Water (splash) proofing for foldables could debut with the Galaxy Z Fold 3

Samsung is on a quest to improve the build quality of its Galaxy Z Fold series, and the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 3 could be the company’s first foldable phone to offer some sort of protection against the elements. It won’t have an IP rating, according to a new rumor, but it should offer splash resistance.

This won’t mean that you’ll be able to dunk the Galaxy Z Fold 3 in water without risking damaging it, but it will increase the phone’s chance of survival in the event of a liquid spill and so on. Either way, the idea that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will have splash resistance might tell us a little bit more about the phone’s construction, and it could be that the clever hinge will be improved even further to qualify for water resistance.

Galaxy Watch 4 / Watch Active 4 color details emerge

The same source that spoke of these upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 3 design changes also claims to have obtained a few bits of information regarding the upcoming Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch Active 4.

Unsurprising, the rumor claims that both smartwatches will run Wear OS instead of Tizen, which you’ve already heard by now. But in addition, it claims that the Galaxy Watch 4 / Active 4 will be offered in the same color option as the Galaxy Z, though it’s unclear if the source is referring to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 or the next Z Flip in the series.

Either way, we exclusively reported that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be available in black and green at the very least, whereas the Galaxy Z Flip 2 hit the shelves in four color options: black, beige, green, and light violet.

Galaxy Watch Active4 and Watch4:
No major design changes
No rotation bezel on the Active4, Watch4 still has the rotation bezel
Same color options as this year Galaxy Z
Wear OS

Z Fold3: splash resistance in works, don’t expect IP certified for now tho https://t.co/FoUOAFOGYx

— CEO of Chun Corp (Tet forever) (@chunvn8888) March 16, 2021

The post Water (splash) proofing for foldables could debut with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 appeared first on SamMobile.

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

Film Festival finalists show what can be achieved with a Galaxy S21 Ultra

Samsung Electronics and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon have launched a promotional campaign back in January whereby film enthusiasts could create unique short videos and post them on social media for a chance to win the Galaxy S21 Ultra and participate in The Tonight Show Film Festival.

Ten finalists were picked on February 1 and they were each given a Galaxy S21 Ultra to use for their next and final video creation for the event. They all got to keep the Galaxy S21 Ultra, but only five winners have had their films revealed during the Film Festival week. They were:

• Pete Scalzitti – Moondog
• Shady Mawajdeh – American Made
• Margo Akopov – Over the Hills and Far Away
• Michael Hopkins – Dear Dad
• Whit Lauren – Prophecy

Participants had to follow a common theme, which was ‘A Different Focus,’ but they were all free to explore it in different ways, which led to each participant’s short movie having a unique identity and feel.

Every short film presented in the video below was shot using the camera array on the back of the Galaxy S21 Ultra, which comprises a 108MP main sensor with PDAF and OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide shooter also with OIS, a 10MP periscope sensor, and a 10MP telephoto camera. The system is capable of up to 100x zoom — though admittedly this feature hasn’t been used very much in the short films– and boasts features like 8K video recording and 8K Video Snap.

Feel free to check out the Tonight Show Film Festival finalists’ videos below and let us know in the comment section which one’s your favorite.

The post Film Festival finalists show what can be achieved with a Galaxy S21 Ultra appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/38MXaZp
via IFTTT

Exclusive: New Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold will come in these colors

Samsung is due to launch new foldable smartphones later this year. We’ll see it launch at least two new models – the Galaxy Z Flip 2 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3. Details are slim at this point in time but more information will certainly trickle in due course.

The original Galaxy Z Flip was launched in February 2020 but its successor is clearly not following the same timeline. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is expected to arrive in the second half of the year much like its predecessor.

Galaxy Z Flip 2 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 colors revealed

We exclusively reported last month that Samsung’s next clamshell foldable bears model number SM-F711. It’s going to be available in 128GB and 256GB storage options. The device will come with One UI 3.5 and Android 11.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 bears model number SM-F926 and it will come with at least 256GB of storage. The handset will also run the same Android 11 and One UI 3.5 combination.

We now hear that the Galaxy Z Flip 2 will be launched in a handful of new colors. They include light violet, green, black and beige. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be available in black and green at the very least, though there may be additional color options on offer as well.

Since both devices are slated to run One UI 3.5, it’s quite likely that they won’t arrive before the second half of this year. Whether Samsung launches both new foldables together at the same event remains to be seen.

As always, we’ll continue to dig for more information about these highly anticipated devices. Stay tuned!

The post Exclusive: New Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold will come in these colors appeared first on SamMobile.

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

Galaxy Awesome Unpacked: Where to watch and what to expect

As promised, Samsung is scheduled to finally unveil a pair of its much-anticipated Android mid-rangers Wednesday, March 17th. Just several years ago, that very sentiment would have likely sounded bizarre to many. However many were staying on top of smartphone news, to be exact.

But somewhere around the time Samsung’s premium, bezel-free design language started trickling down to its mid-rangers, the Galaxy A family started enjoying impeccable momentum.

How far up the premium ladder can the Galaxy A line go?

That isn’t to say it had a bad rep beforehand, mind you. It’s just that Android, on the whole, was still a pretty shaky proposition below flagship-level hardware circa 2017. Samsung was arguably the most eager to address that issue out of all major manufacturers. And there aren’t that many around these days, so it obviously did something right, besides terrifying competitors.

Tomorrow’s Galaxy “Awesome” Unpacked will hopefully lead to more of the same. Especially since recent accounts indicate that the Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72 will indeed be a couple of head-turning devices.

Looking at the broader picture, Samsung’s ramping up its aggressive start to the year and looking increasingly more comfortable while surrounded by all that initiative. Tomorrow’s online event is going to be its third Unpacked show of the year and second this month. Yes, we’re counting ‘Unbox & Discover’ as an Unpacked, it’s like they weren’t even trying with that name.

As per usual, you’ll be able to tune in to tomorrow’s stream via YouTube (embedded below), Facebook, and Samsung’s own video player whose placeholder has yet to appear on the company’s website. The (likely) hour-long stream starts at 7:00 am PT, which is 10 am ET, 3 pm CET, and 7:30 pm IST in other corners of the globe.

The post Galaxy Awesome Unpacked: Where to watch and what to expect appeared first on SamMobile.

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

Galaxy A70 gets Android 11 One UI 3.1 update

Intent on keeping the update train going as fast as it can, Samsung is rolling out Android 11 to yet another phone in its ever-growing smartphone lineup. The Galaxy A70 is being updated with the latest version of Android and Samsung’s One UI (3.1) today, with the new firmware currently available in Ukraine and likely to expand to more countries in the coming days. The update includes the March 2021 security patch.

This is a developing story…

The post Galaxy A70 gets Android 11 One UI 3.1 update appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/3cxBr8W
via IFTTT

Samsung doubling down on cutting-edge tech that literally cuts edges

Samsung is planning to up its spending on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography scanners over the course of this year, South Korean media reports, citing sources close to the company. EUV machines have been at the heart of Samsung’s foundry operations for only a little while, debuting with the commercial launch of its 7nm process node. though we’ve been hearing about them for years, by now.

Not undeservingly, mind you, seeing how the EUV is still widely touted as one of the most complex technologies humanity ever created. But you could say the same about Facebook, ergo such labels are pretty meaningless.

Will Samsung and TSMC end up in a bidding war over sci-fi cutters?

As for things that are the exact opposite of meaningless, Samsung’s foundry business is going to have one mean expense sheet for 2021. These EUV scanners have so far cost in the ballpark of $177 million per unit. Only one place in the world makes these – ASML based out of Veldhoven in the south of Netherlands.

What’s more, ASML is still getting the hang of things, so to speak. The process of making machines designed to assist in making miniature incisions into integrated circuitry is so complex that ASML is only managing to produce about 40 such units per year. Though our sample size isn’t too relevant just yet.

Either way, Samsung’s already polishing the spots where these shiny new pinnacles of human ingenuity will be sitting and churning out the most energy-efficient ICs the world has ever seen in the most deliberate and pinpoint-accurate fashion to date, sources claim. Except that with TSMC being at least equally as desperate to get its hands on them, it remains to be seen how the situation will develop. Or how much further will it continue escalating, to be exact.

The post Samsung doubling down on cutting-edge tech that literally cuts edges appeared first on SamMobile.

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

Samsung sees wearable market share drop even as Galaxy Buds shine

The International Data Corporation has released its overview of the wearable device market for the fourth quarter of 2020. Global shipments of wearable devices hit 153.5 million, showing a 27.2% increase year-over-year.

The holiday quarter certainly played its role in this YoY increase. The IDC also points out that consumer spending on electronics increased as customers reallocated spending of disposable income from leisure activities due to the pandemic. Samsung remained third overall in the period under review.

Samsung shipped a ton of Galaxy Buds earbuds

Apple and Xiaomi occupy the top two slots with Samsung coming in at third. The company saw significant growth from its “hearables” category – that’s another way of describing its Galaxy Buds lineup.

It shipped 8.8 million units of all the different types of wireless earbuds that it offers. The company’s low-cost wristbands like the Galaxy Fit2 also saw greater traction even though a relatively low 1.3 million units were shipped. Samsung’s total watch shipments declined to 2.9 million units in Q4 2020.

With a total of 13 million wearable devices shipped in the period under review, Samsung came in third with 8.5% of the total market share. Even though it saw a 20.5% growth in shipments after 9.5 million units were sent out in Q4 2019, the company’s market share actually declined from the 9% it had in the same period that year.

The company did see a significant jump in shipments for the full year. It shipped 40 million units of wearable devices in 2020 compared to 31.4 million units in 2019. However, it could only manage fourth position in the market with these numbers. Samsung still has a bit of catching up to do, considering the fact that Apple shipped 151.4 million units of wearable devices last year.

The post Samsung sees wearable market share drop even as Galaxy Buds shine appeared first on SamMobile.

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