Galaxy A52 5G moves closer to launch, will run Android 11 out of the box

Now that Samsung is done launching its flagship smartphone series for 2021, it is shifting its focus towards the launch of its upcoming mid-range smartphones. The company is expected to launch the Galaxy A52 and the Galaxy A72 in the next few weeks.

Multiple versions of the Galaxy A52 received Bluetooth and Wi-Fi certifications yesterday, which means that the phone is inching closer to its launch. The Galaxy A52, with model numbers SM-A5260, SM-A526B, and SM-A526N, received the certification from the Wi-Fi Alliance, and the related documents reveal that the device features dual-band Wi-Fi 5 and runs Android 11. Its Bluetooth certification reveals that it features Bluetooth 5.0 with support for LE.

Two weeks ago, it was revealed through the 3C certification that the Galaxy A52 5G has 15W fast charging. The 4G version of the phone will feature a Snapdragon 720G processor, while the 5G variant will come equipped with the Snapdragon 750G processor.

Going by the leaked 3D CAD renders of the upcoming mid-range smartphone, the Galaxy A52 will sport a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-O display, an in-display fingerprint reader, a quad-camera setup at the rear, a USB Type-C port, and a headphone jack. Its rear-facing camera setup features a 64MP primary camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera, a 5MP depth sensor, and a 5MP macro camera.

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One Samsung app is killing battery life on the Galaxy 21 Ultra

Our Galaxy S21 Ultra review should be going live next week after we spend more time using the latest flagship, and so far, our opinions on the device are fairly positive. However, there is one particular issue that should be brought to your attention — and Samsung’s — as soon as possible, especially if you’re a SmartThings user.

Judging by our experience so far, SmartThings, One UI 3.1, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra don’t seem to be getting along very well, leading to significant battery life drainage. Take this one scenario for example, as seen in the screenshot below: the Galaxy S21 Ultra was used for roughly 10 hours and SmartThings was the most demanding app, even if it was only running in the background.

A battery hit of 14.6% for 8 hours of background usage for SmartThings is not at all normal, and this becomes even more obvious when you realize that our second device — the Galaxy Z Flip — which was used in conjunction with the same network of SmartThings devices had experienced only a 0.1% impact on battery life while SmartThings was running in the background for nearly 7 hours.

We’re guessing this is an issue that can be resolved through a firmware update and perhaps it will be fixed by the time the Galaxy S21 Ultra ships to customers later this month. We’ll keep you posted.

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Here’s what’s new in Bixby Routines for Galaxy devices running One UI 3.0

Samsung has revamped a lot of UI elements and features in One UI 3.0, and Bixby Routines is one of the many areas that have seen a few key improvements. Bixby Routines now has a refreshed user interface with more graphical elements, as well as a few additional conditions and actions that should help users create richer IFTTT scenarios.

You’ll notice a handful of UI changes as soon as you fire up Bixby Routines in One UI 3.0. The plus button for adding a new routine has been removed and the functionality can now be found in a new tab at the bottom of the screen.

This makes the option more visible to newcomers so it’s definitely a step in the right direction. Likewise, the Discover page has been redesigned with a more modern look and extra options for Bixby Routines presets.

One UI 3.0 brings more graphical UI elements to Bixby Routines

Bixby Routines has received graphical enhancements across the board and as a result, creating a new routine never felt easier. The Add routine menu is completely reworked in One UI 3.0 and both the If and Then statements are visible on the same screen. The If and Then menus themselves haven’t changed much but they include a few additional options which we’ll describe later.

In the meantime, the My routines list was also redesigned, for better or for worse. On the bright side, each routine now has a customizable icon, but on the other hand the individual on/off toggles for routines have been removed. One UI 3.0 users who may want to disable a specific routine have to select it, tap the three-dot menu at the top and then select Disable this routine. We’re unsure why Samsung felt like adding a few extra steps to what was a straightforward option but it is what it is. Thankfully, the functionality itself still exists and it works as intended.

Author’s note: One of my routines disappeared upon installing One UI 3.0. It was meant to play a Spotify playlist when connecting a pair of headphones to the smartphone. Thankfully, the routine could be recreated (as seen above), and its disappearance might have been caused by the fact that the routine was meant to manipulate a third-party app. Either way, you may want to double-check your routines on One UI 3.0 and see if any are missing.

A few additional conditions have been added to Bixby Routines

The new version of Bixby Routines for devices running One UI 3.0 introduces a couple of If conditions that can be leveraged to create events around messages you receive. You can create events around messages received from a particular contact or for messages that contain one or more keywords.

This leaves room for a lot of interesting scenarios. For example, you can set Bixby Routines so that whenever a message with a specific keyword is received, your phone can run a SmartThings scene or control an IoT device. Or you can set your phone to disable DND whenever a preset contact sends you a message.

All things considered, even though removing the on/off toggle for individual routines doesn’t make the user’s life any easier, Bixby Routines in One UI 3.0 offers a ton of improvements, from a better visual experience to additional functions, and we’re looking forward to seeing where Samsung will push its IFTTT platform next.

If you’re new to Bixby Routines and/or the concept of IFTTT you can check our full review to learn more about this tool’s capabilities. The Bixby Routines UI may have changed since One UI 2.5 and new functions have been added but the core experience is more or less the same.

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Here’s how you can enable Ultra power saving mode in One UI 3.0

One of the many changes that were introduced by One UI 3.0 has to do with traditional power saving modes, or lack thereof. Before One UI 3.0, Galaxy smartphone users were given a choice of power saving mode presets, each limiting different aspects of the device. The Ultra power saving mode was the most extensive and it applied drastic changes to the UI as well as the phone’s functionality for the sake of energy saving.

One UI 3.0 does away with the traditional power saving mode presets but the options to save battery life by disabling or limiting certain functions still exist. It’s just that these power saving options are now presented as a handful of convenient toggles which can be enabled or disabled independently without locking the user in a specific power saving mode. One UI 3.0 users can now choose to disable Always On Display, limit the CPU speed to 70% of its capacity, decrease screen brightness by 10%, and disable 5G (if available), separately or all at once.

And assuming that you’re still looking for the good ol’ Ultra power saving mode, the final toggle in the revamped power saving menu is essentially just that. The new Limit apps and Home screen toggle in One UI 3.0 corresponds to the most aggressive power saving mode available on Galaxy devices running older versions of One UI. Once enabled, it limits all background activity, disables the Edge panels, limits the experience to a handful of apps, and it changes the entire UI to a dark theme.

One UI 3.0 users can access the new power saving options either from the quick toggle area or by navigating to Battery and device care in Settings, selecting Battery, and tapping Power saving mode.

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It’s not just the US where Galaxy S21 doesn’t get MST for Samsung Pay

It was revealed earlier this week that the Galaxy S21 series is missing Samsung Pay’s MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) functionality in the US. However, it looks like MST could be missing from the Galaxy S21 in more markets than we initially thought.

We can now confirm that the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra lack MST in India as well, which means you won’t be able to make contactless mobile payments at places that lack NFC machines. Samsung’s new high-end smartphones may lack MST for Samsung Pay in more markets. However, it is not easy to find out exactly which markets still have access to MST with the Galaxy S21 series and which don’t because Samsung hasn’t mentioned it in the official specs sheet on all its localized websites.

MST emulates the signal of credit and debit card’s magnetic strip at PoS (Point of Sale) machines, allowing mobile payments where NFC isn’t available. NFC payments are still not prevalent in various markets, including India, making Samsung Pay’s MST feature a winner. However, Samsung now tends to think that NFC has matured enough that it can now remove MST from its smartphones. The South Korean firm had already stopped equipping its smartwatches with MST.

Samsung US has indicated that its future phones might not have the MST feature. Samsung had acquired LoopPay back in February 2015 for around $250 million for the MST feature. Who knew five years down the line, the acquisition would have been for nothing.

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

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Six new Samsung smart appliances certified for AI excellence

Half a dozen new smart home appliances from Samsung have just been certified for AI excellence. Over in the company’s home country, the Korean Standards Association awarded the company with six AI+ certificates.

This specification is one of the strictest of its kind, as it’s based on established international standards defining product reliability, build quality, security features, and design accessibility. Meaning that if it’s good enough for South Korea, it’s good enough to be considered cutting-edge in any part of the world.

Why does this matter and what does it tell us about Samsung’s AI tech?

The milestone underlines many years of research and development Samsung invested in raising the bar for consumer AI. I.e., machine learning technologies, an area of growing importance for the chaebol that’s currently in the process of cultivating synergies across its many divisions.

Beyond helping its countless units operate as a more harmonious whole, putting out excellent smart home appliances should also keep bolstering Samsung’s bottom line. After all, the desire to get all of our devices connected and talking to one another has been the biggest consumer spending trend since smartphones entered the picture.

This latest batch of certified smart appliances included the JetBot 90 AI+ recently revealed at CES 2021, as well as the sixth-generation Family Hub Bespoke refrigerator and the latest addition to the Grande line of tireless washing machines and driers. Two AI+ certificates went to the so-called Wall-mount AC with Wind-Free tech, Samsung’s solution for energy-efficient air conditioning that doesn’t create drafts, breezes, or anything of the sort.

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PSA: Stable Galaxy S10 Android 11 One UI 3.0 update has been pulled

It has only been a couple of weeks since Samsung released the Android 11 One UI 3.0 update for the Galaxy S10 series. With Samsung’s more recent flagships having already received the update, the Galaxy S10 series was next in line.

Galaxy S10 owners were delighted to find out that the update was being rolled out in the first week of January. Everything appeared to be going well initially but seems there remain some gremlins that Samsung needs to take care of. That’s why it has now pulled the Galaxy S10 Android 11 One UI 3.0 update.

Android 11 update is no longer available for the Galaxy S10

As of right now, the Android 11 One UI 3.0 update is no longer available for the Galaxy S10 series. This applies to both over-the-air updates and those installed through SmartSwitch. Samsung has not yet confirmed why it had to pull the update.

Multiple reports suggest that there are some bugs in the firmware that need to be sorted out. Users are complaining about camera blur and the device heating up. There may also be as yet unreported bugs that have compelled Samsung to pull the update.

It’s unclear at this point in time when Samsung is planning to resume the roll out of the Galaxy S10 Android 11 One UI 3.0 update. We’ll keep our ear to the ground and let you know as soon as we know more.

Thanks, Sander!

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Galaxy A82 5G might be Samsung’s next rotating camera phone

Remember the Galaxy A80? It was launched in 2019, a year when smartphone manufacturers were trying to out do each other in unusual front camera placements. While many of its Chinese rivals preferred sliding front cameras, Samsung took a slightly different approach.

The Galaxy A80 had a sliding and rotating camera. It had one camera module that could double as both a front and rear camera. The slider would open and the camera module could rotate to either the front or rear position as desired. The Galaxy A80 didn’t get a successor in 2020 but it appears there may be a new handset in the pipeline.

Will the Galaxy A82 5G have a rotating camera?

Our friends at GalaxyClub report that Samsung has a Galaxy A82 5G in the pipeline. It’s not surprising that this could be a 5G phone. The company is on a mission to spread 5G connectivity to its Galaxy A lineup and the Galaxy A82 would be a good contender for the next-gen network support.

What’s unclear at this point in time is whether the Galaxy A82 5G will stick to the Galaxy A80’s DNA – in that it will also have a sliding and rotating camera. If Samsung is no longer interested in the idea, perhaps the Galaxy A82 5G may only have a standard camera setup.

It’s also interesting to note that the device believed to be the Galaxy A81 last year ended up being launched as the Galaxy Note 10 Lite. So it’s not as straightforward to assume that a device bearing model number SM-A826B could be the Galaxy A82 5G. We’ll have to keep an eye on this for some time.

New Samsung Galaxy A 2021 series handsets are now due for launch. The Galaxy A32 5G is out already. The Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72 are expected to arrive in the near future. When we might see the Galaxy A82 5G is a mystery for now.

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Samsung 870 EVO SSD price, availability announced for India

Samsung had unveiled its new affordable SSD lineup yesterday. The company’s new 870 EVO SSDs offer higher performance compared to the previous generation, but at affordable prices. Now, the South Korean tech giant has unveiled the prices and availability of its new SSDs for the Indian market.

The 870 EVO SSD will be available in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB storage capacities. The 250GB version costs INR 3,599, while the 500GB version is priced at INR 5,999. The 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB versions of the 870 EVO SSD are priced at INR 10,999, INR 21,999, and INR 43,999, respectively. These SSDs can be purchased from today via most offline and online stores across the country.

Samsung’s 870 EVO SSD lineup uses the company’s latest V-NAND and controller, hitting the maximum sequential read and write speeds of 560MB/s and 530MB/s, respectively. They use the SATA interface, and not PCIe. The company claims that the new models offer up to 38% improvement in random read speeds compared to the 860 EVO models.

Akash Saxenaa, Senior Director, Enterprise Sales, Samsung India, said, “Compatible for casual laptop and desktop PC users as well as Network Attached Storage (NAS) users, the new SATA SSD offers an exceptional blend of performance, reliability, and compatibility. Designed with the environment in mind, 870 EVO minimizes carbon footprint, leaving the consumers with the choice of using an ecofriendly product.“

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Samsung working on two Galaxy Book Pro laptops

Samsung released its 2021 laptop lineup a few weeks ago, and it consists of the Galaxy Chromebook 2, Galaxy Book Flex 2, Galaxy Book Flex 2 5G, Galaxy Book Ion 2, and the Notebook Plus 2. However, the company seems to be working on two more laptops for this year.

The company has received certification from Bluetooth SIG for two new laptops: Galaxy Book Pro and the Galaxy Book Pro 360. Both laptop models feature Bluetooth 5.1 as per the certification documents. Apparently, the Galaxy Book Pro will be available in an LTE variant as well, and the Galaxy Book Pro 360 will also come in a 5G version.

Going by the naming scheme, it appears that the Galaxy Book Pro and the Galaxy Book Pro 360 could be high-end laptops. The Galaxy Book Pro could feature a traditional form factor, while the Galaxy Book Pro 360 could be a 2-in-1 laptop with a 360-degree hinge.

While we don’t know any specifications of the upcoming laptops from Samsung, they could offer Intel’s 11th Gen. CPUs with better graphics. Only time will tell if Samsung will equip them with its recently announced 90Hz OLED displays.

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Samsung is crushing it with the Android 11 update

Samsung has been working on its software support game for a while now, but it feels like it really went into overdrive these past few months. As its over-the-air packages are reaching a huge variety of Galaxy smartphones and tablets nowadays. In fact, their ever-increasing frequency is becoming quite a sight to behold.

That might be why Samsung’s commitment to three generations’ worth of Android updates feels like it happened ages ago. The tech giant ramped up its output to such a degree that we constantly need reminders how getting more than an update per month on average wasn’t always the norm.

Is this impressive momentum sustainable?

In reality, fewer than six months passed since that historic Galaxy Unpacked. And yet Samsung already seems like such a dominant leader in Android updates that it’s difficult to even think of a company that could so much as hope to seize its momentum, moving forward.

Nothing illustrates this uplifting state of affairs better than the current availability status of One UI 3.0 across various product ranges. Samsung’s take on Android 11 already reached many compatible smartphones and is bound to hit many more in the coming weeks.

This includes flagship models as old as the 2019 Galaxy S10 series and even an affordable mid-range device like the Galaxy M31. So, for the first time ever, Samsung has multiple mobile lines that aren’t behind in Android updates at the beginning of a new calendar year. Instead, they’re running the last major OS release that Google announced to date. In fact, its latest tablets are even getting updated to One UI 3.1 already, before the Galaxy S21 lineup has gone on sale.

Even the U.S. carriers seem to be going out of their way to keep up with Samsung’s Android updates right now. Of course, all of this should be at least partially related to the fact that the ecosystem hasn’t undergone any massive changes lately. Meaning Samsung also had fewer new Android additions to worry about optimizing. Credit where it’s due, however: Google greatly contributed to this firmware development Renaissance at Seoul. It did so by offering a clear avenue toward improvement in the form of Project Treble.

Google’s efforts streamlined the Android codebase in a way that shortened development times of security patches and other minor updates. This has always been the primary goal of the initiative. And yet, even though the benefits of Project Treble were offered and later even forced upon every manufacturer, Samsung is the only relevant mobile brand whose track record with security patches significantly improved over these past three years.

Time will tell whether this momentum is sustainable, but given everything we’ve seen over the last few months, Samsung probably deserves some goodwill and optimism. Either way, it seems adamant to keep approaching mobile security development with the same level of urgency that already mesmerized many an industry watcher while terrifying the margin-thin competition throughout 2020.

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Samsung’s new 90Hz OLED display will take laptops to the next level

You’ve been hearing a lot about high refresh rates since last year. Samsung wasn’t the first to bring 120Hz displays to its smartphones but its subsidiary was actually the one supplying them to others as well. Samsung Display remains one of the biggest suppliers of OLED displays and now it’s got an amazing new product for laptops.

Samsung Display has announced today that it’s going to mass produce the world’s first 90Hz OLED laptop displays in the first quarter of this year. Get ready for an influx of laptops touting this new panel.

Samsung’s 90Hz OLED display will be available in 14-inch size

The vast majority of laptop displays, LCD and OLED alike, have a 60Hz refresh rate. You can get absurdly high refresh rates like 300Hz in some gaming laptops from the likes of Razer and Asus. Those laptops utilize IPS displays, though, not OLED, they’re simply a type of LCD displays.

OLED is a superior technology and while there are laptops on the market already with OLED displays, they only provide a 60Hz refresh rate. That’s more than enough for general use but not the best for high FPS gaming. That’s why the new 90Hz panel is going to be a welcome addition.

Samsung Display Chief Executive Officer Joo Sun Choi has said that the company is going to produce “very large quantities” of its 14-inch 90Hz OLED display for laptops starting in March 2021. The company admits that a high-spec graphics card will be required to power the display. Considering where GPU prices are these days, you can bet that the initial models that get this display won’t exactly be cheap.

Samsung Display feels that customers will be quick to purchase laptops with 90Hz OLED displays because of the experience they provide. The company claims that its 90Hz OLED refresh rate is 10x the fastest screen response time on the market today and on part with a 120Hz LCD panel.

Expect the first laptops equipped with this new panel to arrive possibly in the second quarter of this year.

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