Galaxy A32 5G could have the most gorgeous back of any mid-range phone

It’s time for Samsung’s most affordable 5G phone of 2021 – the Galaxy A32 5G – to get back in the limelight thanks to a fresh leak. The device was envisioned in fan renders before, but this time the phone’s exterior design was fully exposed by official press renders leaked via WinFuture. And judging by this fresh image gallery, the Galax A32 5G could be one of the better-looking mid-range phones to come out of Samsung’s factory gates in recent years.

That might be true at least for the back panel because there’s nothing special happening on the opposite side. The Galaxy A32 5G has an Infinity-V display with relatively thick bezels, and it looks more or less the same as Samsung’s other phones that make use of this particular display design. However, the back panel is a lot more unique.

Steering away from conventional camera bumps and cutouts

The Galaxy A32 5G is equipped with four cameras and an LED flash, but each module has its own separate cutout as opposed to all being bunched up inside a rectangular camera bump. The cameras still protrude from the back panel so the phone won’t sit completely flat when resting on a table, but at least the new camera bump design comes across as sincere. This is a modest camera setup, after all, and the camera housing doesn’t have to make a statement.

According to preliminary specs, the Galaxy A32 5G should have a 6.5-inch LCD and a 48MP main camera along with an ultra-wide shooter, a macro lens, and a depth sensor. The phone is said to be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 720 chipset with an integrated 5G modem and feature 4GB of RAM as well as 64GB or 128GB of internal storage. Other details include a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom.

Pricing and availability details remain unknown but the phone might be introduced in the coming weeks, seeing how the official press renders are already out. Do you like this new design direction adopted by the Galaxy A32 5G or do you prefer the larger camera cutouts? Leave a comment below.

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Gawk at these latest Galaxy S21 renders, because why not

Every new Samsung flagship tends to get thoroughly leaked before its announcement. It’s the same story with the Galaxy S21 lineup that’s due to be unveiled next week. There’s really no shortage of leaks about the upcoming flagship trio.

That doesn’t mean we’ll stop seeing more of them. The steady stream will continue until the devices are unveiled. So here’s another opportunity to gawk at the latest Galaxy S21 renders, because why not.

Latest Galaxy S21 renders give us more eye candy

These renders are supposedly sourced from “advertising material” that Samsung will utilize for the new flagship. It doesn’t make any new revelations beyond what we already know about the Galaxy S21 series.

You get to see some real closeups of the back which is where most of the design changes are concentrated. The camera housing, in particular, has been revamped for this year’s lineup. Everything else is in line with what has been leaked and rumored so far.

Samsung has already confirmed that it’s going to unveil its new flagship on January 14. That’s when we’re going to find out how much the Galaxy S21 series is going to cost, at least officially. Several reports have already claimed that the new lineup will be slightly cheaper than its predecessor.

The company will also confirm on January 14 when the handsets are going to hit the market. If rumors are to be believed, they’ll go on sale come January 29. It seems that some interesting pre-order incentives will be on offer as well. So if you’re really interested in picking one up, it would be best to get that pre-order in as soon as possible.

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Unlocked and carrier-bound Galaxy A02s variants are headed for the USA

When Samsung first unveiled the Galaxy A02s in November the company said it will start selling the phone in February for a suggested retail price of 150 EUR. Well, it turns out that Samsung also wants to bring the phone to the USA, at least judging by a handful of documents that were recently published by the Wi-Fi Alliance and Bluetooth.

The unlocked Galaxy A02s, model number SM-A025U, was approved by the Wi-Fi Alliance today, but a couple of US-based carriers seemingly want to bring this new budget device to their networks as well. According to a couple of recent listings on the Bluetooth certification website for model numbers SM-A025A and SM-A025V, the Galaxy A02s is being readied for release via both AT&T and Verizon. In addition, a third model number (SM-A025AZ) indicates that the Galaxy A02s might also be picked up by Cricket.

Samsung will probably sell the unlocked Galaxy A02s in the USA for around $150, whereas network operators will likely offer it for free on contract. Either way, the phone has a 6.5-inch TFT HD+ Infinity-V display, an octa-core chipset, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of built-in storage, and a triple main camera setup.

The phone is powered by a 5,000mAh battery but unlike many budget phones released in 2020, the Galaxy A02s raises the bar with the inclusion of 15W fast charging. It’s a fantastic addition to what is essentially a budget-oriented smartphone with a focus on media consumption.

The WFA and Bluetooth certificates don’t reveal much about the phones aside from Wi-Fi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity. Likewise, the phone’s exact release date in the USA remains unknown but we’ll keep you posted as soon as we find out more.

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Some Galaxy smartphones can now forward calls to a Windows PC

After almost a year of testing, Microsoft started rolling out call forwarding support to the Your Phone Companion – Link to Windows app earlier this month. And due to its ongoing partnership with Samsung, Galaxy devices make up the bulk of the initial deployment targets. That includes the last three generations of Galaxy S and Galaxy Note-series flagships, as well as all of Samsung’s foldable smartphones released to date.

Additionally, the latest version of this phone mirroring app native to Windows 10 should now also be available to owners of the Galaxy XCover Pro and mid-rangers like the Galaxy A71, Galaxy A90s, and the Galaxy A42 5G, among others. Here’s a complete list of all supported devices, according to Microsoft itself.

Are you actually able to forward calls to your Windows PC?

Note that just seeing your Galaxy device listed as compatible does not guarantee you’ll actually be able to get this feature up and running when you need it. Microsoft says it’s currently imposing some geographical restrictions on its availability, and there’s also the PC compatibility factor to consider.

For example, I still haven’t been able to forward calls to my desktop because the Your Phone app installed on the latter does not recognize the Speedlink Bluetooth receiver I’m using. That’s in spite of the fact that this adapter is regularly used for sending and receiving data between my Galaxy Note 10 and the very same PC. So, if Microsoft can’t get its own app running on its own OS to recognize subsystems managed by its own generic drivers, it’s safe to say you shouldn’t count on this call forwarding functionality to work prior to testing it out yourself.

On the bright side, the Photos tab is now actually useful

The second change rolling out as part of the newest Link to Windows update significantly improves the app’s handling of the photographs stored on your smartphone. Namely, the service was previously limited to showing only the last 25 images from your mobile gallery, which pretty much made it useless for all but a few niche applications. The new release now ups that cap to 2,000, which is a much more manageable figure that makes the platform potentially way more useful.

You can download the newest Link to Windows build from the Play Store. Make sure the Your Phone app on your PC is up to date, as well.

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Samsung confirms the Galaxy A12 will go on sale tomorrow for under $230

The Galaxy A12 is being readied for market release in Singapore before the end of the week. As many of you know, the Galaxy A12 was among the first phones for 2021 to be unveiled by Samsung. It was announced in November ahead of a planned January 2021 release, and now we’ve learned that the device will hit the shelves in Singapore tomorrow, January 9, in two color options: Cosmic Black and Cosmic Blue.

The Galaxy A12 will be available in Singapore through M1, Singtel Business and StarHub, as well as the Samsung Experience and Online Stores, Lazada, and Shopee. Samsung will be selling the variant with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of built-in storage for $228. The company also announced a Soft Clear Cover accessory in two color options (back and transparent) for $25.

The most affordable enterprise-ready phone in Singapore

Samsung’s new budget phone has a 6.5-inch HD+ TFT display with an Infinity-V design, and it’s powered by a MediaTek MT6765 octa-core chipset and a 5,000mAh battery with 15W fast charging. The back of the phone accommodates a 48MP (f/2.0) main camera, a 5MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide shooter, and a couple of 2MP (f/2.4) depth and macro sensors. The selfie camera has an 8MP resolution and an f/2.2 aperture.

Despite its humble origins, the Galaxy A12 is ready for enterprise as it take advantage of the Samsung Knox security platform. It has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and IT teams can easily deploy and manage fleets of Galaxy A12 units across their organizations right out of the box. And with a launch price of $228, the Galaxy A12 is virtually the most affordable enterprise-ready smartphone in Singapore right now.

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For Samsung’s under-display camera tech, ‘feasible’ won’t be good enough

Much has been written about under-display camera (UDC) technologies in recent times, and not just because of Samsung’s interest in the concept. After all, invisible mobile cameras offer just the right balance of coolness and feasibility to have a seemingly legitimate shot at being one of the next big things in the smartphone space. And after years of research and development, Samsung might finally be ready to commercialize UDC tech this year, recent reports indicate.

The problem is – most of us are likely to be less than thrilled with the end results.

How much are you ready to sacrifice for a 100% screen-to-body ratio?

Don’t forget that Samsung’s fascination with under-display cameras is largely rooted in its pursuit of truly full-screen smartphones. And based on the sheer volumes of relevant reports, the company has been close to commercializing UDCs for at least a couple of years by now. The fact that it didn’t suggests it didn’t deem the trade-offs to be worth it.

That’s certainly saying something, seeing how we’re talking about the same company that was eager to commercialize things like curved displays and in-display fingerprint readers even as their implementations were clearly half-baked, at best. Capturing images between pixels is a tricky task to accomplish. This much is evidenced by the fact that Qualcomm’s invisible fingerprint readers are still slow and inconsistent compared to more traditional scanners.

The Galaxy S21 series, scheduled to launch in less than a week from now, was another smartphone lineup Samsung reportedly considered for under-display selfie cameras. But it once again decided that sticking to a classic camera cutout is a safer play.

So, whether this mysterious tech finally debuts inside the Galaxy Z Fold 3 like recent rumors would have us believe isn’t the crucial question here. What’s more important is how much are we willing to sacrifice in order to get one step closer to a 100% screen-to-body ratio. Because you can be sure that the first generation of UDCs will deliver inferior image quality. In fact, the technology might never be good enough to rival typical contemporary cameras.

In-display selfie sensors are still likely to be part of Samsung’s 2021 smartphone plans. Especially given how the company appears to have been experimenting with some partial implementations that wouldn’t be entirely invisible but also wouldn’t require as many performance trade-offs. Though it’s not like such half-measures dispel image quality concerns.

All things considered, invisible imaging sensors still need time to mature, so try not to get too excited about under-display cameras for the time being. Or at least until we’ve seen the first generation of this tech in a mass-produced device. Samsung’s continued focus on premium mobile photography pretty much guarantees the company will keep investing in UDCs beyond 2021 even if it doesn’t end up commercializing them this year.

In the meantime, we are still waiting for an under-display mobile fingerprint reader that doesn’t feel lackluster to use, and actual cameras are way tougher customers to hide beneath pixels.

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Samsung’s foldables might be breaking down in Korea’s cold winter

Samsung has the best foldable mobile devices on the market and the company has won the foldable race early on due to several reasons, one of them being higher build quality and resilience. The Huawei Mate X, for example, is much more susceptible to damage compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 2 because it carries the foldable display on the outside, and also due to the fact that Huawei advises against using the device in environments with temperatures below -5 degrees Celsius.

Samsung’s foldable devices don’t come with these caveats but that’s not to say they’re perfect. They operate normally at freezing temperature but at least a couple of unlucky owners may have found out the limit of these phones the hard way.

Issues emerge as temperatures in Seoul hit -18 degrees Celsius

Temperatures in Seoul, South Korea, have reached a low -18 degrees Celsius on January 8, and a couple of Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Z Flip owners claim to have damaged their devices by simply unfolding them out in the cold.

The photos below were shared as proof, but of course, we can’t guarantee whether these foldable displays broke down due to low temperatures or other external factors, so treat the information accordingly.

Nevertheless, the idea that foldable displays are more susceptible to damage at low temperatures than regular displays is not new. Cold temperatures make most materials contract and the softer foldable panels can deform much easier than flat, rigid displays, potentially leading to permanent damage.

Now, the foldable displays employed by the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and the Galaxy Z Flip have a layer of UTG (Ultra-Thin Glass) which should make them more resistant to freezing temperatures than other foldable panels. But this UTG layer might not be enough for colder climates, and besides, the original Galaxy Fold lacks UTG altogether.

It would be interesting to learn how Samsung will treat these cases and if the company will determine whether these foldable screens were damaged from low temperatures or other factors such as user error. We’ll keep you up to speed if the story develops further.

Galaxy Fold

• Model: SM-F900F
• Dimensions: Folded: 160.9 x 62.8 x 17.1 mm
  Unfolded: 160.9 x 117.9 x 6.9 mm
  
• Display: 7.3 inch / 185.42 mm Dynamic AMOLED Display
• CPU: Snapdragon 855
• Camera: 16MP

More specifications

Galaxy Z Flip

• Model: SM-F700F
• Dimensions: Folded: 87.4 x 73.6 x 17.3 mm
  Unfolded: 167.3 x 73.6 x 7.2 mm
  
• Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Dynamic AMOLED Display
• CPU: Snapdragon 855+
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

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Galaxy A51, Galaxy A71 are now more affordable in India

Ahead of the launch of its new smartphones, Samsung has started dropping the prices of its existing devices. In India, the company has permanently dropped the prices of the Galaxy A51 and the Galaxy A71. These smartphones were launched in the country one year ago.

The 6GB RAM + 64GB storage variant of the Galaxy A51, which was originally launched with a price tag of INR 23,999, is now priced at INR 20,499. This is a price drop of INR 3,500 compared to launch pricing. The variant of Galaxy A51 with 8GB RAM was originally priced at INR 25,999, but it now costs just INR 22,499. The Galaxy A71 was launched in India for INR 29,999, but after the recent price drop, it costs just INR 27,499. The Galaxy A51 and the Galaxy A71 with reduced prices can now be purchased via Amazon.in and Samsung India’s website.

Galaxy A51, Galaxy A71 specs recap

The Galaxy A51 sports a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED screen and has the Exynos 9611 processor. The Galaxy A71 has a 6.7-inch screen and is equipped with the Snapdragon 730 chipset. Both phones have plastic bodies and Gorilla Glass 3 screen protection. The Galaxy A51 has a 48MP quad-camera setup, while the Galaxy A71 has a 64MP quad-camera setup.

Both phones feature Android 10, 32MP selfie cameras, under-display fingerprint readers, dual-SIM card slots, GPS, Wi-Fi ac/b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and USB Type-C ports. The Galaxy A51 is compatible with 15W fast charging, while the Galaxy A71 has 25W fast charging.

Galaxy A51

• Model: SM-A515F
• Dimensions: Bar: 158.5 x 73.6 x 7.9 mm
  
• Display: 6.5 inch / 165.10 mm Super AMOLED Display
• CPU: Exynos 9611
• Camera: 48MP

More specifications

Galaxy A71

• Model: SM-A715F
• Dimensions: Bar: 163.6 x 76.0 x 7.7 mm
  
• Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Super AMOLED Display
• CPU: Snapdragon 730
• Camera: 64MP

More specifications

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Galaxy S21 European release date leaks, implying the obvious

The apparent European release date for the Galaxy S21 series leaked earlier today – with some obvious implications to boot. More specifically, it seems Samsung’s next flagship line will be hitting the Old Continent on January 29th. This availability date has already been mentioned on several occasions since November.

And after today’s leak that specifically references Europe, it seems pretty clear that Samsung will be targeting a global release with the Galaxy S21 range. On one hand, that’s hardly a surprise, given the company’s track record. And yet it also wasn’t a certainty in a world still burdened by a major pandemic.

Will an early release boost Galaxy S21 sales?

What today’s leak doesn’t reveal is whether Europeans will have more than a week to pre-order a Galaxy S21-series device. But according to one recent report, Samsung isn’t planning on giving us too much time to make a pre-purchase decision this time around. Whether this ends up impacting the lineup’s sales remains to be seen, and the same goes for this earlier-than-usual launch window.

Pre-order bonuses are still expected to vary by country. Previous rumors suggested these goodies will vary from complimentary S Pens to even a free pair of the Galaxy Buds Pro. In other words, expect up to the equivalent of €160 worth of extra incentives to pre-order one of the upcoming smartphones.

As a reminder, Samsung’s newest mobile lineup will consist of the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra. And we pretty much already know what to expect from all three flagships. Including the high likelihood that Samsung will finally be lowering the series’ entry point, following years of price hikes. As a result, the Galaxy S21 range could be its cheapest flagship family in years.

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 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

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Samsung’s next-gen Digital Cockpit for smart cars has giant screens everywhere

Samsung has showcased its next-generation Digital Cockpit for connected cars. Powered by Harman’s automotive technology, Digital Cockpit 2021 comes with multiple screens inside and outside the car. It also features 5G connectivity, enhanced safety, and a comfortable user experience.

The company wants connected cars not to be limited to just transportation but to become comfortable daily living spaces for everyone. The giant dashboard display inside the car is powered by a QLED panel, while an OLED panel powers the center console. There is also a display outside the car (on the front grille) that shows alerts to pedestrians, and it is powered by a MicroLED panel.

Digital Cockpit 2021’s dedicated media and gaming modes make entertainment immersive

A dedicated media mode reveals the full screen on the dashboard and ingresses the steering wheel. In the Gaming Mode, two stereo speakers are retracted from the seat’s headrest to offer an immersive audio experience. There is even a Creator Studio that offers a quick way to edit photos and videos while on the go. An additional large-sized screen on the rear seat can switch between landscape and portrait modes. Passengers can connect to that screen via their Galaxy smartphones or tablets using Wireless DeX to turn it into a mobile workstation.

360-degree cameras, deep learning help in passenger and pedestrian safety

Samsung’s Digital Cockpit 2021 uses four 360-degree cameras outside the car to recognize nearby vehicles and pedestrians. It uses a deep learning algorithm to show additional statistics and alerts while driving the car. The next-gen Digital Cockpit also features Samsung Health, which syncs with the Galaxy Watch to show a driver’s energy, emotional, and stress levels via heartbeat information. When the driver seems fatigued, the connected car advises the driver to take a break and have some rest.

When pedestrians are detected in front of the car, it notifies them via audio and visual alerts using speakers and the outside screen. Even the rear-view mirror’s functionality is carried out by a floating screen on the top of the windshield. That screen also displays various driving and weather-related information as well as notifications from the phone. Other information, such as local news and sports scores, can also be viewed.

Digital Cockpit 2021 is powered by Samsung’s brand-new Exynos Auto V9 processor with 5G connectivity

The hardware that runs the Digital Cockpit 2021 system can run Android and Linux OS simultaneously. And all of this is powered by Samsung’s Exynos Auto V9 processor, which features a built-in 5G (sub-6GHz and mmWave) modem, GPS, Wi-Fi connectivity. It uses Qualcomm’s 5G modem and beamforming antennas for faster internet speeds even when the vehicle is on the move at high speeds.

The company didn’t reveal when we could see actual cars that are powered by the Digital Cockpit 2021. Samsung wants automotive technologies to become a future growth engine for the company.

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Galaxy S10 One UI 3.0 beta users just got… another beta update

Here’s an odd one for the books: After releasing the stable Android 11 and One UI 3.0 update for Galaxy S10 owners on Android 10/One UI 2.5, Samsung has pushed out a new One UI 3.0 beta to those who were part of the beta program instead of providing them with the stable firmware as one would expect.

And the new beta update fixes a series of pretty serious issues, such as the fingerprint sensor not working properly and device resets when using streaming services. It makes us wonder if that stable firmware released recently is really as stable as it should be. Of course, it’s also possible that a different team is handling beta development, though it’s not something we have seen happen before with any previous beta programs.

Still, beta users should see the stable update arrive on their handsets sometime before the month is over, or at least that is what we hope. For now, if you’re running the beta version of One UI 3.0 on your Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, or Galaxy S10+, you should be able to download the new update (software version ZTLJ) from the phone’s Settings » Software update menu while keeping your fingers crossed that you won’t be running unfinished software for too long.

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 India to offer free premium case to those who pre-reserve Galaxy S21

Samsung will officially unveil the Galaxy S21 series on January 14, but the company has already started accepting pre-reservations for its upcoming flagship smartphones in various markets. The company has now announced that it will offer freebies to those who pre-reserve the Galaxy S21 in India.

The South Korean firm has made it official that it has started accepting Galaxy S21 pre-reservations in India. Interested consumers can pay INR 2,000 (around $27) via Samsung India’s website to reserve their “next Galaxy smartphone” and to get the ‘Next Galaxy VIP Pass.’ Once the phone goes on pre-order in the country, INR 2,000 will be deducted from the phone’s price while making the purchase. Customers will also get a free premium case worth INR 3,849 along with the smartphone. Although, it is not clear which case it would be.

Apart from being among the first consumers to get their hands on the Galaxy S21 in the country, those who pre-order the upcoming flagship devices can also expect to get the Galaxy Buds Live (Galaxy Buds Pro for Galaxy S21 Ultra) and the Galaxy Smart Tag for free.

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