الغريب: ديسمبر 2021

الأربعاء، 8 ديسمبر 2021

Here’s how much Samsung’s next affordable tablet could cost

Samsung could soon unveil its next affordable tablet, the Galaxy Tab A8 (2021). The device appeared for the first time three months ago, and since then, its design and specifications have been leaked multiple times. Now, the tablet’s possible European pricing has been revealed ahead of its launch.

The Galaxy Tab A8 (2021) could be launched in three memory configurations: 3GB RAM + 32GB storage, 4GB RAM + 64GB storage, and 4GB RAM + 128GB storage. According to the latest information, the 32GB variant of the tablet could be priced at €220-230. The device’s 64GB and 128GB versions could cost €260 and €300, respectively.

Galaxy Tab A8 (2021) specifications

Since the tablet has already passed necessary certifications, it could go official within the next few weeks. The Galaxy Tab A8 (2021) is expected to feature a 10.5-inch IPS LCD display with Full HD+ resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate. It is powered by the Unisoc T618 processor. It has 3GB/4GB RAM, 32GB/64GB/128GB internal storage, and a microSD card slot.

At the front, the upcoming tablet could have a 5MP selfie camera. At the rear, it appears to have an 8MP camera and an LED flash. It features LTE (select models), Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, a USB Type-C port, and a headphone jack. It also has a quad-speaker setup with Dolby Atmos. It is powered by a 7,040mAh battery and comes in Gold, Grey, and Silver colors.

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Galaxy Z Fold 4 will improve one of the best things about its predecessor

Samsung has seen incredible success with its new foldable smartphones this year. The company bet it all on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 in 2021. It cancelled the Galaxy Note launch and delayed the Galaxy S21 FE to make sure that the chip shortage didn’t impact these important products.

The strategy has paid off. Not to mention the fact that these new foldables are certainly some of the best Samsung phones ever made. So it goes without saying that their successors may be equally, if not more, impressive.

Galaxy Z Fold 4 gets better at hiding its selfie camera

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 has a lot of “firsts” to its name. It’s the first foldable smartphone from Samsung to feature support for the S Pen. It’s also the first to boast an IPX7 rating for water resistance. Lastly, it’s the first Samsung phone with a UDC or Under-Display Camera.

Samsung has used the UDC technology for the selfie camera on the internal foldable display. When not in use, it disappears from view. The pixels on the display make way when the camera is to be used and it emerges from below the panel.

Samsung has been working to introduce its UDC technology to make it appear even more seamless. The improvements might also allow the company to use better sensors than the one currently used for the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

Reports from South Korea indicate that the equipment for manufacturing OLED panels with Samsung’s second-gen UDC technology is already being used. A small number of display panel test samples have also been made.

Samsung fans will certainly be excited to see everything that the company introduced with the Galaxy Z Fold 4. They’ll have to wait a while, though, as the device isn’t expected before the second half of 2022.

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Galaxy S21 FE firmware are here, and it runs Android 12!

The Galaxy S21 FE is Samsung’s worst kept secret this year. It was originally supposed to be released in 2021 but that’s not going to happen. Samsung is now expected to release the device early next year.

There’s no reason to believe that the Galaxy S21 FE won’t be launched. Ample evidence has surfaced to support its impending arrival. We now have the Galaxy S21 FE firmware available as well, and surprise, it runs Android 12 out of the box!

Galaxy S21 FE comes with Android 12 out of the box

This is certainly great news for anybody waiting to buy the Galaxy S21 FE. They will be able to experience the latest version of Android on the device in addition to One UI 4.0, the latest iteration of Samsung’s custom skin.

That’s not the only benefit they will get, though. The Galaxy S21 FE will understandably be on the list of Samsung phones that get three OS upgrades. This means that the Galaxy S21 FE will be supported until Android 15.

It’s a bit ironic considering that the same level of support won’t be provided to any other handset in the Galaxy S21 series. The Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra all launched with Android 11 onboard. They have only just received the Android 12 update and despite being confirmed to receive three OS upgrades, they’ll only be supported until Android 14.

That’s one of the ways that customers can justify buying the Galaxy S21 FE. It needs every bit of help it can get anyway, launching so close to the Galaxy S22 lineup as it is. You can head over to our firmware section to check out the Galaxy S21 FE firmware we have available. It won’t be of much use until the handset actually comes out, though.

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Galaxy S22 could have the same aggressive price tag as the Galaxy S21

Samsung’s Fan Edition lineup was introduced last year as a way of bringing the best features of Samsung’s latest Galaxy S flagships to a more aggressive price point. The Galaxy S20 FE was the first such device, and its $699 price tag made it a huge hit everywhere around the world.

But then the Galaxy S21 series launched, and what came as a surprise to many was how aggressive Samsung was with the pricing of the base Galaxy S21 model. It started at $799 in the US, just $100 more than the Galaxy S20 FE and a full $200 less than the Galaxy S21+.

And from what we’re hearing from our sources, Samsung could keep the $799 tag for the base Galaxy S22 model next year. Things can always change by the time Samsung actually makes its new flagship series official, but right now, we’re being told that the smallest of the Galaxy S22 smartphones won’t see a price increase over its predecessor.

Rumor has it that Samsung is hoping to sell as many as 14 million units of the regular Galaxy S22, and a sub-$800 price would no doubt help the company achieve its goals. However, it would mean the Galaxy S21 FE will need to have a really, really attractive price, because being only $100 cheaper than the Galaxy S22 might work against its chances of mimicking the success of the S20 FE.

The Galaxy S20 FE was also only $100 cheaper than the Galaxy S21, but it had the advantage of coming out a few months before the S21 series. The Galaxy S21 FE will barely have a month-long head start, on the other hand.

That said, $100 isn’t exactly chump change so maybe there’s space for both the Galaxy S21 FE and the Galaxy S22 to coexist. We certainly won’t be complaining about having multiple choices in the high-end segment from our favorite manufacturer, and we’re sure most customers won’t, either.

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Samsung will make one of the biggest iPhone design changes possible

Some of you might already be aware that Samsung supplies key components to Apple for the iPhone. It’s one of the leading suppliers of OLED displays for Apple’s smartphone. The two companies are also believed to be working on OLED displays for the iPad.

Apple is expected to make a major iPhone design change next year. The iPhone 14 lineup may get rid of a design element that has been a permanent fixture since the iPhone X was released in 2017.

Samsung to supply OLED panels for the iPhone 14

Rumor has it that Apple is getting rid of its famous display notch next year. It may not make this change for the entire 2022 lineup, though. The notch may only be removed from the Pro models of the iPhone 14.

Apple introduced the notch with the iPhone X in 2017. Since then, it has been a defining design element for the company’s smartphones. Even as other manufacturers opened for punch hole panels or adopted under display camera technology like Samsung, Apple keeps holding on to its notch.

Samsung Display will be one of the main suppliers of OLED panels for the iPhone 14 Pro models. The company has reportedly acquired new manufacturing equipment to make OLED panels for next year’s iPhones with a punch hole.

Samsung is no stranger to punch hole display panels. The Galaxy S10 was its first flagship series to feature this display technology. Samsung Display can easily supply such panels at scale to Apple, allowing the company to realize one of its biggest design changes for the iPhone yet.

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Android 12 causing serious issues for some Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 owners

A couple of days ago, Samsung released the stable Android 12 update to the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the Galaxy Z Fold 3 in a few countries. However, it looks like the update isn’t stable after all. Many Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 users have complained of varied issues ever since they installed the One UI 4.0 update.

South Korean users are facing a lot of issues with their latest foldable phones running Android 12. In Samsung’s official forums, some users claimed that their device has bricked after installing the update. Others said their device entered the recovery mode after installing the new firmware. Some users faced screen flickering, dark mode, slow performance, and the Dual Messenger feature not working with some apps.

Some Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 users are unable to take screenshots or use video streaming apps like Netflix and YouTube. Others have even faced issues related to the camera and images getting automatically deleted from the gallery. Some units are stuck on a 60Hz screen refresh rate or have bad audio quality. One user even claimed that the phone’s camera app isn’t working after installing the One UI 4.0 update.

It is being reported that Samsung has decided to temporarily stop the Android 12 rollout for the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the Galaxy Z Fold 3. After critical bugs are fixed, the South Korean firm could resume the Android 12-based One UI 4.0 update in South Korea and release it in more countries.

Have you faced any issues on your Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the Galaxy Z Fold 3 after installing the One UI 4.0 update? Let us know in the comments section below.

SamsungGalaxy Z Flip 3

SamsungGalaxy Z Fold 3

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Samsung boss visits Saudi Arabia, UAE to expand business

Samsung Group’s head, Lee Jae-yong, has commenced a trip to Saudi Arabia and the UAE to expand business ties and seek more opportunities for the company. He will return home on Thursday before leaving for Europe, which is the last leg of his business trip. Last month, he visited the US to make important decisions about its semiconductor business.

In his trip to the Middle East, Lee will try to enhance cooperation in the telecommunications segment and check new trends. He has been expanding ties with governments in the region over the past couple of years. In February 2019, Lee met Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan to expand cooperation in the IT and premium smartphone segments.

In September 2019, he visited Samsung C&T’s metro construction site in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which is the country’s first public transportation project. The company’s construction arm has already signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Saudi Arabian government to closely cooperate in city, energy, and infrastructure development.

As a part of his recent business trip to the US, Lee met Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Moderna Chairman Noubar Afeyan to discuss chip shortages. Samsung had also announced a new semiconductor chip plant in Taylor, Texas. The chip factory, which will start production in 2024, will use ASML’s chip fabrication equipment.

Upon his arrival from the US, Lee said, “I had a chance to hear voices from the field and to see the harsh reality of the market with my own eyes.”

In September 2020, Lee was charged with stock manipulation, bribing, and breach of trust related to the merger of Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T. After he was released from prison in August 2021, Lee has been traveling various countries and meeting high-level government officials and Samsung’s own executives to make up for the lost time.

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الثلاثاء، 7 ديسمبر 2021

Galaxy Watch 4 single-handedly takes Samsung to second position in wearable segment

Samsung took a giant leap of faith when it dropped Tizen in favor of Google’s Wear OS for its new smartwatches. Thankfully, the Galaxy Watch 4 was very well received, and that is being reflected through recent market share and shipment figures as well.

According to a new report from market research firm IDC, Samsung shipped 12.7 million smartwatches and wireless earphones during Q3 2021. The company stepped up from its third position in Q3 2020 to the second position in Q3 2021. That’s a 13.8% rise in shipments, and it is primarily due to the Galaxy Watch 4 and the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.

Apple still leads the wearables market with close to 40 million shipments, but its market share diminished a bit (3.6%) compared to last year. Xiaomi, which primarily makes lower-priced fitness bands, smartwatches, and wireless earphones, dropped to the third position and its shipments dropped 23.8%.

Huawei somehow increased its wearable shipments (10.9 million) in Q3 2021, but its market share still dropped compared to Q3 2020. Imagine Marketing, which makes Boat-branded smartwatches and wireless earphones, saw its year-over-year growth zoom past 200% as it shipped 10 million wearables during the quarter.

IDC noted in its blog that bundling wireless earphones and smartwatches with its smartphones has helped Samsung gain the second position in the wearable segment. With more Wear OS 3 smartwatches coming next year, the platform could gain popularity and help Samsung in achieving even higher sales.

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Samsung’s TM Roh outlines strategy to get around global chip shortage

The global chip shortage has prompted Samsung to rethink its product roadmap. The Galaxy S21 FE got delayed multiple times due to a paucity of chips. Samsung even had to compromise on Galaxy Tab S8 production to ensure a steady supply of hardware for the Galaxy S22 series. It turns out that the shortage is here to stay for a while according to Samsung head honcho TM Roh.

The Elec reports that application processors (AP) and radio frequency (RF) chips, two key components for smartphones, are short in supply. As a result, Samsung has scaled back smartphone production. The shortage is expected to persist through H2, 2022, at least, but Samsung has a plan to get around it.

While Samsung has the privilege of owning its own foundries, it still has to rely on others like TSMC and Global Foundries for other parts. A part of Samsung’s strategy involves negotiating long-term contracts to ensure that they’re immune to price fluctuations. However, that is easier said than done, as it has to contend with the likes of Apple and Intel for TSMC’s precious fab space.

Samsung also plans on stocking up on at least four weeks worth of chips in advance to ensure that its production doesn’t get affected by market imbalances. That strategy seemed to have worked out decently for Huawei, which used its stockpile of Kirin 9000 SoCs to power multiple P and Mate series smartphones for years.

Will these measures help Samsung stay afloat in these tumultuous times? Probably not, the chip shortage has created a cascading effect due to which multiple components are backed up, and it could take months, if not years, for the situation to correct itself.

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Samsung monthly updates: December 2021 security patch gets detailed

Samsung started rolling out the December 2021 security update to its smartphones a few days ago. However, the company had not revealed which vulnerabilities it had fixed with the new security patch. Now, the company has finally published all the details related to the December 2021 security patch.

The company has revealed that its December 2021 security patch includes 34 fixes from Google and ten fixes from Samsung. Seven of those fixes were for critical vulnerabilities, while 24 fixes were for high severity vulnerabilities. Samsung’s own fixes included in the new security patch are related to Broadcom’s Wi-Fi chipsets and Exynos processors running Android 9, Android 10, and Android 11.

Some bugs were related to Apps Edge, improper intent redirection handling in Tags, improper usage of implicit intent in SemRewardManager allowing attackers to access BSSID, improper input validation vulnerability in LDFW, improper access control vulnerability in CPLC, and improper validation vulnerability in FilterProvider. All these bugs were fixed by Samsung. You can check more details related to 34 fixes from Google on the search giant’s own website.

The December 2021 security update has been released to the Galaxy Z Flip, Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 10, and the Galaxy Note 10+ 5G. The latest beta version of One UI 4.0 for the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the Galaxy Z Fold 3 also includes the December 2021 security patch.

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Galaxy A71 5G finally gets November 2021 security update

Samsung has finally released the November 2021 security update to the Galaxy A71 5G. The previous update to the mid-range smartphone had brought the September 2021 security patch. The new update is rolling out in Australia, and other markets could get the update over the next few days.

The latest software update for the Galaxy A71 5G comes with firmware version A716BXXS6CUK1. It includes the November 2021 security patch that fixes dozens of privacy and security-related vulnerabilities found in Android smartphones. The update might also bring device stability improvements and general bug fixes for the Galaxy A71 5G.

If you are a Galaxy A71 5G user in Australia, you might have already received a notification of the new update. If you haven’t received it yet, you can manually check for the latest update by navigating to Settings » Software update and clicking on Download and install. You can also download the new firmware from our database and flash it manually.

The South Korean firm had launched the Galaxy A71 5G last year with Android 10-based One UI 2. The smartphone received the Android 11-based One UI 3 update earlier this year. It could get the Android 12-based One UI 4 update in the first half of 2022.

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Galaxy Z Fold 3 bootloader unlock is now possible without crippling the cameras

Although the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is pretty much Samsung’s Magnum Opus, the device isn’t without faults, especially for nerds who like to tinker with their devices. Earlier this year, it came to light that unlocking the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s bootloader would render your cameras inoperable. As expected, it caused an outcry in the developer community, and it looks like Samsung has taken cognizance of the issue.

XDA Developers has heard through one of its senior members that unlocking the bootloader no longer kills the cameras on your Galaxy Z Fold 3. However, users have to be on the second One UI 4.0 beta. With the Galaxy Z Fold 3 stable One UI 4.0 rollout already commencing in some regions, we can expect the functionality to be baked into the software’s final release.

If you’re a Galaxy Z Fold 3 user on stable One UI 3.0, it’s best if you wait for the One UI 4.0 update to arrive before attempting to unlock your bootloader. You can always re-lock your bootloader to get camera functionality back, though. Nonetheless, it’s best if you wait a few weeks before trying to experiment with your shiny new $1,800 foldable.

However, unlocking the bootloader on your Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a risky endeavour. Samsung isn’t too keen about users peeking under the phone’s hood. For one thing, you’ll lose all access to Knox-centric features such as Secure Folder and Samsung Pay once the Knox Bit is tripped. The only way to get it back is to physically replace the component.

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Disappointed with Samsung, Qualcomm could shift some Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 production to TSMC

Qualcomm had recently revealed that its latest flagship smartphone chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, is being manufactured by Samsung using the 4nm process. However, it appears that all is not well, and there could be some changes to the production of the new processor.

If recent rumors are to be believed, Qualcomm is unhappy with low yields from Samsung Foundry’s 4nm fabrication process. If production issues persist, the company might shift at least some production of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset from Samsung Foundry to its main rival TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company).

According to some industry experts, TSMC’s chip fabrication processes are usually better than Samsung Foundry’s in terms of size and power efficiency. If Qualcomm decides to make some Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chips using Samsung Foundry’s process and others using TSMC’s process, there might be performance or power efficiency differences between them, leading to Apple’s ‘ChipGate’-like issue.

Even the Exynos 2200 chipset is expected to be built using Samsung Foundry’s 4nm process, and if the report is accurate, the Galaxy S22 series might face chip shortage issues. Moreover, losing a part of the chip contract from a big client like Qualcomm might hurt Samsung’s semiconductor business and its plans to defeat TSMC by 2030.

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الاثنين، 6 ديسمبر 2021

Samsung merges consumer electronics and mobile divisions, announces other leadership changes

Samsung Electronics has announced some significant leadership and organizational changes across the company. Earlier, the company had three sub-divisions—Consumer Electronics, Device Solutions, and Mobile & IT—and each of them was headed by separate CEOs since 2017. Today, the company revealed that it has merged Consumer Electronics and Mobile & IT divisions into a new arm called SET.

The SET division will include smartphones, TVs, and home appliances, and it will be headed by a single CEO: Jong-Hee Han. Previously, he led the company’s TV division (Visual Display) and helped the company retain the top position in the global TV market for 15 years in a row. He is expected to drive the company’s future and improve synergies between various divisions under the Samsung Group.

In another leadership change, Kyehyun Kyung has been chosen to lead Samsung’s semiconductors business. Earlier, he was the CEO of Samsung Electro-Mechanics and is an expert in semiconductor design. He also headed the company’s Flash Product & Technology Team and was a part of the DRAM Design Team. With the ever-growing demand for cloud infrastructure, Kyehyun Kyung’s role is vital for Samsung in the coming years.

Yongin Park is now the President and Head of System LSI business that develops camera sensors and logic chips (including Exynos processors). Earlier, he was the Executive Vice President and Head of Sales & Marketing and System LSI.

Hark Kyu Park, who was earlier President and Head of the Corporate Management Office at the Device Solutions business, is the new President & CFO. Kinam Kim, who was the Vice Chairman and Head of Device Solutions business, is now the Chairman of SAIT (Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology).

Samsung Electronics also announced that KS Choi is the new President and Head of SET North America. Earlier, he was Executive Vice President and Head of the business. Inyup Kang is now the President and Head of the North America Office for the Device Solutions business arm. Earlier, he was President and Head of the System LSI business.

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Google’s first Wear OS 3 smartwatch almost looks like a Galaxy Watch 5

Samsung and Google joined forces earlier this year to co-develop Wear OS 3 for a new generation of smartwatches. Samsung abandoned Tizen OS for wearables in favor of Wear OS 3 as a result, but this massive change has allowed the Korean tech giant to retain some exclusivity over the new OS version.

The Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic are the only smartwatches on the market right now to run Wear OS 3 out of the box, while other OEMs are expected to release the update as late as 2022. Google, on the other hand, is preparing its own smartwatch powered by Wear OS 3. And according to a new leak from Front Page Tech — complete with fuzzy press renders (below) — the official launch of the so-called Google Pixel Watch should be just around the corner.

Google Pixel Watch may draw inspiration from both Samsung and Apple

Like the Galaxy Watch 4, the upcoming Google Pixel Watch has a circular watch face. However, Google’s wearable won’t take advantage of One UI, and instead, it will run an unaltered version of Wear OS. The Galaxy Pixel Watch has a bezel-less design, claims one leaked slide, but it’s unclear if the wearable will offer a virtual rotating bezel for UI navigation.

As far as the exterior design is concerned, Google’s upcoming wearable appears to draw inspiration from both Samsung and Apple. It seemingly borrows the round watch face idea from the Galaxy Watch 4, but the bezels are curved around the edges, similar to the Apple Watch. It doesn’t have a flat, curved display as the Galaxy Watch 4 does.

More so, the Google Pixel Watch will reportedly have proprietary wrist straps just like the Apple Watch does, which means that, unlike the Galaxy Watch 4 series, it won’t be compatible with standard 20mm wrist straps.

Finally, the Google Pixel Watch appears to have one side physical button instead of two, which could hint at the lack of a BIA sensor.

All in all, Google’s first Wear OS 3 smartwatch almost looks like Apple’s interpretation of the Galaxy Watch 4, and it’s almost like an unusual – though admittedly gorgeous – mix between both worlds. It may not be as practical as the Galaxy Watch 4 give the limited wrist strap options, but regardless, it sort of looks like an evolution of Samsung’s design, or at least a more elegant interpretation of the base formula. We’ll have to wait and see if Samsung will draw inspiration from the Pixel Watch for its own Galaxy Watch 5 next year.

Beyond the exterior, it will be interesting to see if and how Google will attempt to differentiate its Wear OS 3 software experience from the Galaxy Watch 4 series and One UI.

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Samsung unveils ‘human eye-like’ ISOCELL GWB sensor with RGBW pixels

Samsung is developing its first ISOCELL camera with an RGBW color filter pattern; the company confirmed today in a webinar hosted by TECNO Mobile. The ambitious camera sensor is called the ISOCELL GWB, and contrary to previous rumors, it has a 64MP resolution as opposed to 50MP.

Vice President and Head of R&D at Samsung Electronics China presented the ISOCELL GWB and referred to it as “the most human eye-like image sensor.” The addition of a white pixel in the RGB color filter pattern improves the sensor’s light sensitivity. This clever sub-pixel arrangement leads to brighter images and better color accuracy when taking photos, even in low light conditions.

The ISOCELL GWB could end up on a TECNO Mobile phone

Samsung has developed the ISOCELL GWB sensor in partnership with Chinese smartphone maker TECNO Mobile. This partnership indicates that the ISOCELL GWB will debut on an upcoming TECNO smartphone next year. However, it may not remain exclusive to the said Chinese brand, and other Samsung customers could benefit from this technological leap very soon.

Regardless, the ISOCELL GWB doesn’t fit preliminary descriptions of the Galaxy S22 series camera setup, so it won’t debut at Galaxy Unpacked in February. The standard and S22 Plus models should have 50MP main sensors, whereas the Galaxy S22 Ultra is rumored to use a 108MP primary shooter.

There is a possibility that the ISOCELL GWB isn’t the only RGBW sensor Samsung’s been working on, and perhaps a 50MP RGBW solution could also be coming next year if early rumors are correct. Either way, we can be almost certain that the 64MP ISOCELL GWB won’t be the last RGBW sensor to come out of Samsung’s R&D labs, even though it will seemingly be the first to hit the market next year.

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The Galaxy Z Flip 3 gets a new range of Disney-themed accessories

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is one of the most personalizable smartphones on the market for more than one reason. The cover display can be a window to expressing oneself with clever wallpaper designs, especially when synced up with a Galaxy Watch, and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 Bespoke Edition is available in select markets in no fewer than 49 color combinations. But Samsung didn’t stop there, and through a partnership with Disney, it released a range of colorful accessories themed after popular entertainment brands.

Initially, the partnership with Disney led to the release of Mickey Mouse, Star Wars, and Marvel-themed accessories for the Galaxy Z Flip 3 in Singapore via Shopee. Now, Samsung has revealed a few more accessories inspired by ‘The Simpsons’ cartoon and the educational magazine / TV network ‘National Geographic,’ and it plans to release all of them exclusively in a new market.

Popular accessories with limited reach

The new list of accessories consists of Galaxy Z Flip 3 Cover Straps, lanyards, and sticker packs themed after Star Wars and The Simpsons, as well as cover straps themed after Marvel and National Geographic. Although these Galaxy Z Flip 3 accessories are based on world-renowned brands owned by Disney, they have a very limited reach. They were announced exclusively for Malaysia.

The Marvel, Disney, and National Geographic Cover Strap will be available for RM 79 ($18), similar to the Mickey Mouse-themed Cover Ring Strap.

Meanwhile, Samsung will be selling the Star Wars and The Simpsons package, including a silicone cover strap, lanyard, and sticker pack for RM 159 ($37).

There’s no word on availability in other markets yet, but Samsung could extend availability at any moment. We’ll keep you posted if we find out more.

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Samsung was the 2nd most innovative tech company of 2021 patent-wise

Capital on Tap has deemed Samsung Electronics one of this year’s most innovative companies on account of the large number of tech patents it secured. Like last year, Samsung was the 2nd most innovative tech company of 2021 behind Huawei.

Samsung Electronics applied for 9,499 patents in 2021, whereas Huawei led with 9,739 patents. However, Samsung is the most innovative company overall, by far — at least judging by the total number of tech patents it secured in 2021 and previous years combined, i.e., 263,702 vs. Huawei’s 100,116.

Biggest innovators over the last decade

Samsung Electronics was among the top 10 innovators over the last decade in several areas, including virtual and augmented reality (VR / AR), 5G technologies, artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI / ML), and autonomous driving.

In VR / AR, Samsung was the sixth biggest patent holder over the last decade, with 1,070 patents. The company was fourth in 5G technologies with 3,173 patents and second in AI and ML technologies (6,360 patents).

As for autonomous driving technologies, Samsung was the fifth largest innovator in the past ten years and secured 619 patents. LG Electronics led the segment with 1,889 patents.

Samsung hasn’t secured as many patents as other rivals since 2011, but even so, the company has a rich-enough back catalog to keep it at the top of the list. It has a lead of more than 50,000 patents over Sony — the second largest tech patent holder.

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Galaxy Z Flip 3 is absolutely killing it in the Korean smartphone market

It’s no surprise that Samsung smartphones tend to sell very well in South Korea. The conglomerate is the pride and joy of South Korea. It actually accounts for a significant chunk of the company’s GDP.

People in South Korea genuinely love Samsung products which is why it has had such a high market share there. Now that it faces even less competition from LG left the smartphone market, Samsung’s market share in its home country is now at an all-time high.

Galaxy Z Flip 3 is South Korea’s best-selling smartphone

Even when it had LG as one of its main competitors, Samsung remained in the lead comfortably with a share percentage in the high 60s. Once LG decided to exit the smartphone business in the second quarter of this year, Samsung’s market share surged to 73%.

Samsung has clearly absorbed almost all of LG’s smartphone market share. The latest data from Counterpoint Research shows as of Q3 2021, Samsung accounts for 85% of the smartphone market in South Korea.

Apple comes in at a distant second with a 12% market share. It has actually seen a marginal decline as the company accounted for 13% of the market in the same period last year.

Samsung’s latest foldable smartphones, particularly the Galaxy Z Flip 3, have pushed its market share to an all-time high. The report mentions that the Galaxy Z Flip 3 was actually the best-selling smartphone in South Korea during Q3 2021. The Galaxy S21 came second followed by the Galaxy A32 in third.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 came in the fourth position. No surprises there as all of the previous reports have shown that it was the Galaxy Z Flip 3 that customers in South Korea couldn’t get enough of.

Samsung will be looking to keep up this momentum in the new year. It has plenty of new products in the pipeline to help it do just that.

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Samsung shames Chinese smartphone makers with Android 12 rollout

After Google, Samsung was the first OEM to offer the latest Android 12 update to customers, and roughly one month after the initial roll-out, Samsung continues to lead its rivals, most of which are from China. As of this writing, Samsung is the only Android smartphone manufacturer to have made Android 12 available to select flagship phone customers. Not only that, but the company’s constantly increasing the gap between it and its Chinese competitors.

Samsung took the lead in mid-November when it released Android 12 and One UI 4.0 for the Galaxy S21 flagship series. Today, the company offers the latest Android 12-based update for three of its top-tier Galaxy phones, namely the Galaxy S21, the Galaxy Z Flip 3, and the Galaxy Z Fold 3. At the same time, Samsung is preparing the Android 12 update for dozens of other Galaxy phones and tablets that should be getting the first public build within the next couple of months.

The hidden costs of buying cheap(er) phones

Many Chinese brands have made a name for themselves through aggressive pricing strategies, often supported by government subsidies. Combining low prices with competitive on-paper specifications has been a recipe for success for many smartphone brands from China, especially in a mobile world that nurtured the idea that ‘bigger numbers mean better products.’ We don’t have to look further back than the so-called camera pixel wars to see this effect in action.

It’s tempting to buy a cheap and seemingly well-equipped phone rather than a Galaxy flagship that may cost a little extra, but one detail that’s not as clear at checkout is the user experience that these phones from China deliver in the long term. Case in point, no Chinese OEM has released a stable version of Android 12 yet, and it may take a while before they join the party. Meanwhile, Samsung’s close relationship with Google is paying off for both the Korean tech giant and its countless customers worldwide. Not to mention that no other OEM can hold a candle to Samsung’s fantastic monthly security patch support.

Smartphone buyers are now more knowledgeable than ever, which could be one of the many reasons why Chinese companies seem to be trying but failing to steal Samsung’s thunder. And, needless to say, the way OEMs have handled the Android 12 rollout so far stands as another piece of evidence that cheaper is not always better. Even the Netherlands-based Fairphone brand — which is ambitious enough to promise software support for more years than Samsung — has to undergo a slow development process and release Android OS updates later than other OEMs.

Samsung is leading the charge with Android 12, and there’s no sign of this changing anytime soon. The company will likely continue to set an example for months to come and should carry this lead over to the development of Android 13 in the more distant future.

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Samsung launches Galaxy A03 Core in India

Samsung has launched one more entry-level smartphone in India. Dubbed Galaxy A03 Core, the device focuses on basic features and offers a big display and a big battery. The South Korean firm has priced the smartphone at INR 7,999 (around $106) and is selling it through its own website as well as other online and offline stores.

The Galaxy A03 Core has a 6.5-inch IPS LCD Infinity-V display with HD+ resolution. It is equipped with the Unisoc SC9863A octa-core processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, and a microSD card slot. The smartphone runs Android 11 Go Edition, which is said to be 20% faster than Android 10 Go Edition when it comes to launching apps.

At the front, the Galaxy A03 Core has a 5MP selfie camera with an F2.2 aperture. At the rear, it has an 8MP camera with autofocus, an LED flash, and Full HD video recording at 30fps. Connectivity features of the smartphone include GPS, a dual-SIM card slot, 4G LTE, single-band Wi-Fi b/g/n, a microUSB port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

A 5,000mAh battery powers the Galaxy A03 Core, but it lacks fast charging. The device is available in black and blue color variants.

Buy Galaxy A03 Core from Samsung India

Samsung Galaxy A03 Core Camera

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Galaxy Buds+, Buds Pro get wear detection during calls with new updates

Samsung has been excellent in rolling out new updates to its smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and even wireless earbuds. The South Korean firm is now rolling out new firmware updates to the Galaxy Buds+ and the Galaxy Buds Pro to bring a new feature.

The company has released new firmware updates to the Galaxy Buds+ (firmware version R175XXU0AUK1) and the Galaxy Buds Pro (firmware version R190XXU0AUK1) in South Korea. With the new software, the truly wireless earbuds get the wear detection feature during voice calls. The updates also bring device stability improvements to the earbuds.

Usually, Samsung’s products first get new updates in South Korea. So, these new software updates could soon roll out to the Galaxy Buds+ and the Galaxy Buds Pro in more markets worldwide.

The Galaxy Buds+ were launched in early 2020, and they brought a dual-driver audio setup for the first time in Samsung’s TWS lineup. The Galaxy Buds Pro were launched earlier this year, and they introduced ANC (Active Noise Cancellation), 360-degree audio, and a compact design compared to previous Galaxy earbuds.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus Firmware Update R175XXU0AUK1

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro Firmware Update R190XXU0AUK1

SamsungGalaxy Buds 2

SamsungGalaxy Buds Pro

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International Galaxy S10 is now getting the December 2021 security patch

The carrier-locked Galaxy S10 series just got the November 2021 security update in the US, and Samsung is ready to move on to the next chapter. The company is now rolling out a new firmware update for the international Galaxy S10 model, and as you may have guessed, it’s accompanied by the December 2021 security patch.

The new firmware is now available for the Galaxy S10 series in select markets in Europe, including Switzerland, and should soon extend its reach to more regions. The update is identified by firmware version G97xFXXSEFUL1, but as yet, Samsung hasn’t revealed the changelog for the latest security patch. The company’s been rolling out the new patch to several phones, including the Galaxy Note 10 series in the USA and the Note 10+ 5G in select markets.

Galaxy S10 users in eligible markets should receive an update notification for the December release. As usual, customers can try triggering the update process from the Settings app on their phones by navigating to the Software update section, or they can refer to the firmware section on our website, where they can manually download the latest firmware files for their respective Galaxy S10 variants and regions.

The December rollout has just begun, and dozens of other Galaxy phones will start to receive it soon. Samsung should reveal the official changelog at any moment now, and we’ll keep you up to speed as soon as more details emerge.