الغريب: 01/13/21

الأربعاء، 13 يناير 2021

Samsung inks one-year exclusive mobile device partnership with Twitch

Samsung is strengthening its image as a gamer-friendly smartphone manufacturer through a new partnership with the livestreaming platform Twitch. Samsung announced today that it is now the exclusive mobile device partner of Twitch Rivals North America. The latter is a series of online gaming events created for streamers and viewers. The two companies will be working together and launching new challenges, powered by Galaxy 5G mobile devices, for a full year.

A Twitch Rivals broadcast scheduled for later today will kick off the new partnership. Later on, the livestream will host the Twitch Rivals Mobile Challenge powered by Samsung Galaxy 5G devices. We’re guessing the Galaxy Note 20 might make an appearance, but with Unpacked 2021 scheduled for tomorrow, January 14, it would be very unusual for the Galaxy S21 series to debut through Twitch Rivals. Then again, Samsung could use this platform to at least tease the upcoming flagship lineup.

What gaming events can you look forward to?

As a result of this new partnership, Samsung and Twitch Rivals will be hosting new challenges and events featuring 5G-enabled Galaxy devices throughout the year.

Twitch Rivals Mobile Challenges are a series of first-of-its-kind mobile gaming crossover events where top streamers and top mobile gaming franchises will be brought together by Samsung and Twitch Rivals.

In addition, Mobile Mondays brought to you by Samsung is a new series of all-year-round tournaments that give Galaxy users and Twitch viewers a chance to win cash prizes and other benefits.

Finally, Mobile Gaming Heroes will be a new event taking place later this year, where Samsung and Twitch Rivals will unveil the next generation of mobile gaming heroes. It’s unclear who these so-called mobile gaming heroes are and whether they’re staff or if they’ll be picked from the Twitch community and/or the Galaxy user base. Whatever the case may be, they’ll be tasked with producing original content, participating in select events, and hosting exclusive streams on Twitch. More details are bound to be revealed later this year.

Samsung’s Executive Vice President of Mobile, Jude Buckley, adds: flagship Galaxy devices help gamers win, thanks to their high-resolution screens and advanced processing power. Samsung is also advertising its 5G portfolio with claims of low latency for customers who enjoy online gaming on their mobile devices.

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Galaxy S20 FE camera impresses DxOMark despite mediocre rating

The Galaxy S20 Fan Edition impressed French benchmarking experts at DxOMark, who recently took it upon themselves to review the camera capabilities of the international, Exynos edition of the device. With that said, they certainly could have fooled us, based on the final rating they awarded to Samsung’s budget flagship, as well as some remarks aimed at its zoom performance.

The newly published review gave the main camera setup found on the back of the Galaxy S20 FE a score of 115. In that regard, the smartphone was placed between the Exynos variants of the Galaxy S10+ (113) and the Galaxy S10 5G (116).

Does this critique impact the overall value proposition of the Galaxy S20 FE?

And yet DxOMark’s veteran jurors weren’t particularly impressed with the most notable improvement the Galaxy S20 FE introduces compared to the original lineup, or at least the S20 and S20+ – a brand-new 3x telephoto lens. Now, there is no denying that the few images attached to their review (and above) can’t compare to the currently highest echelon of mobile cameras in terms of detail. It’s just that your mileage might vary.

Ours certainly did, though to be frank, we spent way more time with the Snapdragon model than its Exynos counterpart.

It goes without saying that an arbitrary scoring system is hardly a relevant metric for determining photographic prowess. On the other hand, DxOMark’s track record is lengthy enough for its ratings to carry quite a bit of weight nowadays – and not just in the mobile realm, mind you.

It bears repeating that DxOMark’s overall experience was still grounded in the fact that this is a price-conscious device. This seems to be a big part of the reason why the ultimate verdict was a positive one. Meaning that not even a systemic critique of the Galaxy S20 FE’s photographic limitations affects the overall value proposition offered by Samsung’s final 2020 flagship – which remains absolutely outstanding.

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Galaxy S10 Lite gets January 2021 security update

The Galaxy S10 Lite got the Android 11 One UI 3.0 update a few weeks before the flagship Galaxy S10 lineup, and if that wasn’t enough, the ‘Lite’ S10’s second Android 11-based update is also arriving before its costlier siblings. Samsung has released a new firmware for the Galaxy S10 Lite that bundles the January 2021 security patch and, well, nothing else.

No bug fixes or general improvements are part of the package, so nothing will change other than your phone becoming more secure against old and new threats alike. This has been par for the course for all Galaxy phones that have been updated to Android 11 and received a consequent security update, we’re guessing Samsung is saving all improvements and bug fixes for these devices for after the Galaxy S21’s global launch.

The new Galaxy S10 Lite update with the January security patch is rolling out in around a dozen markets for the international model at the moment and will likely expand globally in the coming days. It is accompanied by firmware version G770FXXS3DTL2 and can be downloaded over the air from the phone’s Settings » Software update menu using the Download and install option. Our firmware archive also has the latest firmware available for those who know what they’re doing and would like to manually upgrade using a Windows PC.

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Samsung’s cheapest 5G phone of 2021, the Galaxy A32 5G, is official

With just one day left before Unpacked 2021 brings us the new Galaxy S21 series, Samsung has officially announced its least-expensive 5G-enabled phone of the year, called the Galaxy A32 5G. It looks nothing like the Galaxy S21 but, then again, it looks equally different next to other budget-oriented Galaxy devices.

The Galaxy A32 5G looks very familiar from the front because it has a 6.5-inch HD+ Infinity-V display with fairly thick bezels all around and an even thicker chin. However, the same device introduces a new design for the back panel and the camera array, and it looks very different compared to what we’ve seen from Samsung so far. Each camera has its own cutout instead of residing in a larger camera housing that would occupy a larger portion of the back panel.

The back is presumably Glasstic and the phone arrives in four color options called Awesome Black, Awesome Blue, Awesome Violet, and Awesome White. The body measures 164.2 x 76.1 x 9.1mm and weighs 205 grams.

Galaxy A32 5G specifications revealed

Although Samsung hasn’t outright confirmed this, every bit of evidence so far indicates that the Galaxy A32 5G is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 720 chipset featuring two Cortex-A76 CPU cores clocked at 2.0GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores operating at a similar 2.0GHz frequency.

The processor works hand-in-hand with 4/6/8GB of RAM and the phone is equipped with 128GB of storage expandable by up to 1TB via microSD. Biometric authentication is handled by a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and the device relies on a 5,000mAh battery with 15W fast charging.

As for the quad camera system, which happens to be the highlight of the back panel, it comprises a 48MP main shooter with an f/1.8 aperture, an 8MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide, a 5MP (f/2.4) macro shooter, and a 2MP (f/2.4) depth sensor. All but the main camera have fixed autofocus.

Samsung hasn’t revealed any pricing and availability details just yet but we suspect more information will be revealed after Unpacked 2021. We’ll let you know as soon as we find out more.

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Is this lavender Galaxy Watch Active 2 crashing the Galaxy S21 party?

A lavender-colored Galaxy Watch Active 2 leaked online yet again, having been spotted some three weeks after its original sighting. As was the case before, it appears we’re looking at official press renders from Samsung that found their way to the World Wide Web via unofficial means.

Obtained by German tech outlet WinFuture, these renders give us an even clearer look at the Galaxy Watch Active 2 refresh that Samsung’s preparing to launch more than a year since it first released the said wearable.

Why is Samsung refreshing a 2019 smartwatch?

The timing of this leak, alone, already points to the gadget’s possible launch at tomorrow’s Galaxy Unpacked virtual event. But what pushes that scenario from plausible to likely is the fact that this particular shade of purple appears to match one of the upcoming Galaxy S21 color variants remarkably well. In case you missed those previous leaks, we’re talking about the dramatically named Phantom Violet finish.

The said Galaxy S21 variation even appeared in some real-life images by now, so we have a pretty good idea of what to expect here, aesthetics-wise. As for the other side of this product equation, don’t count on a new coat of paint signaling under-the-hood improvements – there aren’t any. Likewise, this pastel-colored edition of the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is still expected to start at $279.99/€219.99 for the 40mm model and $299.99 for its 44mm counterpart.

So, all that’s left now is to wait for tomorrow’s Galaxy S21 announcement and try to act surprised when Samsung precedes it with an announcement of a Phantom Violet Galaxy Watch Active 2 model.

The post Is this lavender Galaxy Watch Active 2 crashing the Galaxy S21 party? appeared first on SamMobile.

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[Giveaway] Here’s your chance to win a Samsung Galaxy S21+!

The Galaxy S21 flagships are all set to go official tomorrow, January 14th, and they are shaping up to be some of the most exciting phones Samsung has launched in recent years. And in our latest giveaway, SamMobile is giving you the chance to win a Galaxy S21+!

It’s very simple to enter this contest: You just need to follow us on Instagram, like and share the post embedded below on your story, and tell us in the post’s comments why you would like to win the Galaxy S21+. The contest is open to all countries, and we will choose and announce the winner on February 14th.

Remember: You have to follow us on Instagram and like, share and comment on the post to be eligible for the giveaway. Well, what are you waiting for? Get cracking!

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Unpack this: Samsung India is giving away 21 Galaxy S21s!

Simultaneously with the global launch of the Galaxy S21 family, Samsung India is set to host its very own Unpacked showcase. More importantly, it’s sparing no effort in making it an event to remember. To that end, it will be giving away 21 Galaxy S21 devices during tomorrow’s happening, a company spokesperson said in a prepared statement.

For a shot at scoring one such luxurious freebie, make sure to tune into tomorrow’s live stream that will be broadcast on Samsung India’s YouTube channel. During the event, you’ll have multiple opportunities to participate in a straightforward quiz. Demonstrate your (supposedly very basic) knowledge of Samsung’s Android flagships in a timely manner and you might just become one of the first Galaxy S21 owners in not just India, but the entire world.

Can you think of a better way to start the year?

The India-specific Galaxy S21 announcement is scheduled to take place right alongside the international edition of the next Galaxy Unpacked. Meaning the stream will be going live at 8 PM local time tomorrow.

Now, Samsung hasn’t clarified the actual ratio of the Galaxy S21 models inside the prize pool. Though it would make sense if it opted for seven of every model from the series: the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

And let’s not forget it was Samsung India that first confirmed the official launch date of the incoming flagship lineup last month. It even managed to open super-early Galaxy S21 pre-orders in the same breath, thus baffling pretty much everyone.

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: 161.4 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

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New Galaxy S21 leak confirms we’re in for the saddest unboxing ever

The Galaxy S21 series is scheduled to officially launch tomorrow, so it’s no wonder that the leaks are now out in full force. Not all of them are equally exciting, however. Case in point: a new report out of Germany has now seemingly confirmed what we pretty much already knew, yet still dreaded – the Galaxy S21 is going to make for some terribly boring unboxing videos.

As was previously rumored, it seems the new Android flagship range won’t be packaged with a charger. A pair of complimentary headphones won’t be part of the package, either.

Are you a smartphone packaging half-empty or half-full kind of guy/gal?

That latter omission is arguably an even tougher pill to swallow because it was only a few weeks back that Samsung was supposedly considering bundling the Galaxy S21-series devices with a free pair of the upcoming Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds. And now? The way things are going, you should consider yourself lucky if you find a Galaxy S21 inside this “eco-friendly” box.

This isn’t to say Mother Nature isn’t thankful for Samsung producing less waste. Only that its decision to do so is a pretty weak attempt at virtue-signaling that has nothing to do with environmental concerns and everything to do with fattening its profit margins.

Refer to the gallery above for your first look at this depressingly skinny product packaging whose only included accessories are a tiny USB Type-C cable and a SIM/microSD card slot ejection pin. While we await tomorrow’s launch event, one can only hope Samsung eventually starts copying some of Apple’s more commendable product decisions such as its app quality control, cutting-edge biometrics, or the entirety of what constitutes an iPad.