[Updated] 7 reasons why Samsung Internet is the best mobile browser

Samsung Internet has grown to become the browser of choice for many Galaxy smartphone and tablet owners. Samsung Internet used to be considered an unnecessary addition to Samsung’s proprietary Android skin by many users, but in time, the app continued increasing in popularity as it kept receiving new feature updates.

At present, Samsung Internet is one of the best and most complete mobile browsers thanks to the dozens of feature updates it received throughout the years. And today, we’re taking a closer look at some of the features that arguably make Samsung Internet the best mobile browser there is.

7 reasons why Samsung Internet is the best mobile browser

1. Easy access to ad blockers

There are valid arguments to be made both for and against the use of ad blockers, but if you use them on your mobile device then Samsung Internet is your best ally. Other popular browsers like Chrome offer ad blocking options as well, but Samsung Internet makes the process a whole lot easier.

Samsung Internet comes with a dedicated Ad blockers menu that lists a handful of popular ad blockers to choose from and download. The list includes Adblock Fast, Adblock Plus, AdClear, AdGuard and more.

To activate ad blockers in Samsung Internet: Tap the menu button, go to ‘Ad blockers,’ and select the ad blocking app you want to download and attach to Samsung Internet.

2. [UPDATED] Block unwanted webpages

Note: this section was updated to include new instructions and screenshots that reflect recent UI changes in Samsung Internet.

The Block unwanted webpages feature prevents websites from taking the user to another website they didn’t visit whenever they press/swipe the back button. The button can become unresponsive whenever a website ‘hijacks’ it and it can be a real annoyance when browsing.

Features similar to Samsung’s block unwanted webpages exist in other browsers including Google Chrome, but the whole process works seamlessly in Samsung Internet compared to other browsers. It simply works, and it won’t get in your way.

To enable Block unwanted webpages: Go to the browser’s ‘Settings’ menu, access ‘Privacy and Security,’ and enable ‘Block backwards redirections.’

3. A password-protected Secret mode

Like many other browsers, Samsung Internet comes with a Secret mode, which is the equivalent of Google’s Incognito mode. It’s a privacy feature that lets users run an instance of the browser separate from the user’s data.

Samsung Internet’s Secret mode improves upon the concept of privacy even further. The browser comes with an option that lets you block access to Secret mode through a password as well as the fingerprint scanner and/or the phone’s face recognition capabilities.

To enable password-protected Secret mode: Open the browser’s settings, access ‘Privacy and Security,’ then scroll down to and select ‘Secret mode settings.’

4. Video assistant

Samsung Internet comes with a built-in Video assistant, which is essentially a set of floating playback buttons for online videos, regardless of the website they’re on.

Different websites use different video players that may or may not have different playback controls, so the Video assistant simplifies the user experience by offering a single layout for online video players.

To enable the Video assistant in Samsung Internet: Open the ‘Settings’ page, access ‘Useful Features’ and enable the ‘Video assistant’ toggle.

5. [UPDATED] Smart Anti-tracking for Secret mode

Note: this section was updated to include new instructions and screenshots that reflect recent UI changes in Samsung Internet.

Anti tracking is nothing new. It’s a privacy and security feature that allows the phone to automatically remove tracking cookies, but once again, Samsung Internet pushes the concept even further.

Samsung’s Smart anti-tracking works in Secret mode for extra-strong protection. The only downside is that it may prevent some websites from working correctly, but that’s a small price to pay if you’re looking for the highest level of privacy out-of-the-box.

To enable Smart Anti-tracking for Secret mode: Go to ‘Privacy and Security’ inside the browser’s settings menu, tap ‘Smart anti-tracking’ and select ‘Secret mode only’ from the drop-down list.

6. Lots of customization options

Samsung Internet might be one of the most customizable mobile browser on the market, and this goes beyond plugins. Out of the box, Samsung Internet offers many ways in which you can make the browsing experience your own.

The browser’s main menu can be extensively customized by adding or removing features, similar to how Samsung’s quick settings menu works. Users can choose to show or hide the status bar, enable or disable zooming on pages, customize the font size on websites, and even move the scroll bar from the right side of the screen to the left, or remove it completely. The Go to top and QR code scanner buttons can also be hidden.

To customize the appearance of Samsung Internet, open the main settings menu and access ‘Appearance’ where you will find most customization options. Additional options for the scroll bar, the ‘Go to top’ button, and the QR code scanner can be found under the ‘Useful Features’ category in the main settings screen.

7. Smooth scrolling and great performance

Even though Samsung Internet is packed with features, the browser’s performance doesn’t suffer. It might not be the fastest browser when it comes to loading pages, but the overall experience is great.

Scrolling on Samsung Internet is arguably smoother than it is on other browsers — including Chrome — and yes, this is true even for Galaxy devices that are equipped with 60Hz displays.

Of course, performance will differ from one smartphone model to another, but if we’re talking about the same device running different browsers, chances are that Samsung Internet won’t let down in terms of speed and responsiveness.

Samsung Internet keeps getting better

Samsung Internet has grown a lot over the past half a decade to the point where it can arguably be your main and only mobile browser. It’s still lacking in some areas, as its poor cross-device syncing capability remains one of its biggest shortcomings. However, it still is a great option and it keeps getting better.

Samsung Internet version 14 is now in beta and will soon be released to the public. The new version introduces an enhanced Smart anti-tracking tool, a redesigned Security control panel, and additional features to improve multitasking on devices with large and/or foldable displays.

Assuming you’re a Samsung Internet user, what are some of your favorite features? Leave a comment below. And if Samsung’s browser hasn’t won you over yet, what are the must-have features that would convince you to switch sides?

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Galaxy Note 10 barely ‘makes’ it to the May security update in Canada

This is going to be a year to forget for Galaxy Note fans, that much has been clear for a good long while now. But should that mean not holding Samsung to the highest standard of excellence when it comes to monthly firmware releases? Absolutely not. Likewise, its wireless carrier partners need to be called out for making things needlessly difficult on the software development front.

For example, the North American models of the Galaxy Note 10 Galaxy Note 10+ are only now starting to transition to the May 1st, 2021 security patch level. Oh, and that’s only in Canada, mind you. Sucks to be on that side of the Atlantic if you’re a Galaxy Note aficionado.

Not a great year for Galaxy Note aficionados

The update itself is pretty sweet, though, as us Europeans have learned back when this firmware was meant to be released in the first place. No least because it introduces way more exciting things than the usual OS vulnerability fixes, no matter how critical.

Granted, that makes it nearly two years old by now, but that isn’t so bad for a modern smartphone. Least of all a modern Galaxy flagship and especially one that’s on a hiatus which we can only hope isn’t of the permanent variety. Meaning we’re still hoping the Galaxy Note range will get resurrected in the meantime.

As for more pressing matters, all you Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10 + owners out there can start keeping an eye out for release version N970USQU6FUD9 and N975WVLU6FUD9our firmware archives. And if you’ve had enough of waiting, then simply proceed to and install the thing yourself.

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Samsung’s flagship killer is available at a killer price

Samsung’s flagship killer is now available at a killer price to match. Well, it’s not the first time when the Galaxy S20 FE 5G is available at a discount, and it’s probably not going to be the last, but regardless, Amazon is now offering the Galaxy S20 FE along with a flat $100 discount for both the 128GB and 256GB variants.

As a result, the unlocked Galaxy S20 FE 5G with 128GB of storage can now be purchased for $599 instead of $699. Similarly, the 256GB variant is available for $669 instead of $769.

The deal applies to two color options — Cloud Lavender and Cloud Navy — as far as the 128GB model is concerned. The problem, however, is that Cloud Lavender has a shipping window of 1 to 2 months, according to Amazon. Things are a bit simpler for the 256GB variant, as only the Cloud Navy color option can be purchased at a reduced price and it’s available immediately.

The Galaxy S20 FE should soon get a sequel but it remains relevant

Is the Galaxy S20 FE 5G worth it? Well, it’s a great phone, and because it went the extra mile in regards to its high refresh-rate display and IP rating, it will remain relevant even it will inevitably be succeeded by the Galaxy S21 FE. As to when, Samsung is expected to reveal the sequel around the next Unpacked event, which should take place near the end of the summer.

You can refer to our reviews below if you’re looking for more info on the Galaxy S20 FE, and don’t forget to check Amazon if you’re planning to join the growing Galaxy S20 FE club.

Galaxy S20 FE review | Galaxy S20 FE review six months in

• Buy the Galaxy S20 FE at Amazon USA

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Samsung leads smartphone shipments in Europe as the market recovers

The COVID-19 pandemic has left its mark on the European smartphone market last year, but signs are showing that the old continent is on the road to recovery. The smartphone market in Europe grew 6% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2021, with Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands enjoying a strong start, and with Samsung leading all three markets, reveals Counterpoint Research.

Samsung led the smartphone market in Denmark in Q1 2021 with a shipment share of 36%, and the research firm partly attributes this success to Huawei’s downfall. Surprisingly though, OnePlus performed great and has increased its shipments by more than 200% YoY, leading to the company’s 5% market share in Q1.

In Finland, Apple was leading the pack in Q4 2020, but Samsung was able to turn the tables on the iPhone manufacturer in Q1 by capturing nearly 40% of the shipment market share. Similarly, Huawei and Xiaomi have reversed roles in Q1, with the latter company coming out on top. The smartphone market as a whole grew 28% YoY in Finland, signaling a strong recovery from last year.

As for the Dutch smartphone market, it, too, grew by 14% year-on-year. Once again, Samsung continued leading the market in the Netherlands throughout Q1, but at 18% year-on-year growth, it didn’t experience nearly as much as other companies including Oppo, OnePlus, Apple, and Xiaomi, the latter of which has recorded a massive 350% YoY hike.

The ASPs (average selling prices) for smartphones grew in all three markets in Q1 2021 compared to the previous year. The research firm believes that this was caused by the arrival of 5G phones manufactured by Chinese OEMs, strong iPhone 12 demand, as well as Samsung’s decision to release the Galaxy S21 series early.

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The Galaxy Chromebook 2 is available at its lowest price yet with this deal

Samsung is offering a new discount on the Galaxy Chromebook 2 in the USA. The device was released stateside a couple of months ago, and it didn’t take long for Samsung to launch the first discounts. Now the company is at it again with a new limited-time discount for the Galaxy Chromebook 2, as well as more attractive trade-in offers that can lower the laptop’s price all the way down to $49.

Samsung is now selling the Galaxy Chromebook 2 with an Intel Celeron CPU, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage for $449, down from the full $549 retail price. Meanwhile, the Chromebook 2 variant equipped with an Intel Core i3 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage now costs $499, down from $699. The new discounts apply to both color options — Fiesta Red and Mercury Gray.

The same laptops can also cost as low as $49 and $99 with select trade-in deals.

Is the Galaxy Chromebook 2 still relevant in a post Galaxy Book world?

Well, yes. We would say that the Galaxy Chromebook 2 has remained as relevant as ever for customers who are looking for a Chromebook specifically. The base Galaxy Book model (powered by Windows 10) is not yet available for purchase, and at $999, the Galaxy Book Pro costs roughly twice as much as the Galaxy Chromebook 2.

Then again, whenever the base Galaxy Book model will be hitting the shelves, it’s rumored to do so at Chromebook prices. Early rumors suggested that this so-called Galaxy Book Go could be released for as low as $349, which might become a problem for Samsung’s Chromebook series.

But for anyone who is actually looking to buy a Chromebook and take advantage of Google’s ecosystem at its fullest, well, the Galaxy Chromebook 2 is Samsung’s best answer. Feel free to refer to the links below if you’re interested in this new limited-time discount.

• Buy the Galaxy Chromebook 2 at Samsung USA

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Guess the Samsung device quiz 3: See if you can get them all right!

This is a fun new activity that we have put together for our readers. Think you can correctly identify all Samsung devices? Take part in our quiz below and let’s see how many you can get right!

We’ll create a new visual quick every week for you to participate and hopefully learn more about the many Samsung Galaxy devices. Do share the results of the quiz with your friends and see if you can compete against them for higher scores and bragging rights.

Remember, if the quiz isn’t loading properly, please access the non-AMP version of this webpage.

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Samsung’s Clock app has finally gotten a tad smarter this year

Samsung has placed greater importance on improved reachability and readability with the release of One UI 3.1, and as a result, some of the company’s 1st party apps got redesigned with a fresh coat of paint. Some apps have also received new features as part of their makeover, and one of the more surprising 1st party apps that got updated is the Clock.

Today we’re taking a closer look at this simple app and how it has changed with recent revisions. To save you the suspense, it’s virtually the same app as before, except for a couple of major addition. These additions are not brand-new and have been around for many weeks, but we believe that they deserve a little bit more time in the spotlight.

Clock has incorporated more bedtime features

Some of us have been waiting for the Clock app to be updated with a smart alarm for a long time now, and although the latest versions don’t go to extreme lengths to achieve this, they have introduced a new smart(er) alarm that has a few interesting features.

For the most part, Samsung’s Clock app has remained unchanged with the release of the latest updates, but look closer and you’ll find that the Alarm section now includes a new type of alarm in addition to the standard ones.

The new alarm has all the features you may have grown accustomed to. It lets you set an alarm for specific days of the week, pick an alarm sound, enable or disable vibration, and customize snooze parameters. The usual stuff, but there’s more.

In addition to these basic functionalities, the Clock’s new smart alarm also lets you set a bedtime hour, complete with bedtime reminders. The UI is very intuitive, as these parameters can be set by either dragging the circular bedtime and wake sliders around the clock face or by tapping each alarm.

Meet bedtime mode: A new features that turns your screen grayscale

The other drastic change to Clock is the addition of a new bedtime mode. It works in conjunction with the new alarm, and when enabled, it renders every UI element and every app in grayscale instead of full color during bedtime hours.

This new grayscale mode protects the user’s eyes from bright colors and blue light waves, the latter of which can disrupt the circadian rhythm and cause sleep issues. Think of it as a souped-up version of Eye comfort shield that was designed for bedtime, though in theory, nothing’s stopping users from keeping this feature enabled at all times.

In addition to turning the screen grayscale, bedtime mode mutes calls, notifications, and other sounds that could cause unwanted interruptions.

Grayscale mode is seemingly a post-processing effect as it doesn’t show up in screenshots or screen recordings (as seen below), but you can test it yourself on your Galaxy device, as long as it runs one of the more recent Clock versions. If you can’t find these new features, make sure that the Clock app on your Galaxy device is updated.

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Galaxy M42 5G (A42 5G) review: Forget 5G, get it for gaming performance

5G networks aren’t in abundance right now except in a few select countries, but that hasn’t stopped Samsung from launching a ton of 5G-enabled phones across all price segments already. The Galaxy M42 5G is the cheapest 5G phone from the Korean giant available in India right now, but since it’s a rebadged Galaxy A42 5G, which launched in late 2020, it comes off as a tad outdated in many areas of the spec sheet.

In fact, some of its specs are downright cringe-inducing, like the HD+ display and the outdated 15W fast charging speed. It doesn’t even have a gigantic battery as we have come to expect from Samsung’s M series phones. And since 5G networks aren’t available in India at the moment and aren’t expected to be for at least another year, the only truly interesting thing about the Galaxy M42 5G is that it is powered by the Snapdragon 750G, one of the best mid-range processors found in smartphones today.

But is that enough to make this a recommendable phone? You’ve come to the right place to find the answer, so let’s get started.

Note: The Galaxy M42 5G and the Galaxy A52 5G are essentially the same phone, so you can count this as a review for both devices. A 5G network was not used during the review.

Galaxy M42 5G design and display

The design is one of the few things about the Galaxy M42 that stands out. It’s a plastic build, as you would expect, but it looks neat and classy thanks to the way the gradient pattern is divided into four sections, with each having a lighter shade as you move down. I’m not sure how the other colors look, but our black review unit is beautiful.

The phone is also delightfully sleek, although the flip side is that you aren’t getting a lot of amazing specs here, as mentioned in the introduction. The finishing is slippery as well. At the front resides a 6.6-inch Infinity-U display that looks quite old now, with bezels larger than you would like to see in 2021.

The display itself isn’t too good, either. Well, it’s colorful, with deep blacks, wide viewing angles, and excellent brightness levels even under harsh sunlight, as you expect from Samsung’s AMOLED panels. But the HD+ resolution leaves a lot to be desired. Individual pixels are easy to spot, and videos in YouTube or Netflix don’t look very sharp, especially when you zoom in to make them fit the screen.

Perhaps the worst offender is the lack of a high refresh rate panel. Yes, the Galaxy M42 5G is basically a Galaxy A42 5G that launched last year, when Samsung had high refresh rate displays only on flagship devices, but that doesn’t change the fact that this is an outdated screen. And it’s not a one-off case for Samsung’s cheap 5G offerings: The Galaxy A32 features a 90Hz Full HD+ display while its 5G cousin has a 60Hz HD+ panel.

There’s an optical in-display fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy M42 5G, a first for any M series phone. It works well most of the time. It’s not as quick or accurate as the optical fingerprint readers on phones like the Galaxy A32, Galaxy A52, and Galaxy A72, but it’s not as bad as the optical sensors Samsung was using for mid-range phones two years back.

Galaxy M42 5G performance

I’m bumping up the performance section for this review because it’s perhaps the best thing about the Galaxy M42 5G. The Snapdragon 750G is a pretty powerful mid-range chipset, and when you combine it with the HD+ screen resolution, you get a speedy phone. The UI isn’t as smooth as it tends to be on flagship Galaxy phones with 60Hz displays, a trend I’ve noticed across all of the company’s mid-range and budget phones irrespective of how powerful they may be, but you won’t find any major lags or slowdowns most of the time.

Gaming performance is also excellent. The Adreno 619 GPU inside the 750G handles all kinds of titles with ease, from graphically-intensive ones like Call of Duty and PUBG to simpler titles like, well, whatever is the latest rage among simple games that don’t feature a lot of high-end effects but can still take up all of your free time. Again, the low-resolution screen helps, and thankfully, individual pixels don’t pop out as much in games as they do elsewhere.

You get plenty of memory on the Galaxy M42 5G, with 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage that can be expanded with a microSD card. Sadly, Samsung has equipped this phone with a hybrid SIM slot, so you can either use two SIM cards or a microSD card. And no, despite having 5G, there’s no eSIM on this phone, so the physical slot is all you have.

Galaxy M42 5G software

The Galaxy M42 5G is the first Galaxy M series phone ever to feature the standard version of Samsung’s One UI software instead of One UI Core. That means you have access to features like Secure Folder and Samsung Pay. You also have some One UI 3.1 (based on Android 11) features like Google Discover on the home screen. But don’t get too excited. Samsung has still stripped many features away.

For example, you don’t get Bixby Routines or a built-in screen recorder. One UI 3.1’s video call effects aren’t included either. But even having access to Samsung Pay and Secure Folder will make a lot of fans happy, as these features have been kept off the Galaxy M series until now because of the lack of proper KNOX certification on One UI Core.

It’s unclear if the Galaxy M42 5G qualifies for Samsung’s promise of three generations of OS updates. The frequency of security updates is also a mystery, as the phone isn’t listed on the website where Samsung details its security releases. We’ve reached out to Samsung for a comment on this and will update the review once we hear back.

Galaxy M42 5G battery life

I was worried the Galaxy M42 5G won’t last as long as devices like the Galaxy M51, as it has a 5,000 mAh battery while most other M series phones have at least 6,000 mAh cells. But I was pleasantly surprised. With light to moderate use, a single charge lasted me a day and a half more often than not, and I always got a full day even with heavy use (reminder: this is battery life with LTE networks).

Charging speeds aren’t great. The 15W charger takes two hours to take the battery from 0 to 100, which can feel really long when you’re looking to quickly top up the battery. A half-hour charge barely takes it up to around 25%. Even that can last you quite a few hours, but 25W charging would still have been nice to see.

Galaxy M42 5G camera, audio quality

I will not be going into detail about the Galaxy M42 5G’s cameras or audio quality as I felt they are exactly the same as what you get on the Galaxy M12, despite the difference in pricing of the two phones. The 48MP main camera takes fairly detailed pictures in daylight, but they aren’t as sharp as you would expect from a 48MP sensor. Nighttime photo quality is serviceable and can be improved with the help of the dedicated Night mode.

Speaking of modes, you do get a lot more of these on the M42 5G as it runs One UI instead of One UI Core, including a proper Pro mode that lets you customize the shutter speed. Video recording maxes out at 30 frames per second on both Full HD and 4K resolution. For more details on the camera and audio quality, check out our Galaxy M12 review.

Galaxy M42 5G verdict

So, should you buy the Galaxy M42 5G? Only if you’re looking for an affordable phone with excellent gaming performance and support for 5G networks. For everything else, there are better alternatives on the market, such as the Galaxy A32. It doesn’t have 5G or great gaming performance but gets you a better display (with a 90Hz refresh rate) and main camera and similar battery life and software features.

There’s also the Galaxy M51. It’s priced similarly and offers you a sharper display, similar performance, even better battery life and faster charging, and improved cameras (read our review here). Go just a little higher with your budget and you can opt for the Galaxy F62, which has a flagship-grade processor and more feature-packed software to offer, along with crazy good battery life.

P.S.: Want to know something about the Samsung Galaxy M42 5G that’s not mentioned in the review? Ask me in the comments section and I’ll do my best to answer.

Pros	Cons
Excellent gaming performance with the Snapdragon 750G	Low-resolution screen limited to 60Hz refresh rate
Amazing battery life	Limited usability for the macro camera, no 60 fps video recording
Main camera has fairly good daylight performance	Slow charging
Future-proof thanks to 5G support	Software is missing a few neat One UI features
One UI 3.1 with features like Samsung Pay	Hybrid SIM slot makes you choose between dual SIM and microSD expansion
Sleek, pretty design

 

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Samsung is shipping 1 million LDS syringes to India to support vaccination

Samsung announced today that it’s importing 1 million Low Dead Space (LDS) syringes to India as part of its ongoing Covid Support program in the country. The LDS syringes were airlifted from South Korea and delivered to Uttar Pradesh.

The company confirmed today that 325,000 LDS syringes were distributed to Lucknow, and 325,000 units got shipped to Noida. The remaining 350,000 LDS syringes will soon be handed over to the Greater Chennai Corporation in Tamil Nadu. These syringes will be distributed to Covid Vaccination Centers across the district.

How are LDS syringes different, and what do they have to do with Samsung?

LDS syringes were designed to increase efficiency and reduce waste. They minimize the amount of drug left inside the syringes after an injection. According to Samsung, the technology behind LDS syringes can provide up to 20% greater efficiency. In practical terms, this means that for every 1 million doses of vaccine that were delivered by regular syringes, LDS syringes could deliver 1.2 million doses using the same amount of vaccine.

Although LDS syringes weren’t developed by Samsung, the company did help the original manufacturer increase production capacity. Samsung has also helped surgical mask factories improve their yield last year, and this year the company contributed $5 million (INR 37 Crores), as well as oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders, and medical kits to India’s fight against COVID-19.

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SamMobile Weekly Giveaway: Your chance to win a Galaxy M31!

We have a great device on offer in our latest SamMobile Weekly Giveaway. It’s the Galaxy M31, a solid mid-range smartphone from Samsung that has respectable specs and good software.

As we mentioned in our Galaxy M31 review, it’s a very compelling budget smartphone from Samsung. We particularly like its excellent Super AMOLED display, great battery life, good performance and 6GB of RAM on all variants.

You can win the Galaxy M31 in our giveaway this week. To enter, simply follow the steps mentioned in the widget below. The winner will be announced on June 2, 2021.

Galaxy M31 international giveaway!

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[Result] SamMobile Weekly Giveaway: Get the Cinematic HW-Q60T soundbar!

We’re back with this latest iteration of the SamMobile Weekly Giveaway. There’s an amazing product up for grabs this week, particularly if you have a nice big TV at home.

On offer this week is Samsung’s Cinematic Q-series soundbar HW-Q60T. It delivers a theatre experience with DTS Virtual X 3D surround sound. The soundbar’s advanced acoustic technology fill up your room with a perfectly balanced sound.

To participate, simply use the widget down below to submit an entry. The winner will be announced on May 26, 2021.

Result: Congratulations, Scott Mcburney. We’ll be in touch to get your prize out. Don’t worry if you didn’t win, there’s always next week.

Q-series soundbar HW-Q60T giveaway!

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Latest Samsung Music update brings a few cosmetic changes

Samsung Music is the company’s own music player app that’s optimized for its Android devices. It supports a variety of music file formats and provides many useful features, particularly for managing song lists.

The company has sent out a new update for its music player today. The latest version of Samsung Music brings a few cosmetic changes that will further improve the user experience.

New changes improve usability

Samsung Music version 16.2.25 is now rolling out. The app’s widget style has been changed. This has been done since support for One UI 3.0 has already been added. Widgets will be deleted on the home screen and users will need to add them again.

The album cover size and number has been changed in the horizontal screen. This allows for more effective control over track management. The menu tree user interface for Android Auto has also been improved. This change will make it easier for those who use Samsung Music in the car to navigate through their playlists.

Lastly, a slew of bug fixes are included in this update as well. The latest version of Samsung Music is now rolling out. Alternatively, you can download Samsung Music version 16.2.25 from our database.

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Galaxy Z Fold 3 camera details re-emerge, ‘invisible’ camera is finally happening

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 should come the closest to Samsung’s notion of a “perfect” smartphone than any one of its predecessors ever did. At least based on the fact that we’re finally going to see a truly full-screen device, one that even lacks an obvious display hole housing its selfie camera. That much, at least, seems to be pretty clear by now. As it was only moments ago that we’ve encountered another credible leak concerning Samsung’s upcoming foldable flagship.

This one seems to be pretty much in line with what we’ve been hearing about the Galaxy Z Fold 3 all throughout spring. A high-end camera setup is hardly out of the ordinary for what’s likely going to be Samsung’s most important release of the year.

Will the Galaxy Z Fold 3 be the mobile photographer’s ultimate dream?

As for how high-end we’re talking about here, it would appear the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will utilize no fewer than four cameras on the back, accompanied by another dual-camera setup on the opposite end. Three of those back modules will seemingly feature Sony-made IMX sensors, the IMX374, IMX471, and the IMX555. On a less promising note, it would appear the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will offer limited telephoto capabilities, even relative to its form factor. More specifically, the device is rumored to be coming with only a 2x optical zoom lens, a far fry from the 100x gimmick that Samsung’s been touting as the future of mobile photography just over a year ago.

Will the Galaxy Z Fold 3 end up being more influential than Samsung’s early 2020 smartphones were? That remains to be seen.

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Galaxy M31s and Galaxy M51 pick up May security update

Two of Samsung’s Galaxy M series phones are picking up the latest security patch this week. These phones are the Galaxy M31s and Galaxy M51, both of which have received new software updates that bring with them the May 2021 security patch. These updates are rolling out in Russia and Brazil respectively and aren’t just about security, although we only have the changelog for the Galaxy M51’s update at this time.

And it’s a confusing changelog: Samsung says the update brings the Quick Share feature to the Galaxy M51 in Brazil, even though this is a standard feature that’s a part of any smartphone that is running One UI 2.1 or later. Perhaps the Brazilian models didn’t have the feature for some reason, but it’s more likely that the update brings those Quick Share improvements that have been rolling out to many other Galaxy phones recently.

The Galaxy M51 update also brings support for Google RCS and improves the overall stability of functions. Samsung has also applied the new personal data protection law introduced by the Brazilian government in 2020. Called Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (LGPD), the new law is Brazil’s version of the European Union’s GDPR regulation and “attempts to unify the over 40 different statutes that currently govern personal data, both online and offline, by replacing certain regulations and supplementing others.”

As for the Galaxy M31s update, what changes it brings to the phone should be revealed soon as more markets begin to get it. For now, if you own either of these phones, you can check if the new update is available for your device by opening its Settings app, selecting Software update, and tapping Download and install. You can also grab these firmware from our archives and install them on your Galaxy M31s or Galaxy M51 manually using a Windows PC.

Galaxy M31s

• Model: SM-M317F
• Dimensions: Bar: 159.3 x 74.4 x 9.3 mm
  
• Display: 6.5 inch / 165.1 mm Super AMOLED Display
• CPU: Exynos 9611
• Camera: 64MP

More specifications

Galaxy M51

• Model: SM-M515F
• Dimensions: Bar: 163.9 x 76.3 x 9.5 mm
  
• Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Super AMOLED Plus
• CPU: Snapdragon 730G
• Camera: 64MP

More specifications

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