsung launched various tablets last year, including high-end ones like the Galaxy Tab S7 and the Galaxy Tab S7+, and affordable ones like the Galaxy Tab A7 (2020). The South Korean firm is the only brand that can rival Apple in the tablet segment and puts in real effort in making the Android experience better for tablets with its One UI software.

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[List] Galaxy devices that have received Android 11/One UI 3.0 update

Only four months after officially announcing the One UI 3.0 update, Samsung already brought its custom Android 11 implementation to quite a few of its Galaxy devices. At least compared to the pace of its Android 10-based One UI 2.x deployment efforts which have been ongoing until this very month. And assuming we’re counting Android 11 beta builds, which we are.

As Samsung is expected to begin ramping up the development and release of various One UI 3.0 iterations, this is a fine time for us to start keeping detailed tabs on that endeavor. This would primarily constitute tracking the exact lineups and models that have already been updated, as well as the order in which that happened.

We will be updating this list on a regular basis, so feel free to bookmark it if you’re eager to embrace Samsung’s latest mobile OS ASAP. Our definition of that term is about to change soon, anyway, seeing how the One UI 3.1 update is right around the corner.

In case your device isn’t on the following list just yet, here is when you can expect the Android 11 party to start on your end. Keep in mind that releases usually take at least several weeks before going fully global, with the possible exception of Samsung’s foldable smartphones.

With that said, you can download the latest system images from our firmware archives almost as soon as Samsung makes them available.

Galaxy devices that have received Android 11/One UI 3.x update

The post [List] Galaxy devices that have received Android 11/One UI 3.0 update appeared first on SamMobile.

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الخميس، 28 يناير 2021

It’s finally happening: The Galaxy S21 flagship series goes on sale today

Galaxy S21 pre-order customers may have been feeling like time was slowing down on them but it’s only been a couple of weeks since the flagship series was unveiled at Unpacked 2021. Now the waiting is over, as today — January 29 — is the day when Samsung starts shipping the latest flagship phones to customers.

Meanwhile, those who haven’t pre-ordered the Galaxy S21 can now purchase the phone outright from Samsung’s online shop as well as partner retailers and carriers. Buyers can no longer take advantage of early adopter benefits, so anyone who might want to use the new Galaxy SmartTag will have to buy one separately.

How much does the Galaxy S21 series cost?

The Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra are available for purchase beginning today and prices will differ more or less according to each region. In major markets, the base model costs $799 / €849 / £769 while the Galaxy S21+ has a price tag of $999 / €1,049 / £949. The top-tier Galaxy S21 Ultra which we recently reviewed is priced at $1,199 / €1,249 / £1,149.

As a quick reminder — or newsflash if you’ve been living under a rock, which could be true for most of us given how 2020 went — the Galaxy S21 series no longer ships with a pair of wired earbuds and a wall charger in the box. These accessories can be purchased separately along with a ton of others. There are numerous cases to choose from and for the first time in the history of the Galaxy S series, there’s an S Pen accessory designed specifically for the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

You can refer to the links below for key Galaxy S21 news and resources, and readers who have already acquired the latest flagship are more than welcomed to share their first impressions in the comment section below.

Galaxy S21 Ultra review.
Galaxy SmartTag review.
Full list of first-party Galaxy S21 accessories.
Galaxy S21 firmware.
Galaxy S21+ firmware.
Galaxy S21 Ultra firmware.

Galaxy S21

Model: SM-G991B
Dimensions: Bar: 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm
Display: 6.2 inch / 157.48 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
CPU: Exynos 2100
Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy S21+

Model: SM-G996B
Dimensions: Bar: 161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8 mm
Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
CPU: Exynos 2100
Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy S21 Ultra

Model: SM-G998B
Dimensions: Bar: 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm
Display: 6.8 inch / 172.72 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
CPU: Exynos 2100
Camera: 12MP

More specifications

The post It’s finally happening: The Galaxy S21 flagship series goes on sale today appeared first on SamMobile.

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Galaxy S21 series receives HDR certification from Netflix

The Galaxy S21 series was unveiled a couple of weeks ago during the Galaxy Unpacked 2021 virtual event, and the new phones are going on sale worldwide starting today. Now, Samsung is making sure that the phones are fully ready out of the box for its customers.

Samsung’s latest flagship smartphones—Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra—have now received HDR certification from Netflix. This means users can enjoy watching their favorite movies and TV shows in HD resolution and HDR10 profile for an immersive experience. However, users need to be subscribed to Netflix’s Premium plan, which costs $18 per month, to watch HDR videos.

The Galaxy S21 has a 6.2-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-O display, while the Galaxy S21+ sports a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-O display. Both phones feature Full HD+ resolution, HDR10+ certification, up to 1,300 nits peak brightness, and up to 120Hz variable refresh rate. The Galaxy S21 Ultra has a 6.8-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-O display with QHD+ resolution, HDR10+, up to 1,500 nits peak brightness, and up to 120Hz variable refresh rate.

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

Galaxy S20+

Model: SM-G985F
Dimensions: Bar: 161.9 x 73.7 x 7.8 mm
Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
CPU: Exynos 990
Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G

Model: SM-G988B
Dimensions: Bar: 166.9 x 76.0 x 8.8 mm
Display: 6.9 inch / 175.26 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
CPU: Exynos 990
Camera: 12MP

More specifications

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Here’s your first real look at the Galaxy A72 5G

Samsung is expected to launch its 2021 mid-range smartphones, the Galaxy A52 and the Galaxy A72. Some of the specifications of these two devices have leaked over the past few weeks, and earlier today, the Galaxy A52 5G’s press renders made it to the internet. Now, we have our first look at the Galaxy A72.

Leakster Evan Blass published the first press render of the Galaxy A72 5G on Voice. The image shows the smartphone from the front, and it looks virtually identical to the Galaxy A52 5G. The device appears to have an Infinity-O display (most probably, Super AMOLED with Full HD+ resolution), with thin bezels on all sides. Its volume and power buttons are on the right side, similar to most modern Galaxy smartphones.

The Galaxy A72 5G will reportedly come equipped with a Snapdragon 750G processor, so you can expect fast day-to-day performance and gaming. It is expected to sport a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-O display and an in-display fingerprint reader. It could come with 6GB/8GB RAM, 128GB/256GB internal storage, and a microSD card slot. It will feature a 64MP+12MP+5MP+5MP quad-camera setup at the rear.

Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy A72 5G with Android 11 and One UI 3 onboard. The device will also come in a 4G variant, featuring the slower Snapdragon 720G processor. The smartphone will also feature a dual-SIM card slot, GPS, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.0, a USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It could come bundled with a 25W USB-PD charger.

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Leaked official render shines a spotlight on the Galaxy A52 5G design

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy A52 5G is back in the headlines in full force thanks to a new leak that reveals the phone’s exterior design. This time around, it’s an official press render as opposed to a fan-made CAD image based on leaked specifications, but the new leak essentially confirms what we already suspected: the Galaxy A52 5G has a quad-camera setup with a rectangular housing and an Infinity-O display on the opposite side.

Previous reports have revealed that the Galaxy A52 5G will have a glass back panel and a metal frame. The matte finish showcased in the latest leaked render certainly looks the part, and the frame with physical buttons on the right edge looks very much like it was constructed out of metal. The source — @evleaks via Voice — hasn’t confirmed the choice of materials, but the render says a lot about the design.

The LTE-only variant will likely look the same

As for the internal hardware, previous leaks and benchmarks hint at a Snapdragon 750G SoC from Qualcomm for the 5G variant. An LTE-only Galaxy A52 model is also expected but the chipset will likely differ. The 5G variant was benchmarked with 6GB of RAM and Android 11.

Samsung’s Galaxy A5x series has enjoyed a lot of success so far and especially last year when many customers have switched to a mid-range phone rather than spending nearly $1,000 or more on a new premium flagship.

The upcoming Galaxy A52 5G appears to be setting a new standard for the mid-range series, at least in terms of exterior design, but despite these technological advancements, launch prices are said to remain unchanged.

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Samsung was India’s 2nd-largest smartphone vendor by the end of 2020

2020 was an odd year for the Indian smartphone market for a few reasons. Things weren’t looking great in the first half of the year because of the pandemic and the lockdowns that followed, but the smartphone market picked up in the second half of 2020 to the point where H2 shipments have surpassed the 100 million mark for the first time ever, reveals Counterpoint Research.

In the middle of all this, Samsung has aggressively promoted its online retail channels which boosted the popularity of Galaxy A and Galaxy M mid-range devices. The company was able to retake 2nd place in the Indian smartphone market and it remains the nation’s second-largest vendor after Xiaomi.

Samsung shipped 28.6 million smartphones in India throughout 2020

According to market research firm Canalys, Samsung experienced a 11% decline throughout 2020 and its market share at the end of the year stood at 20%, down from 22%. Back in 2019, Samsung was able to ship 32.2 million smartphones to India, but in 2020 that figure dropped down to 28.6 million. Xiaomi, who continues to lead the Indian smartphone market, also experienced a 5% decline and fewer shipments by about 2 million.

All the major OEMs combined have reportedly shipped 144.7 million smartphones to India throughout 2020, which represents only a 2% year-on-year decrease from the 148 million shipments recorded in 2019. The exact figures aren’t clear though, as Counterpoint Research estimates a 4% YoY decline. Either way, both market watchers agree that Samsung India had a decent year and won the silver medal.

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Samsung loses out to Apple in Q4 but maintains the lead throughout 2020

Samsung’s decision to release the Galaxy S21 series earlier than usual had something to do with wanting to bring the fight closer to Apple and the iPhone 12, or at least this is what a few reports have previously suggested. And it’s probably a good thing that Samsung has released the new flagship in January, seeing how Apple already enjoyed massive success in Q4 2020 thanks to the iPhone 12 series.

Apple outperformed Samsung in the fourth quarter of 2020 and took the lead with a market share of 23% compared to Samsung’s 17%. According to market research firms Canalys and Counterpoint Research, the Cupertino-based company shipped nearly 82 million iPhones in Q4, whereas Samsung recorded 62 million smartphone shipments over the same time period.

IDC’s figures are a bit off compared to the other two market watchers but they tell a similar story: Apple was able to ship more smartphones than Samsung in Q4 2020 and has secured the top spot over the three-month period.

Samsung maintains the lead throughout the year, at a cost

Apple was able to outperform Samsung in the fourth quarter thanks to the iPhone 12 series, but Samsung still had a higher market share and more shipments across all four quarters. By the end of 2020, Samsung had a global market share of 19% whereas Apple held 15%. Samsung shipped roughly 255 million smartphones throughout the year while its biggest rival fell short with a total of 201 million shipments.

Sadly for Samsung and many other OEMs, the smartphone market as a whole declined by 2% in 2020. The Korean tech giant was unable to surpass its 2019 shipment figures, whereas Apple managed to outperform itself. Samsung shipped nearly 300 million smartphones in 2019 and recorded 50 million fewer shipments in 2020. Likewise, in Q4 alone, Samsung experienced a 11% year-on-year decrease.

It will be very interesting to see if Samsung, and indeed the new Galaxy S21 flagship series will have the capacity to retake the lead from Apple in Q1 2021, and whether or not the company’s strategy to release the new lineup earlier than usual will pay off. So far, Samsung appears to have adjusted its Galaxy S21 shipment figures by lowering its expectations.

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Samsung Electronics to pay out record dividends until 2023

Samsung Electronics today confirmed plans to pay out record dividends to shareholders over the next three years. The equivalent of $11.8 billion will be returned to investors for the fiscal year 2020 which ended on December 31st. That’s $1.73 per ordinary share. Pretty sweet, right? Wrong.

As idiosyncratic as that might sound, the range of shareholder reactions to this move will likely vary from indifference to angry disapproval. And the average response will almost certainly be a figurative shrug.

Or was, to be more specific, as illustrated by the fact that Samsung’s stock isn’t doing anything special in after-hours trading over in Seoul. Whereas its regular shares declined 2.22% throughout today, which comes down to around $1.70. The fact that this price drop is nearly identical to the announced dividend boost is not a coincidence. It’s the market doing its thing.

Is Samsung really looking to spend money right now?

Any firm upping its dividend payouts to record heights isn’t a particularly exciting property to hold for the average investor. It’s certainly a secure one, but not many people ever became rich from playing it safe, which is why you won’t see anyone celebrating what might appear to be free money from an outsider’s perspective.

What’s more, Samsung is sending some mixed signals today. Because just as it boosted its dividends to historic levels, it also claimed to be on the lookout for major mergers and acquisitions. This isn’t a shocker, but its definition of “major” is disputable, at best. Because, with its de facto leader behind bars (again), Samsung’s ability to make major moves is under a huge question mark. This is why the likelihood of any M&A activity akin to the Harman International Industries acquisition happening in the interim isn’t at its highest right now, to put it mildly.

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Galaxy A02 vs Galaxy A02s: The newer model is once again less powerful

The Galaxy A02s was Samsung’s most affordable smartphone for 2021 up until the Galaxy A02 got introduced. The latter budget device was quietly revealed in Thailand this week and it will go on sale for the equivalent of $99. It’s missing the ‘s’ in the moniker, and this means it’s missing a few features as well.

Some characteristics were left unchanged but for the most part, the two devices are very different despite their similar names. What they have in common is a 6.5-inch PLS IPS display with a resolution of 1600 by 720, and standard connectivity features such as a 3.5mm headphone jack, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, and Bluetooth 5.0.

Galaxy A02 vs Galaxy A02s: Hardware specs

Samsung’s new budget phone relies on a MediaTek MT6739W quad-core chipset, a PowerVR GE8100 GPU, and 2GB / 3GB of RAM. It no longer uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC but continues to offer 32GB or 64GB of expandable storage.

The Galaxy A02 has a 5,000mAh battery, same as the A02s, but it lacks fast charging capabilities and it’s limited at 7.75W. Interestingly, the new model reverts back to microUSB instead of using a USB-C port. Given the low-end market segment to which the Galaxy A02 belongs, microUSB could actually work in its favor even if it’s an older standard.

Galaxy A02 vs Galaxy A02s: Design

The majority of low and mid-range Galaxy smartphones share a common front-panel design and the Galaxy A02 doesn’t take any extra steps to change that. The back panel is another story and it’s where the Galaxy A02 and Galaxy A02s really differ.

Both phones have a polycarbonate shell but the newer Galaxy A02 has a much smaller camera bump as well as a different pattern running across the back panel.

The Galaxy A02 is offered in additional color options but availability differs by market. They measure just about the same and weight around 200 grams each.

Galaxy A02 vs Galaxy A02s: Camera and other features

The camera setup that was employed by the Galaxy A02s is relatively forgettable, and you’d only set yourself up for disappointment if you’d expect more from the Galaxy A02. The device has two rear-facing cameras instead of three, lacking the depth sensor.

The remaining two — wide and macro — cameras as well as the 5MP selfie sensor have similar resolutions across both phones. They handsets also share the same versions of Android OS (10) and One UI 2, so the user experience is virtually the same, at least as far as the UI is concerned.

At the end of the day, a few extra tens of dollars can guarantee a few extra features to Galaxy A02s buyers, but it’s up to each customer to decide whether or not it’s worth it. You can check our device comparison widget below for a more detailed look at the Galaxy A02 and the Galaxy A02s side-by-side. Don’t forget to hit the Full Comparison button.

VS.

General Information
Model name	Galaxy A02	Galaxy A02s
Model number	SM-A022F	SM-A025F
Model type	Bar	Bar
Color	Black (Black) Blue (Blue) Gray (Gray) Red (Red)	Black (Black) White (White) Red (Red) Blue (Blue)
Announced	2021, January	2020, November
Released	2021, January	2020, November
Physical Specifications
Dimensions	Bar: 164 x 75.9 x 9.1 mm	Bar: 164.2 x 75.9 x 9.1 mm
Weights	206g	196g
Operating System
Operating system	Android 10	Android 10
One UI version	2.0 Core	2.0 Core
Network
Networks	2G 3G 4G	2G 3G 4G
Display
Kind	Main Display	Main Display
Name	Infinity-V Display	Infinity-V Display
Technology	PLS TFT LCD	PLS TFT LCD
Size	6.5 inch / 165.1 mm	6.5 inch / 165.1 mm
Resolution	HD+ / 1600x720 pixels	HD+ / 1600x720 pixels
Pixel density	270 PPI	270 PPI
Screen to body ratio	~81.9%	~81.8%
Memory
RAM/ROM sizes	2 GB RAM with 32 GB ROM 3 GB RAM with 32 GB ROM 3 GB RAM with 64 GB ROM	3 GB RAM with 32 GB ROM 4 GB RAM with 64 GB ROM
Rear camera
Megapixels	13MP	13MP
Aperture	F1.9
Battery
Standard battery capacity	5000 mAh	5000 mAh
View full comparison »

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Early Galaxy Tab S8 rumors hint at basic upgrades, slower fast charging

Samsung is expected to continue building upon its Android tablet legacy with a couple of high-end Galaxy Tab S8 models later this year. The company has yet to acknowledge this but there’s no strong reason to believe that the Galaxy Tab S7 and the Galaxy Tab S7+ won’t get any direct sequels in 2021. So then, the Galaxy Tab S8 and the Galaxy Tab S8+ will likely be unveiled in the second half of the year, and now, the first bits of information regarding the flagship tablets’ hardware have emerged.

According to a relatively small tech YouTube channel known as The Galox, the Galaxy S8 series will be powered by the Snapdragon 888 chipset and 8GB / 12GB RAM, while featuring 128GB / 256GB / 512GB of on-board storage. The tablets will reportedly have the exact same display configuration and fingerprint sensor location as last year’s models. The smaller variant will feature a 11-inch 120Hz LCD, whereas the Plus model will boast a 12.4-inch 120Hz AMOLED panel.

Likewise, battery capacities for the Galaxy Tab S8 and Galaxy Tab S8+ will remain unchanged at 8,000mAh and 10,090mAh, respectively, but fast charging will be downgraded to 25W.

Just how accurate are these alleged Galaxy Tab S8 / S8+ specs?

It’s difficult to tell just how true these rumors might be but for what it’s worth, they look like educated guesses, so even if these specs aren’t entirely accurate, they’re probably in Samsung’s ballpark — assuming of course that the company does indeed plan to release a new flagship tablet duo later this year.

Even so, we advise you to take this information for what it is. There’s a lot that can happen and change by the third quarter of the year, especially now that Samsung is rearranging its product portfolio in less-predictable ways than before.

On the other hand, recent history could be an indication of future events. Samsung has already removed 45W fast charging from its latest Galaxy S21 flagship phone series so there’s reason to believe that the company might want do the same for its upcoming Galaxy Tab S8 duo. A new chipset is par for the course and the Snapdragon 888 is a prime contender.

There’s not much else to be said at this point, but time will eventually reveal Samsung’s true intentions for the flagship Android tablet segment this year. We’ll keep you posted.

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Samsung Galaxy SmartTag review: Only for the truly committed

Samsung’s latest accessory is the company’s own take on a Bluetooth-powered tracker. It hasn’t broken any new ground with the Galaxy SmartTag. This isn’t the first tracker of its kind but Samsung has made one now to further expand its ecosystem of connected devices.

In this Samsung Galaxy SmartTag Review, we look at the features of this Bluetooth tracker and see if it’s as capable as the company makes it out to be.

Galaxy SmartTag design

No bigger than a hockey puck, the Galaxy SmartTag is made out of material that’s soft to the touch. There’s a key ring up top which makes it possible to easily attach the tracker to a backpack, for example.

While easily pocketable, the 0.39-inch thick SmartTag won’t really fit inside your wallet easily. That’s because it’s slightly bulging in the middle. It does have an IP53 rating for water resistance which means it can keep up with your outdoorsy lifestyle. The SmartTag can easily be snapped open to replace the CR2032 battery.

Galaxy SmartTag performance

At the end of the day, it’s a very straightforward product with one main goal: to help you find things that you’ve misplaced. The Galaxy SmartTag is very good at doing that. It does have one limitation, though. It’s only compatible with Samsung smartphones. Unlike popular Bluetooth trackers like Tile, the Galaxy SmartTag can’t be used with any other Android phone let alone an iPhone.

It’s clear as day that Samsung’s tracker is an accessory only for those who use its smartphones. You’ll need to buy a Galaxy device if you ever want to use just the SmartTag or find it for a dirt cheap price at the bargain bin of your local electronics shop.

The setup process is quite easy. Add it as a new device through the SmartThings app and the SmartTag will be automatically detected. So how do you go about locating the items you’ve lost? Simply make the tracker ring through the app. If you’ve misplaced your phone but have the SmartTag on hand, you can make the smartphone ring through it as well by tapping the SmartTag’s button twice.

Since the entire reason this product exists is to let out a piercing tone so that misplaced items can be located, Samsung offers 10 tones to choose from which can go as high as 89dB. The SmartTag is noticeably louder than the Tile Mate so as long as you’re within earshot, you’ll easily be able to find the tracker.

When you’re in Bluetooth range, you can utilize the signal strength meter to locate your misplaced item even if you can’t hear the tone. The meter’s strength increases as you get closer to the tracker but it can be a bit hit or miss at times.

Once outside the distance of approximately 60 feet in which the phone stays connected to the tracker over Bluetooth, the SmartThings app shows a five minute timer during which it continues to search for it.

Galaxy SmartTag features

The SmartThings app can show the last location of the tracker on a map where it was last connected to a smartphone. There’s no real-time tracking so it won’t be the like the movies where you can see the blue dot moving with extreme precision.

Samsung is leveraging its vast galaxy of smartphone users to make it easier to find your lost tracker. SmartTag emits a Bluetooth Low Energy signal that other Galaxy devices with the SmartThings app nearby can detect.

So if you forgot your backpack with the tracker attached on the park bench, its location will update on your own app in SmartThings even when someone else passes by it. Samsung says that all SmartThings Find user data is encrypted and protected securely.

Another useful feature that the SmartTag has which many other trackers don’t is its ability to act as a remote control for the Internet of Things routines. The button on the SmartTag has a single-press programmable function that can be linked to trigger many different IoT and home automation devices like smart lights and thermostats. Its ability to function as a small IoT remote really makes the SmartTag worth its price tag.

Galaxy SmartTag conclusion

The Galaxy SmartTag has a lot of things going for it. It looks good, has a replaceable battery, can function as an IoT remote and is very loud. The range isn’t as great as the competitors from Tile and there’s also a much smaller network of existing users. However, this is only the first generation of the SmartTag, so we will surely see an improvement down the line.

Samsung actually has a more advanced version of the tracker called the Galaxy SmartTag+. It’s going to be launched later this year. The SmartTag+ will have support for Ultra Wideband technology and will thus support UWB positioning. When used with a compatible device like the Galaxy S21 Ultra (read our review) or Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, it will be able to show you on the map exactly what direction the SmartTag+ is in.

Both suffer from the same restriction, though. The SmartTag can only be used with Samsung devices. So the $29.99 SmartTag, that has also been liberally handed out as a pre-order incentive with the Galaxy S21 series, only makes sense for those who are truly committed to the Samsung ecosystem. If you tend to switch between different device manufacturers every year, a tracker that doesn’t lock you into an ecosystem will make more sense.

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Samsung is going to help the Chinese make foldable smartphones

Samsung Display had been working on foldable panels for quite some time. This enabled Samsung’s mobile division to be the first to launch a foldable smartphone in 2019. It later launched Ultra-Thin Glass foldable panels that were used for the Galaxy Z Flip and the Galaxy Z Fold 2.

These display panels weren’t supplied to any other company previously but that may soon change. According to a new report, Samsung Display will begin supplying foldable panels to Chinese smartphone manufacturers.

Oppo and Vivo to use Samsung’s foldable displays

Samsung makes a lot of money every year from the sale of components. So it’s not surprising to hear that it’s now going to supply foldable panels to other manufacturers as well. A report out of Korea claims that Samsung is going to start supplying foldable panels to Chinese smartphone manufacturers from the third quarter of this year.

The company is reportedly planning to ship one million panels this year. This means that consumers can look forward to many different foldable smartphones towards the end of this year. Samsung is said to be actively working with the Chinese manufacturers to provide them with these panels.

This is going to be the first time that these foldable panels are utilized by a company other than Samsung Electronics. Oppo and Vivo are reportedly going to use these panels for their foldable smartphones due later this year.

Samsung Display will continue to provide foldable displays to Samsung Electronics as well. The latter is expected to launch at least two foldable devices this year. They will be the successors to the Galaxy Z Flip and the Galaxy Z Fold 2.

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Galaxy M21 Android 11 update is live, starting with India

The One UI 3.0 update for the Galaxy M21 is now live, as Samsung’s custom implementation of Android 11 was already sighted in India earlier this week. Given how India’s by far the largest market in which this particular smartphone released, it’s also an obvious choice to prioritize for the deployment of such a major software upgrade. And it’s not like Samsung hasn’t already shown its hand in December when it demonstrated great urgency in how it approached beta-testing One UI 3.0 for its mid-range devices.

The over-the-air package that’s now rolling out is designated as release version M215FXXU2BUAC. Apart from the new feature galore that is One UI 3.0, the January 2021 security update is also part of this firmware revision.

How long until the One UI 3.0 update reaches your Galaxy M21?

If you still haven’t received a notification telling you a new OTA download is available on your Galaxy M21, you can check for one anyway manually. Just go to Settings > Software update > Download and install. If that trick doesn’t produce any results, your options are to wait for the rollout to reach you or flash a copy of full system images containing the new software to a compatible Galaxy M21 unit.

Our firmware archives already contain the necessary OS files for India, but this course of action is only advisable for power users familiar with the risks of tinkering with their devices. The newly started rollout will likely be completed in a few weeks’ time, as is usually the case with major updates for Samsung’s Android mid-rangers.

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Android 11 update now rolling out to Galaxy Note 10 Lite

The One UI 3.0 update based on Android 11 is now rolling out to select Galaxy Note 10 Lite units. Samsung started the deployment within the last 48 hours, bundling the update with the January 2021 security patch, which was to be expected. The next series of vulnerability fixes for the Galaxy Note 10 Lite almost certainly won’t arrive so late in a given month than what’s been the case here.

In the meantime, the Android 11 update at hand, designated as release version N770FXXU7DUA8, has already been spotted in France earlier this week. We’re still waiting to confirm a wider rollout but you can always try searching for the new over-the-air package manually by navigating to Settings > Software update > Download and install on a compatible Galaxy Note 10 Lite.

Will the Galaxy Note 10 Lite get Android 12? How about Android 13?

If you’re unable to trigger an OTA installation on your own, there’s always the option of downloading full system images containing the new update from our firmware archives. Just make sure to create a full backup of your device before proceeding, assuming you have some idea of what you’re doing.

This is the first major operating system upgrade for the Galaxy Note 10 Lite since the smartphone debuted a year ago. And Samsung doubled down on its robust software support policies the following summer by promising three generations’ worth of OS updates for the vast majority of its contemporary mobile devices. This pledge encompassed the Galaxy Note 10 Lite, which is consequently guaranteed to receive both Android 12 and Android 13, whenever Samsung’s smartphone portfolio starts transitioning to those OS versions.

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الأربعاء، 27 يناير 2021

Galaxy S20 series already being updated with February 2021 security patch

Samsung’s superb run with software updates continues with the release of the latest security patch to the Galaxy S20 series. It is not even February yet, but the company has already started releasing the February 2021 security patch to the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and the Galaxy S20 Ultra in various countries.

The February 2021 security update with firmware version G98**XXS6CUA8 is now rolling out to the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and the Galaxy S20 Ultra in various European countries and the UK. These markets include Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the Nordic countries, and the UK. This minor update might soon roll out to devices in other markets as well.

This update brings just the latest security patch, and we don’t expect it to bring any new features. Samsung might detail what vulnerabilities it is fixing with the new update in the coming days. If you are a Galaxy S20 series user in Europe or the UK, you can check for the update manually by navigating to Settings » Software update and then tapping on Download and install.