Samsung develops 8nm RF solution for improved 5G chips

Samsung is among the biggest chip manufacturers in the world. It has been successful in developing advanced process nodes to make more advanced and power-efficient chips every year. Today, the company has announced that it has successfully developed an 8nm-based RF solution that could massively improve the performance and power efficiency of 5G communication chips.

With the 8nm silicon fabrication process, it is possible to create a ‘one-chip solution’ for 5G communications that incorporates both multi-channel and multi-antenna design. After 28nm and 14nm RF solutions, the 8nm RF solution will help Samsung in expanding its leadership in the 5G segment on mmWave and sub-6GHz fronts. The company will use this technology to contract manufacture RF 5G chips for other brands.

Digital circuits have seen an increased performance, better area efficiency, and improved power efficiency with each new process node. However, analog and RF blocks haven’t seen much success in those aspects due to increased resistance from narrow line width. Hence, most RF chips have seen a degraded performance. To overcome this issue, Samsung claims to have developed a unique architecture using its 8nm process node, and it is called RFextremeFET (RFeFET).

The RFextremeFET architecture offers improved performance and power efficiency. It supplements digital PPA scaling and analog/RF scaling at the same time, which is extremely helpful in enabling high-performance 5G platforms. Samsung Semiconductor claims that its new architecture offers 35% improvement in power efficiency and a 35% smaller die area.

Hyung Jin Lee, Master of Foundry Technology Development Team at Samsung Electronics, said, “Through excellence in innovation and process manufacturing, we’ve reinforced our next-generation wireless communication offerings. As 5G mmWave expands, Samsung’s 8nm RF will be a great solution for customers looking for long battery life and excellent signal quality on compact mobile devices.“

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Unlocked Galaxy Note 9 units in the USA get new update

The Galaxy Note 9 will soon be three years old, but it’s still one of the most well supported devices in Samsung’s galactically huge smartphone lineup. That’s evident by the fact that it continues to receive monthly security updates, and recently, it’s even picking up a few other improvements that have arrived on considerably newer Galaxy phones as well.

Samsung has released the June 2021 security update for the Galaxy Note 9 for unlocked models in the US. The update sports firmware version N960U1UEU8FUE1 and, in addition to the latest security fixes that got detailed by Samsung earlier today, it brings improvements to the excellent Quick Share feature found on all Galaxy devices running Android 10 and above.

That’s pretty much it for the changelog, but getting anything more than security enhancements for devices almost three years after launch is always a good thing in our books. Too bad the Galaxy Note 9 didn’t make the cut for Samsung’s new policy of three generations of OS updates for flagship smartphones, but we can’t have everything now, can we?

If you own an unlocked Galaxy Note 9 in the USA, you should be able to download the update over the air – just go into the phone’s Settings » Software update menu. Our firmware archive is your friend if you wish to upgrade manually; just download the latest firmware and install it on your phone using a Windows PC.

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Samsung will release a consumer SSD based on 7th gen V-NAND this year

Samsung confirmed today that it plans to bring its 7th generation V-NAND solution to the masses in 2021 and release its first consumer SSD based on its 7th gen V-NAND in the second half of the year.

The upcoming SSD will boast the smallest cell size in the industry, thanks to Samsung’s 7th gen V-NAND. The technology can stack 176 layers without increasing the module’s height compared to the 6th generation 100-layer V-NAND solution, as the cell volume in the 7th generation is decreased by up to 35%.

Furthermore, the company claims to have already secured a working chip of its 8th generation V-NAND solution that boasts more than 200 layers. This solution will be brought to the market “in accordance with consumer demand,” but of course, the main focus now is on the expansion of the 7th generation V-NAND to more use cases.

Samsung will optimize the upcoming 7th gen V-NAND SSD for heavy workloads

Samsung’s upcoming 7th gen V-NAND consumer SSD will be a high-end solution, and it sounds a lot like the company is aiming this product at professionals who may be working from home.

The company claims that the SSD will be “optimized for huge multitasking workloads” such as simultaneous video editing and 3D modeling. The company didn’t reveal any capacity options yet.

In addition to this powerful consumer SSD, Samsung also plans on expanding the use of 7th generation V-NAND to data center SSDs. In this area, the company claims that the technology can help reduce power consumption and improve efficiency by 16% compared to the 6th generation V-NAND.

Samsung is aiming for a 1,000+ layer V-NAND

The Korean tech giant is already looking towards the future of V-NAND and is aware that any technology has its limits. There will come a day when V-NAND modules reach their height limit, and Samsung is sure that it will be the first company to overcome these limits through the use of 3D scaling technology.

Samsung believes that V-NAND will eventually evolve to feature more than 1,000 layers, though it will probably take a while to reach this level. Even then, the company claims that it will continue striving to deliver the highest level of reliability industry-wide.

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Samsung combines 5G vRAN and C-Band Massive MIMO in an industry first

Samsung has reached another key milestone in its 5G virtualization technology, the company confirmed today. For the first time in the industry, Samsung managed to make its commercial 5G vRAN (virtualized radio access network) compatible with its latest C-Band Massive MIMO radios and expand the limits of vRAN performance from low-band to mid-band.

The company demonstrated the technology using its latest 5G vRAN, the C-Band 64T64R Massive MIMO radio, and its cloud-native 5G Core. By combining 40MHz of 4G frequency and 100MHz of 5G frequency on the C-Band TDD (Time Division Duplex) spectrum for the first time in the industry, Samsung topped a transfer rate of 2.25Gbps overall on a single device.

Samsung to bring its mid-band 5G vRAN solution to the market this year

Samsung’s low-band vRAN solution is already in use in the USA since last year, but the latest demonstration proves that Samsung’s virtualized radio access network technology is capable of supporting Massive MIMO radios.

The company also demonstrated that its 5G vRAN is capable of delivering performance similar to traditional hardware-based equipment, all the while covering low-to-mid-band spectrums and supporting indoor and outdoor radio solutions for private networks and mobile carriers alike.

Samsung revealed that it is now conducting field trials using its 5G vRAN and C-Band Massive MIMO radios and wants the technology to be ready for commercialization before the end of the year.

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Massive SmartThings update is live with a new UI and increases load times

Samsung made a surprise announcement today when it revealed that SmartThings is getting a brand-new user interface that was designed with careful consideration to customer feedback. And aside from a refreshed look that makes it easier for users to control their IoT devices, Samsung also claims that the latest SmartThings version improves performance and speeds up load times.

The new UI design falls more in line with the SmartThings app for Windows 10, which was released last month along with the Galaxy Book series of notebooks. The latest update breaks down the SmartThings app into five different sections called Favorites, Devices, Life, Automations, and Menu. Their functions are detailed below.

• Favorites is a new home screen that brings the most-used devices, services, and scenes to the foreground for quick access.
• Devices is equally self-explanatory and acts as a complete list of connected devices.
• Life is a section that gives customers a new way to discover new SmartThings services. The section also teaches users about enhanced functions and ways to improve their living experience.
• Automations allow users to set specific conditions for devices and scenes. They are enabled automatically when user-defined criteria are met.
• Menu will be the home of additional features such as Settings, Notifications, History, and SmartThings Labs.

Samsung has revealed that these changes were made after listening to customer feedback. The goal was to simplify the user experience, especially now that smart homes are growing in popularity.

The updated SmartThings UI is available for the Android platform beginning today. The iOS app will be updated “shortly after,” though no exact dates were revealed.

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The Galaxy M32 will ship alongside a 15W fast charger, the FCC reveals

Samsung is preparing to release another M-branded phone, and it might happen sooner rather than later. The Galaxy M32 was already spotted on Samsung India’s portal last month, and the same device popped up in the FCC database this week.

The FCC documents are light on details regarding the phone’s specifications, but the application confirms a few connectivity features and one important detail about the contents of the retail box. Specifically, the Galaxy M32 will ship with a 15W travel adapter.

In addition, the phone benefits from Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac and NFC connectivity, and judging by the FCC documents, it should also have a microSD card slot for expandable storage.

Galaxy M32 leaked specifications recap

The Galaxy M32 is expected to conceal the MediaTek Helio G80 chipset under the hood, though this has yet to be officially confirmed. However, the device is likely based on the Galaxy A32, which means that the two models should share at least a few characteristics and hardware components.

If true, then the Galaxy M32’s 15W charger could be paired with a battery that has a capacity of at least 6,000mAh. Recent Galaxy M-branded phones emphasize larger battery capacities, especially in India where Samsung is often using the “Monster” tag line to highlight this hardware detail.

The phone might be launched in India soon, but it will probably reach other markets following its debut.

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Follow SamMobile on Instagram to stay in the loop for everything Samsung

SamMobile is striving constantly to better the user experience of its readers and improve upon its methods of delivering news and information to the community. Our daily coverage brings you the latest bits of information concerning the world of Samsung products and you can find us on a variety of social media platforms including LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

Speaking of the latter platform, SamMobile recently completed its Instagram redesign and it is now working with Linkin.bio to bring news, breaking, and exclusive stories closer to Instagram users. You can check our Linkin.bio page right here or by simply clicking the link found inside SamMobile’s Instagram bio.

Keep in mind that although you can find us on various social media platform, we’re also encouraging readers to interact with our community directly through SamMobile. Last summer we launched a ranking system wherein people leaving comments and sharing our stories can earn points and climb up the leaderboard for an opportunity to win rewards.

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More Galaxy S21 FE leaked renders reveal design details from all angles

The upcoming Galaxy S21 FE is expected to hit the market in a variety of color options, some of which got revealed through leaked renders earlier this week. Now, a new gallery of leaked images emerged on Twitter via @evleaks, revealing the Galaxy S21 FE in a couple more colors from virtually every angle.

The renders depict the Galaxy S21 FE in green, white, blue, violet, and gray. They show the device’s front and back panels as well as its four edges. The phone appears to have a metal / metallic edge, a polycarbonate back panel, and a flat Infinity-O display.

The Galaxy S21 FE looks like an S21 spin-off, as it should

The phone’s edges accommodate the volume and power buttons, as well as a speaker grille and a USB-C port at the bottom. Much like the Galaxy S20 FE, the sequel lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack. The shape of the camera housing looks familiar because it borrows from the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+.

Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S21 FE within the next couple of months. It was spotted previously in an online benchmark with the Snapdragon 888 chipset and 6GB of RAM under the hood, though an Exynos-powered variant is possible. In more recent news, the Korean media reports that the Galaxy S21 FE will be released for a lower price than its predecessor and will be cheaper by around $100.

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Here’s when the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite will launch in India

Samsung had launched two tablets—Galaxy Tab A7 Lite and Galaxy Tab S7 FE—a few weeks ago. Both tablets are trimmed down versions of the extremely popular Galaxy Tab A7 and the Galaxy Tab S7, respectively. The tablets will become available for purchase worldwide over the next few days, and Samsung has revealed when it plans to launch the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite in India.

Galaxy Tab A7 Lite India launch date, expected pricing

The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite has been listed on Amazon India’s website. The affordable tablet will be available for purchase in India starting at 12 PM on June 23. It is also being rumored that Samsung will launch the Galaxy Tab S7 FE in the country alongside the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite. The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite could be priced around INR 15,000 (around $200), while the Galaxy Tab S7 FE could cost below INR 55,000 (around $750).

Even since the COVID-19 pandemic, the tablet market started seeing explosive growth as people are staying home and watching videos, browsing the web, and making video calls. Likewise, students are learning remotely, and a tablet is a great device for watching educational videos and remote learning classes. Hence, Samsung launched these new affordable tablets so that more people could buy them.

Galaxy Tab A7 Lite, Galaxy Tab S7 FE specs

The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite features an 8.7-inch LCD display with HD+ resolution, stereo speakers, Android 11-based One UI 3.1 software, a 2MP selfie camera, and an 8MP rear-facing camera. It is equipped with the MediaTek Helio P22T processor, 3GB/4GB RAM, 32GB/64GB internal storage, and a microSD card slot. It is powered by a 5,100mAh battery and supports 15W fast charging.

The Galaxy Tab S7 FE sports a 12.4-inch LCD display with QHD+ resolution, an S Pen, a quad-speaker setup, Android 11, a 5MP front-facing camera, and an 8MP rear-facing camera. It uses the Snapdragon 750G processor, 4GB/6GB RAM, 64GB/128GB internal storage, and a microSD card slot. It supports Samsung DeX, and features a 10,090mAh battery with support for 45W fast charging.

Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite in Wi-Fi only and LTE versions, while the Galaxy Tab S7 FE has Wi-Fi only, LTE, and 5G variants. Both tablets feature Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

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Samsung phones can finally FaceTime but Apple’s making it weird

For the longest time, people used to wonder can Samsung phones FaceTime? The answer to that had always been no. FaceTime is Apple’s very own video calling service. The company has gone to great lengths to ensure that only those that use an Apple device are able to make FaceTime calls.

After the pandemic forced everybody indoors in 2020, people had no option but to use video calling services for everything from school to meetings and everything in between. Zoom emerged as the service of choice because it was available on just about every platform. Other services were quick to improve their offerings as well. FaceTime remained a walled garden but in 2021, Apple is finally giving everyone a peak inside.

Samsung phones can FaceTime now only if they have a link

Apple announced at its developers’ conference yesterday that FaceTime will soon be available on Android and Windows through the web. This will be the first time that people with a non-Apple device will be able to join a FaceTime call. The functionality is expected to go live with iOS 15 in the fall.

As the biggest Android smartphone vendor, this change also means that Samsung phones can now FaceTime. However, Apple’s implementation is a bit weird. It’s not opening up its prized video calling service completely. Apple is only letting users outside its ecosystem to join FaceTime calls.

There’s not going to be an Android app for FaceTime. It will not be possible to initiate a FaceTime call from your Samsung smartphone. The call can only be initiated by someone with an Apple smartphone or computer. What they can do is share a link to that call. So once you get that link only then will you be able to join the call through the web browser on your Android phone.

Much like iMessage remains closed off to Android, so does FaceTime. Apple has only done the bare minimum to let its users keep in touch with people outside the ecosystem. So while your iPhone-owning friends gave you a tough time on those green bubbles in iMessage before, be prepared for them to talk smack about your need doe FaceTime links.

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The Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds are available at a new low price

The Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds are now available at a significant discount thanks to Amazon’s daily deals website Woot! For a limited-time only, customers can buy the Galaxy Buds Pro in Phantom Black at a 30% discount, or for $139 instead of $199.

As always, the clock is ticking on this Woot! deal and prospective buyers have around 18 hours left to act as of this writing. That is, assuming that the earbuds won’t sell out by then. There is a limit of 2 Galaxy Buds Pro orders per customer, and the product has a standard estimated delivery window of June 15 – June 17.

This isn’t the first time for Woot! to offer the Galaxy Buds Pro at a discount, but it might be the most significant price cut yet. The same company was selling the earbuds at an 18% discount a couple of months ago, but now, they’re available for 30% off.

The Galaxy Buds Pro are the Korean tech giant’s most recent earbuds, but we expect Samsung to release a sequel later this year, presumably around the time the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 will be introduced. The launch event for foldables should take place in July or August.

The Galaxy Buds Pro are the company’s second pair of wireless earbuds to boast active noise cancellation (ANC) after the Galaxy Buds Live. You can read about ANC performance and other details in our review linked below.

Galaxy Buds Pro review

• Buy the Galaxy Buds Pro at Woot!

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Samsung details which vulnerabilities it fixed with June 2021 security patch

Samsung had started rolling out the June 2021 security update even before the month had started. The Galaxy Z Flip 5G was the first smartphone to get the latest security patch. More than a dozen Galaxy smartphones have already received the new security patch, and now, the company has detailed which vulnerabilities it has fixed with its new update.

According to the company’s documentation, the company’s June 2021 security patch includes 47 fixes from Google and 19 fixes from Samsung. Among the vulnerabilities fixed by Google, two were Critical, 27 were rated for High impact, five were termed Moderate. Among the vulnerabilities fixed by Samsung, three were rated for High impact, eight were Moderate.

The SVEs (Samsung Vulnerabilities and Exposures) included in the June 2021 security update were related to improper access control, access to arbitrary files, Samsung Contacts, possible out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the NPU, improper authorization in SDP SDK, and improper access in notification settings. It also fixes vulnerabilities related to Exynos 9610, Exynos 9810, Exynos 9820, and the Exynos 990 chipsets. You can read about them in detail on Samsung’s website.

We expect many more Galaxy smartphones and tablets to receive the new security patch over the next few weeks. Since not all devices are in Samsung’s monthly security update cycle, some devices may receive this update weeks later from now. You can use our new tool to see which is the latest security patch level for your device.

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Galaxy Watch 4, Galaxy Watch Active 4 inch closer to launch

Samsung is expected to announce three new smartphones and two new smartwatches in the second half of this year. The company has announced that it will switch from Tizen OS to a brand new version of Google’s Wear OS with its next smartwatches. Now, those two smartwatches—Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch Active 4— have inched closer to their launch and received a necessary certification.

The Galaxy Watch 4 and the Galaxy Watch Active 4 received China’s CCC certification yesterday. Two variants of each of those smartwatches passed through the certification process. The SM-R860 (39mm) and the SM-R870 (43mm) are the variants of the Galaxy Watch Active 4, while the SM-R880 (41mm) and the SM-R890 (45mm) are the variants of the Galaxy Watch 4. Both smartwatches will come bundled with 5W wireless chargers, but there won’t be a charging adapter inside the box.

It was revealed yesterday that the 41mm version of the Galaxy Watch 4 will be powered by a 247mAh battery, similar to the Galaxy Watch 3. The smartwatch should be capable of lasting a couple of days on a single charge, similar to existing Galaxy Watch devices. The upcoming smartwatches are expected to feature circular Super AMOLED displays, IP68 certification for dust and water resistance, an accelerometer, a barometer, a gyro, GPS, a heart rate monitor, SpO2 measurement, and sleep tracking.

In terms of hardware specs, the Galaxy Watch 4 and the Galaxy Watch Active 4 will feature a 5nm Exynos processor. This chipset should provide a much-needed boost in speed, performance, and power efficiency. They also feature slimmer bezels and flat glass protection. The smartwatches are expected to be announced alongside the Galaxy S21 FE, Galaxy Z Fold 3, and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 in August 2021.

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