Samsung could bring one more feature from its high-end phones to mid-range phones

The Galaxy A52 and the Galaxy A72 are turning out to be great mid-range smartphones from Samsung. We exclusively reported just yesterday that the Galaxy A52 and the Galaxy A72 will feature 90Hz/120Hz high-refresh-rate screens. Now another leak points towards them getting a feature that was earlier limited to just Galaxy Note and Galaxy S series devices.

According to a newly-leaked training video published on YouTube by Abhishek Yadav, the Galaxy A52 5G will have IP67 certification for dust and water resistance. If this information turns out to be true, it would be the first time since 2017 that Samsung will offer dust and water resistance on its mid-range smartphone. The Galaxy A5 (2017) and the Galaxy A7 (2017) were the first mid-rangers from Samsung to feature dust and water resistance (IP68), but the company dropped the feature one year later.

Galaxy A52 5G leaked specs

As we mentioned in our previous report, the Galaxy A52 5G sports a 6.5-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. It will be launched with Android 11 (with One UI 3.1) out of the box. The phone is equipped with the Snapdragon 750G processor, 6GB/8GB RAM, 128GB/256GB internal storage, a 32MP selfie camera, a 64MP primary camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera, a 5MP depth sensor, and a 5MP macro camera.

The Galaxy A52 5G will be powered by a 4,500mAh battery and will support 25W fast charging. It could cost €450 when it reportedly launches late next month. The 4G version of the Galaxy A52 uses a slightly downgraded Snapdragon 720G processor and could be priced around €400. If the Galaxy A52 5G features IP67 certification, there’s a good chance of the Snapdragon 750G-equipped Galaxy A72 5G having it as well.

The post Samsung could bring one more feature from its high-end phones to mid-range phones appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/3tO5lxv
via IFTTT

Galaxy S21 February security patch is reportedly causing battery life issues

A fair number of Galaxy S21 owners are complaining about poor battery life on Reddit and a few other forums, and the February 2021 security patch that began rolling out last week might be the culprit.

All the customer complaints come from people who own the Exynos variant, though it should be stressed that the issue most likely stems from software rather than Samsung’s new hardware. And according to some users, the battery might be draining at an accelerated rate due to an issue with cellular connectivity. According to affected Galaxy S21 owners, battery life falls within normal parameters when flight mode is enabled.

There seem to be a lot of complaints pertaining to the Galaxy S21 and the Galaxy S21+, in particular, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra is barely mentioned. Sadly, we can’t confirm exactly how this issue occurs and whether it affects the Galaxy S21 Ultra at all, as none of our Exynos-powered Galaxy S21 models have been hit by this problem.

As mentioned in our Galaxy S21+ review, battery life isn’t out of this world but it’s decent. The Galaxy S21 Ultra left a much more positive impression with battery life that’s surprisingly good even with 120Hz enabled. The base Galaxy S21 model, however, has average battery life that fails to impress.

Samsung is aware of the problems and is working on a fix

Samsung is apparently aware of these unwanted symptoms affecting the Galaxy S21 series post-update, and according to Norwegian tech blog Tek.no, the company is working on a new firmware update that should address the problems.

The company hasn’t revealed a timeframe but it’s possible that the upcoming March 2021 security patch will fix these newfound battery life issues, assuming a hotfix won’t be released sooner. For the time being, we advise Galaxy S21 owners to avoid the February 2021 security patch if possible until the problems clear up.

Galaxy S21

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

More specifications

Galaxy S21+

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

More specifications

Galaxy S21 Ultra

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

More specifications

The post Galaxy S21 February security patch is reportedly causing battery life issues appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/3rIkqij
via IFTTT

The Galaxy Watch 3 can now be yours for as low as $139!

Every Galaxy Watch 3 variant sold by Samsung in the USA is now available at a $100 discount, and yes, the same offer applies even to the LTE models as well as the more expensive Titanium variant.

With this deal alone, prospective Galaxy Watch 3 buyers in the USA can acquire the wearable for as low as $299, down from $399. This price corresponds to the 41mm Galaxy Watch 3 with Bluetooth connectivity. The 41mm model with LTE costs $349 instead of $449.

At the costlier end of the spectrum, the Galaxy Watch 3 Titanium is now available for $499 instead of $599. Keep in mind that the Titanium model is limited to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Samsung’s even offering better trade-in deals

Samsung customers can drop the price of the Galaxy Watch 3 even lower by combining this new deal with the company’s trade-in program, and the good news continues as Samsung has also adjusted its trade-in values.

Instead of offering a $60 discount for trading-in an existing watch, phone, or tablet, customers can now take advantage of $160 instant credit. In essence, this means that the base Galaxy Watch 3 model can be purchased for only $139.99, whereas the pricier Titanium model can be acquired for only $339.

Customers in the USA can pick from a wide range of colors for the leather band and also have access to the Samsung Design Studio where they can customize almost every aspect of the wearable’s design.

Galaxy Watch 3 review

• Buy the Galaxy Watch 3 at Samsung USA

Galaxy Watch 3 (45mm)

• Model: SM-R845
• Dimensions: Watch: 46.2 x 45.0 x 11.1 mm
  
• Display: 1.4 inch / 35.56 mm Circular Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9110
• Camera:

More specifications

Galaxy Watch 3 (41mm)

• Model: SM-R855
• Dimensions: Watch: 42.5 x 41.0 x 11.3 mm
  
• Display: 1.2 inch / 30.2 mm Circular Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9110
• Camera:

More specifications

The post The Galaxy Watch 3 can now be yours for as low as $139! appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2NkIqsJ
via IFTTT

Samsung’s Lifestyle Fest brings limited-time offers on The Frame and Serif

Samsung India has launched a new promotion revolving around two of its most popular lifestyle TV models: The Frame and The Serif. The Lifestyle Fest, as the promotion is being called officially, brings about a couple of offers for customers who plan to purchase one of the aforementioned lifestyle TVs before February 28.

It’s doubtful that the ongoing offer will persuade anyone who didn’t already plan on buying a lifestyle TV to change their minds. If you expect to save a significant amount of cash on a new lifestyle TV then you’ll be disappointed. Samsung is offering a cashback of INR 4,500 ($61) for models with 43 / 49 / 50-inch diagonal, and INR 7,500 ($103) cashback for larger models measuring 55 / 65 / 75 inches.

Meanwhile, the entry level is a 43-inch The Serif which costs INR 69,990 ($962), but prices can go as high as INR 488,700 ($6,722) for the 75-inch The Frame. With that in mind, customers who were already planning on buying one of these TV models are still in for a treat, and this is especially true for customers who will opt for the larger 75-inch The Frame, as the model is accompanied by a complementary Samsung HW-Q800T soundbar worth INR 48,990 ($673).

In addition, Samsung India is offering easy EMI options starting at INR 1,190 ($16), and both The Serif and The Frame come with a 2-year extended warranty and a 10-year no screen burn-in warranty. Refer to the links below for more details.

• Buy The Serif at Samsung India during The Lifestyle Fest
  
• Buy The Frame at Samsung India during The Lifestyle Fest
  

The post Samsung’s Lifestyle Fest brings limited-time offers on The Frame and Serif appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/373il8N
via IFTTT

I just installed Samsung Pay, as it is now effectively useless (for me)

Make fast and secure payments with your phone virtually anywhere you use your cards. That’s what you get to read when you fire up Samsung Pay for the first time and the app starts downloading and installing the actual components that make it work. Only this year, Samsung has effectively crippled what was one of the most unique features of its phones and removed the functionality that made Samsung Pay the best mobile payment app out there, making that greeting message quite misleading.

Samsung Pay no longer supports MST payments, at least on the company’s latest flagships. The Galaxy S21 series doesn’t come equipped with MST, so you cannot make payments at stores which haven’t upgraded to NFC-enabled payment terminals and card readers. This isn’t the case in every country, but it is the case in enough major markets, such as India and the US, that Samsung needs to change that intro screen.

The reward system has disappeared in many markets as well, and at this point, the only advantage Samsung Pay offers to me here in India is that it is the only payment app that lets you add credit and debit cards, even if it’s only for NFC payments, along with all the local wallet services. But I decided to uninstall the app today. I have never really been one for using my phone for making card payments as I carry my wallet around everywhere. Samsung Pay doesn’t always work, and since I hate making people behind me wait, I just whip out my card so I can check out quickly.

No MST, no joy

Still, Samsung Pay offered me the peace of mind of being able to pay if I ever forgot my wallet behind, but that’s changed now. NFC terminals simply aren’t that commonplace here in India. Things are changing as more and more stores upgrade their card readers, but with no guarantees that the next store I might visit will have an NFC card reader, Samsung Pay’s card support is no longer useful.

Rewards are still enabled here in India, but Samsung’s rewards system has always been weak. You need to make a lot of transactions to earn a meaningful number of points (which I couldn’t do as I didn’t always use it for card payments), and those can only be used to redeem gift cards. Other payments apps, such as Google Pay and some local offerings, offer direct-to-bank cashbacks, which I find to be better. And, well, those apps also do what they say they do, instead of misleading customers or cutting back on features that were part of them for a long time.

Frankly, that’s the worst part. I didn’t use Samsung Pay for card payments all that much, but there are many customers who did. Upgrading to any of the Galaxy S21 phones likely means they can no longer do that unless they find a store with an NFC-based terminal, and it will probably be the same with future flagships. Some might say removing MST means stores will be forced to upgrade their machines, but come on, Samsung doesn’t have that kind of market power to drive such a change.

The number of NFC cards and payment terminals will grow organically all around the world in the coming years. For now, MST is an important feature to have, and without it, Samsung Pay makes no sense for me, and I assume the same is true for many who are reading this. Good thing the app can be uninstalled completely, right?

The post I just installed Samsung Pay, as it is now effectively useless (for me) appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/3rP9i3n
via IFTTT

Samsung could help the EU build its own advanced semiconductor factory

The European Union is reportedly exploring the possibility of building an advanced semiconductor factory on European soil and Samsung might be involved in the project, reveals a new report by Bloomberg citing a French Finance Ministry official.

According to the report, the European Union is considering building this advanced semiconductor factory as a way to cut its dependence on 5G solutions, high-performance computing, and semiconductors for autonomous vehicles from manufacturers operating across the pond. But for the time being, it’s unclear whether this would be an entirely new facility or an existing one that will be repurposed for the task. Regardless, the preliminary plan is to produce 10nm-based semiconductors and smaller, possibly even 2nm solutions later down the line.

Samsung may not be the only semiconductor giant involved

The initiative is partly led by European Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton who last year said that ‘without an autonomous European capacity in microelectronics, there will be no European digital sovereignty.’ Samsung’s involvement hasn’t been confirmed yet but the Korean tech giant isn’t the only force in the semiconductor space that could become a key to the European Union’s plans to nurture domestic semiconductor manufacturing. TSMC is another, though neither company has made any grand reveals on the matter.

So far, 19 members of the European Union have reportedly joined this newfound chip alliance with the intention of supporting the commission’s plans. Last year, Thierry Breton revealed that this alliance could be backed by a €30 billion infusion from public and private investors.

At the end of the day, it remains to be seen if, as well as how Samsung could be involved with the European Union’s plans to build an advanced semiconductor factory. The company is also busy expanding its own semiconductor operations and it could be looking at a massive $17 billion investment in a new chip manufacturing plant in Texas.

The post Samsung could help the EU build its own advanced semiconductor factory appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/2LFlsfx
via IFTTT

Exclusive: Galaxy A52 (5G) and A72 specs include 90Hz/120Hz displays!

Oh boy, have we got some good news today: As already revealed in the title of this article, Samsung is introducing high refresh rate displays to its mid-range phones this year! Our sources have confirmed that the Galaxy A52 and the Galaxy A72 will both feature a 90Hz display, a first for any Galaxy device, while the Galaxy A52 5G will have a 120Hz display just like Samsung’s flagship phones.

High refresh rate screens coming to mid-range Galaxies

Why the higher refresh rate on the A52 5G, you ask? Well, probably because the Galaxy A52 5G will have a more powerful processor under the hood – it will be powered by the Snapdragon 750G, instead of the Snapdragon 720G that will push the pixels on both the Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72. However, even the 90Hz displays on the A52 and A72 should make the user experience a lot smoother, and we are just glad that high refresh rate displays are already trickling down to Samsung’s non-flagship models because 60Hz screens feel too outdated.

We also have the specs for the Galaxy A52 5G, most of which the LTE variant of the phone will likely share. Almost all of these have been rumored before: There’s 6GB/8GB RAM and 128GB/256GB of storage accompanying the Snapdragon 750G chipset, a 6.5-inch Full HD+ Infinity-O Super AMOLED display, a 64MP main rear camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, a 5MP depth camera, a 5MP macro camera, a 32MP front-facing camera, an on-screen fingerprint sensor, and a 4,500 mAh battery with 25W super fast charging support. The phone will run Android 11 out of the box, likely with version 3.1 of One UI.

According to early retailer listings, the Galaxy A52 5G could be priced a little north of 450 euros, while the LTE variant could be priced at around $400. The new A series phones are expected to launch sometime next month.

The post Exclusive: Galaxy A52 (5G) and A72 specs include 90Hz/120Hz displays! appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/3p6I6LH
via IFTTT

Samsung to build a $17 billion chip manufacturing plant in Texas

It was reported last month that Samsung is looking to set up a $10 billion chip manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas, in the US. It is now being reported that the company might invest a lot more than it was initially reported. According to the documents filed by Samsung Foundry in Arizona, New York, and Texas, the upcoming chip plant is expected to cost over $17 billion.

Samsung’s potential chip manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas, will reportedly create around 1,800 jobs. If everything goes according to the plant, the upcoming chip facility will go online in the fourth quarter of 2023. While the company hasn’t revealed which fabrication process the new plant would be designed for, it is possible that the company could make 3nm (MBCFET) chips there.

The company only makes chips based on leading processes such as 7nm and 5nm in South Korea. Its existing S2 line in Texas makes 14nm and 11nm chips, which are not modern. However, Samsung Foundry has enough customers in the US, including IBM, Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Tesla, which means it could set up a dedicated fab in the country for those clients. As most consumer electronics products and automobiles are becoming smarter, the demand for advanced logic chips has spiked over the past few years.

Samsung’s current plan that was submitted to the government of Texas includes a 7 million square feet chip plant on the company’s 640-acre site. The new fabrication facility will be adjacent to Samsung’s existing S2 plant, which means the company has no plans to upgrade the S2 plant to more recent processes in the near future. In comparison, TSMC’s upcoming plant in Arizona will be relatively smaller.

The company expects the new chip plant to have an economic output of around $8.64 billion and salaries of around $7.32 billion to permanent employees during the first 20 years of its operation. According to Reuters, Samsung Foundry is seeking a combined tax subsidy of $805.5 million over the next 20 years from the city of Austin and Travis County.

The post Samsung to build a $17 billion chip manufacturing plant in Texas appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/3jBvmeS
via IFTTT