Galaxy Xcover 4s gets access to July 2021 security update

The Galaxy Xcover 4s is the latest Samsung smartphone to get the July 2021 security update. The rugged device was released in mid-2019 with Android 9-based One UI and it had received the Android 10 update in 2020 and the Android 11 update last month.

Samsung has released a new software update to the Galaxy Xcover 4s in the Nordic region. The update comes with firmware version G398FNXXUCCUG1 and includes the July 2021 security patch. Samsung says that the update fixes a couple of dozen security vulnerabilities and the Android Auto bug. The update could also bring some device stability improvements.

If you are a Galaxy Xcover 4s user in the Nordic region, you might have received a notification for the new update. If you haven’t received it already, you can manually check for the update by navigating to Settings » Software update and tapping on Download and install. You can also download the latest firmware from our firmware database and flash it manually.

The Galaxy Xcover 4s is a mid-range rugged smartphone with an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance and an MIL-STD-810G-compliant design for shock and heat resistance. It has a 5-inch IPS LCD screen, a 5MP selfie camera, a 16MP rear-facing camera, and a 2,800mAh battery.

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July 2021 security update reaches the Galaxy A41

Samsung is expanding the July 2021 security update to even more Galaxy devices. After releasing it to a bunch of high-end, mid-range, and low-end smartphones and tablets over the past three weeks, the South Korean firm is bringing the latest security patch to the Galaxy A41.

The Galaxy A41 has started getting the new software update in Russia. The latest update, which has firmware version A415FXXS1CUG1, includes the July 2021 security patch. As per Samsung’s documentation, the new security update should fix close to 20 security and privacy vulnerabilities. It could also fix the Android Auto bug and improve device stability.

If you are a Galaxy A41 user in Russia, you can check for the update manually by navigating to Settings » Software update and clicking on Download and install on your device. You can also flash the latest firmware manually after downloading the latest firmware file from our database. Other markets could soon get access to this update.

Samsung had launched the Galax A41 in Q1 2020 with Android 10-based One UI 2. It received the Android 11-based One UI 3.1 update three months ago.

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Samsung’s new affordable Chromebook available for purchase in the US

After quietly making the Galaxy Chromebook Go official a few weeks ago, Samsung has started selling it in an equally quiet fashion. The Samsung US website now has the Galaxy Chromebook Go in stock, and it’s quite affordable. The variant with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage starts at just $299.99, and you can get it for as low as $129.99 if you trade-in an eligible phone or laptop from any manufacturer.

An affordable 14-inch Chromebook

No other memory variant is in stock at the moment, and you also only get to choose the Wi-Fi-only version of the Galaxy Chromebook Go if you pick one up now. For $299.99, you’re getting a 14-inch LCD display with a resolution of 1,366 x 768 pixels, with the processing power provided by Intel’s 10nm Celeron N4500 processor, which features two cores with a maximum clock frequency of 2.8GHz and Intel UHD Graphics. The available variant has 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM with 32GB eMMC storage (and a microSD slot), but 8GB RAM and 64/128GB storage variants exist as well.

The Galaxy Chromebook Go comes with stereo speakers for your multimedia needs and has a 720p webcam for all those pandemic era video calls that are driving everyone crazy. In terms of connectivity, the Chromebook Go is well equipped: You get one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. A 42.3Whr battery keeps the lights on and is charged with a 45W USB Type-C charger that you get in the box.

The Galaxy Chromebook Go comes in silver (it’s a dual-tone design, with the insides of the device all black) and can be purchased from Samsung’s website at the link below.

• Buy Galaxy Chromebook Go from Samsung US

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Exclusive: Galaxy Watch 4 series is bringing a big storage upgrade!

The Galaxy Watch 4 lineup, which is due for an unveiling sometime next month, is going to bring a drastic change on the software side of things for Samsung’s smartwatches. Samsung is skipping Tizen in favor of Google’s Wear OS, with the Korean giant touting access to Google Play and a vastly superior collection of apps as one of the major reasons for the move.

With access to more apps than what the Tizen platform was able to offer, Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic owners are going to need more storage. According to our sources, that’s exactly what they’re going to get. We’re told all the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic models will come with 16GB of built-in storage.

More apps need more storage space, and the Galaxy Watch 4 will have it

That’s two times what you get on the Galaxy Watch 3 and 4x more than the Galaxy Watch 3, and it will be quite useful. One of the benefits Wear OS — or One UI Watch, which is what Samsung is calling the new unified watch platform it has developed with Google — will bring is that any app users install on their phone will have its smartwatch version automatically downloaded to the watch. That means the 4GB or 8GB storage you got on the older watches will simply not cut it, especially when you consider the same storage is also used to storing media files such as music tracks and podcasts.

The bump in storage won’t be the only big spec upgrade the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic will bring to the table. As we revealed earlier today, the Galaxy Watch 4 lineup will be powered by the new 5nm Exynos W920 chipset, which boasts of up to 1.25x faster CPU performance and a massive 8.8x increase in graphics performance compared to the Exynos 9110 found inside existing Galaxy smartwatches. There will 1.5GB of RAM accompanying the chipset, though this is nothing new as 1.5GB of RAM was available on some older Samsung smartwatches as well.

The Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic are likely to be unveiled on August 11, alongside Samsung’s new foldable phones and wireless earbuds. According to Amazon, the watches will go on sale starting August 27th with features like a rotating physical bezel, body composition measurement sensor, and more.

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Galaxy Fold owners in the USA can now download the July 2021 update

The original Galaxy Fold was among the first Samsung smartphones to receive the July 2021 security patch. The rollout began a couple of weeks ago but was limited to the international model. Fast forward to now, and Galaxy Fold owners in the USA are also able to acquire a new firmware update with the July 2021 security patch included.

The update is available for the Galaxy Fold with model number SM-F900U1 and can be identified by firmware number F900U1UES5EUF1. Going by this detail, we can safely assume that the new firmware update doesn’t bring any new features to the table aside from the latest security patch and other fixes.

Addressing Bluetooth vulnerabilities and Android Auto stability issues

As usual, a new security patch means that dozens of vulnerabilities found within Android OS and Samsung’s software were addressed. Patching Bluetooth vulnerabilities was the main focus for the month of July, but Android Auto should also be more stable. Galaxy Fold owners who may have had the app crashing on them should no longer face this problem once they install the new firmware update.

Samsung Galaxy Fold owners in the USA should be able to download the latest firmware update along with the July 2021 security patch by tapping the update notification once it arrives or by opening the Settings app on the phone and accessing Software update. They can also skip the wait by downloading the latest firmware updates from our archive.

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Here’s why the Galaxy S22 series is unlikely to support 65W fast charging

Although the Galaxy S22 launch is quite some time off, rumours about the 2022-bound flagship have already started to emerge online. Now, renowned Weibo leaker Ice Universe (via MyFixGuide) has chimed in stating that the Galaxy S22 series will support 65W fast charging.

While that seems like a logical step up from the existing 45W solution offered by current-generation Samsung hardware, it is unlikely that Samsung will take the plunge just yet.

Will the Galaxy S22 really support bonkers fast charging?

Currently, only a handful of high-end Samsung smartphones, such as the Galaxy S20 Ultra let users charge their batteries at 45W. For most of the Galaxy lineup, 25W is as high as it gets, which is significantly lower than charging solutions offered by competitors such as Xiaomi and Realme, who have no qualms bumping up their wattages to 65W.

Our tests indicate that using a 45W charger only saves you a few minutes, at best, compared to a 25W brick. The returns get even more diminishing once you up the wattage, and all you get in return is rapid battery degradation due to the copious amounts of heat generated during the process.

Besides, the Exynos 2200 SoC rumoured to power the Galaxy S22 is expected to run an AMD mRDNA-based GPU. That is a scorcher in itself and the last thing Samsung needs is the battery piling on more heat to the alleged vapour chamber cooling mechanism.

Therefore, Samsung will stick to its guns by restricting its premium smartphone lineup’s battery charging capacity to 45W, at most. Besides, it hasn’t been that long since the Galaxy Note 7 battery fiasco. If there’s one part of the smartphone where Samsung wouldn’t mind staying behind the ‘industry’ standard, it’s the battery.

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Galaxy A03s battery specs are confirmed and sound like deja vu

The unannounced Galaxy A03s is becoming more real by the week. After receiving approval from the Wi-Fi Alliance, the next step for the Galaxy A03s was to complete formalities with the FCC. The Galaxy A03s (SM-A037M) was first listed at the FCC yesterday where its battery specifications were reconfirmed.

The battery has model number HQ-50S and a capacity of 5,000mAh with 15W fast charging capabilities. It was manufactured by Scud (Fujian) Electronics, and it’s the same battery that’s powering the Galaxy A02 and Galaxy A02s.

The Galaxy A03s will likely reuse a lot of parts

The battery isn’t the only thing the Galaxy A03s will have in common with its predecessors. According to previous leaks, the Galaxy A03s will also have the same display and camera setup as the Galaxy A02s.

On the other hand, the Galaxy A03s is expected to have more RAM and storage as standard and the MediaTek Helio G35 chipset under the hood.

The design was leaked a couple of months ago, so don’t hold your breath for something completely unique. Samsung’s approach towards the hardware reflects the exterior design, which means that the Galaxy A03s won’t look very different from its predecessor and/or other low-cost models released this year.

There’s no official release date in sight, but seeing how Samsung is pushing the Galaxy A03s through various test labs, a market release could happen sooner rather than later.

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When will my Samsung Galaxy device get the Android 12 update?

Samsung fans are excited about getting the Android 12 update. The major OS upgrade will be accompanied by One UI 4.0. It’s going to bring some new features and a lot of cosmetic changes that will refresh the look of Samsung’s Galaxy devices.

A lot of people are already asking us when will my Galaxy device get Android 12? The answer to that involves a bit of guesswork at this stage. That’s because Samsung hasn’t even launched the beta program yet.

Android 12 release for Samsung Galaxy devices possibly starting in December

You might be wondering why the beta isn’t available when Google has opened the Android 12 beta. That’s because Samsung has its own beta program through which it not only tests the latest Android upgrade but also the upcoming iteration of One UI.

Samsung is already working on the Android 12 update for the Galaxy S21 series. The work has actually begun a month earlier than it did for the Galaxy S20 Android 11 update in 2020. So it’s possible that the Android 12 One UI 4.0 beta program will be launched in October 2021.

The Galaxy S21 series will be the first to get Android 12. Samsung has been sticking to the November/December timeframe for the past few years. The Galaxy S9 received Android Pie in late December, Android 10 arrived for the Galaxy S10 in November and the Android 11 update was released for the Galaxy S20 in December 2020.

That’s most likely the timeline that we can expect this year as well. Once the beta program is launched, the public release should take place in a couple of months. Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+ and Galaxy S21 Ultra owners can expect to get the stable Android 12 One UI 4.0 update in December.

All other devices will be updated once the 2021 flagship Galaxy S series gets Android 12. The Galaxy Note 20 series will most likely be the next in line. Both handsets got the stable Android 11 update last year the very next day after the update was released for the Galaxy S20 models. Since there’s no new Galaxy Note flagship this year, Galaxy Note 20 owners could get Android 12 much sooner.

Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 foldables are expected to be on the priority list as well. The previous-gen foldables including the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip, might also get the update in December. If Samsung maintains the impressive pace it showed last year, older flagships from the Galaxy Note and Galaxy S series may also get done with Android 12 in December.

The vast majority of its mid-range devices, particularly those from the Galaxy A series, probably won’t get Android 12 until the first half of 2022. The flagships are always Samsung’s top priority so owners of these devices will have to wait.

You might not know that your Galaxy device is eligible for Android 12

Remember, Samsung is now providing three Android OS upgrades for dozens of compatible devices. Even handsets from the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 series are eligible. Check out our list of all Samsung devices that are eligible for Android 12.

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The Galaxy Tab S7 FE is slowly reaching more fans, goes live in Vietnam

Samsung’s first and only FE-branded tablet has reached another market after what has arguably been a slow debut. Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Tab S7 FE nearly two months ago, and the tablet has since been released in a couple of markets, including Russia and India.

In Vietnam, Samsung began selling the Galaxy Tab S7 FE LTE earlier today for VND 13,989,800 ($607). The tablet is available in one memory option with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, but customers can choose one of two colors — Mystic Black and Mystic Green. There’s also a microSD card slot for anyone who might need it.

An S Pen and a collection of solid productivity apps to boot

The Galaxy Tab S7 FE is a multimedia and productivity tablet accompanied by an S Pen. It’s not the best S Pen around as it lacks Bluetooth connectivity, but it’s accompanied by a handful of apps for productivity and creativity. The list includes Samsung Notes, PENUP, Noteshelf, Clip Studio Paint, and Canva Pro. The tablet also supports Samsung DeX and can be paired with an optional keyboard cover.

It can be argued that the tablet’s name is somewhat misleading, as explained in our review below. The tablet’s 12.4-inch LCD is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate. 4GB of RAM doesn’t seem to be enough for a productivity tablet called the ‘FE,’ and there’s no fingerprint sensor.

These limitations aside, the Galaxy Tab S7 FE is large enough to enjoy all kinds of content, and the speakers are excellent. The tablet has a premium build quality and great battery life, so there are plenty of things to like about it if you can look past a few shortcomings. Check the links below for more details.

Galaxy Tab S7 FE review

• Buy the Galaxy Tab S7 FE online at Samsung Vietnam

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Galaxy M21 2021 Edition brings an updated camera

It was revealed last month that Samsung could relaunch the Galaxy M21 in India during the Amazon Prime Day 2021 sale. Now, the company has revealed the upcoming smartphone’s design, color variants, and some specifications. The device will be called Galaxy M21 2021 Edition, and it will be fully unveiled on July 21, 2021.

Going by the Galaxy M21 2021 Edition’s webpage on Amazon India’s website, the smartphone features a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-U display with Full HD+ resolution. It also features an updated camera sensor in the form of the 48MP ISOCELL GM2 instead of the ISOCELL GM1. It should offer slightly improved image and video quality, thanks to the newer sensor.

The Amazon-exclusive device also features a 6,000mAh battery. The Galaxy M21 2021 Edition also comes with a newer back design and will be available in two colors: Arctic Blue and Charcoal Black. The rest of the phone’s specifications are expected to remain similar to that of the original Galaxy M21. It means that we should expect it to come equipped with the Exynos 9611 processor, 4GB/6GB RAM, 64GB/128GB internal storage, and a microSD card slot.

The Galaxy M21 2021 Edition also features a rear-mounted fingerprint reader, Android 11-based One UI 3.1, a 20MP selfie camera, a 48MP+8MP+5MP triple-camera setup at the rear with 4K video recording. Other features could include GPS, a dual-SIM card slot, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, a USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

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Galaxy S20 users on KT’s network can get ‘real’ 5G access starting today

Samsung’s high-end 5G smartphones support mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G networks in both SA (Standalone) and NSA (Non-Standalone) modes. However, very few carriers around the world actually have standalone 5G networks. KT is the first South Korean network carrier that has launched a standalone 5G network.

KT announced earlier today that it has launched its pure, end-to-end 5G network in South Korea. It also mentioned that Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra users can access its 5G SA network if they are subscribed to one of its 5G mobile plans. Usually, most networks operate in the NSA mode and offer 5G speeds while browsing the web or watching videos and fall back to 4G standards during voice calls. However, 5G SA networks always offer 5G speeds.

KT also mentioned that its 5G SA network could help smartphones get better battery life and efficiency. Apparently, the Galaxy S20+’s battery life increases by 8.8% while operating on 5G SA networks (13 hours and 38 minutes vs. 12 hours and 32 minutes on 5G NSA). Accessing the 5G SA network would require updating the Galaxy S20 series smartphones with the latest software update, though.

The other two South Korean carriers, SKT and LG UPlus, are acting cautiously when it comes to expanding their networks to offer 5G SA services. Some say that going 5G-only would introduce network stability issues in some areas, and some users could be left out of service when they move out of KT’s network service area.

Galaxy S20 5G

• Model: SM-G981B
• Dimensions: Bar: 151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9 mm
  
• Display: 6.2 inch / 157.48 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Exynos 990
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy S20+ 5G

• Model: SM-G986B
• Dimensions: Bar: 161.9 x 73.7 x 7.8 mm
  
• Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Exynos 990
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G

• Model: SM-G988B
• Dimensions: Bar: 166.9 x 76.0 x 8.8 mm
  
• Display: 6.9 inch / 175.26 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Exynos 990
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

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The Odyssey Neo G9 is Samsung’s first mini-LED monitor!

Samsung makes some brilliant gaming monitors such as the Odyssey G7 and the Odyssey G9. They offer QLED screens with high brightness levels, HDR, high refresh rates, AMD FreeSync, and attractive designs. Now, the company has started teasing a new variant of the Odyssey G9 gaming monitor called the Odyssey Neo G9.

The company published a short teaser video of the Odyssey Neo G9 gaming monitor, showcasing its design and some features. It seems to have a curved screen with a 32:9 ultrawide aspect ratio and dual-QHD resolution (5,120 x 1,440 pixels). And it looks like the Odyssey Neo G9 is Samsung’s first Mini-LED gaming monitor. A Mini-LED panel offers deeper blacks, a higher contrast ratio, higher screen brightness, and much better HDR performance when compared to LCD or QLED monitors.

The Odyssey G9 was already a near-perfect gaming monitor, and a Mini-LED display panel would make it even better. We can expect the Odyssey Neo G9 to feature AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, Nvidia G-Sync compatibility, HDR10+, DisplayHDR 600 or higher, HDMI and DisplayPort ports, and 1ms grey-to-grey response time. It also appears to have an RGB ‘Core’ lighting and some form of cable management.

Samsung’s upcoming flagship gaming monitor will compete with the likes of ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQ and the Acer Predator X35. However, none of those monitors have an ultrawide aspect ratio which gamers love. It would take an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 or an AMD Radeon 6900 XT to drive the Odyssey Neo G9, though, and expect it to be extremely pricey.

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SmartThings Energy is here to reduce your electricity bills

SmartThings is Samsung’s Internet of Things platform that brings the vision of a connected home to life. The company has added another great feature to it that will enable you to reduce your electricity bills and live a more sustainable life.

SmartThings Energy has actually been around since 2019 but it was limited to South Korea initially. It keeps an eye on the power consumption of all SmartThings-enabled devices to provide real-time consumption data to customers.

Reduce your electricity bills with SmartThings Energy

SmartThings Energy is now available for users in the United States. It can be accessed from within the SmartThings app. SmartThings Energy can be used to monitor consumption, set targets and stay on top of the actual power usage of Samsung appliances and HVAC systems.

Users can then rely on this data to take steps in order to bring their monthly energy bills down and reduce their carbon footprint. Users get a real-time view of the energy being consumed by their compatible Samsung appliances and HVAC systems.

It also sends notifications when the devices are consuming more energy than normal. SmartThings Energy also tracks energy consumption for every device and analyzes the usage patterns to help users bring down their electricity costs.

SmartThings Energy is compatible with supported Samsung home appliances, including but not limited to dishwashers, air dressers, washers, fridges, vacuums, air purifiers and air conditioners. The service will be expanded to WWST partners in the future so that third-party appliances can also be monitored.

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Hey, look who turned up late to the Galaxy J4’s birthday party!

Just because you bought your current smartphone with pocket change in 2018 doesn’t mean you don’t get to enjoy the same peace of mind everyone else is, or thereabouts. Well, everyone else in Samsung’s family, that is. Case in point: the Galaxy J4 just started getting the June security patch.

At the ripe age of three years and two months, ways past the point of its original expiration date. The new release is identified by build number J400MXXSCCUE3 and doesn’t seem to be widely available just yet.

Could this be the final update the Galaxy J4 receives?

Based on what Samsung disclosed in this month’s security bulletin, some of these fixes that are on their way to the Galaxy J4 might have actually been repackaged and included in the July 2021 update for most of its other devices. And it has to do with Bluetooth vulnerabilities, for the most part.

But either way, if you’re a Galaxy J4 owner, you can count on the new patch to reach you in the coming weeks. Alternatively, our firmware archives are here as always, if you know how to use them. As for whether this will be the final update for your Galaxy J4, it might. It’s on biannual updates now, actually, and isn’t included in the four years’ worth of security patches that Samsung’s been promising since recently.

As things stand right now, anyone still holding on to their Galaxy J4 can count on likely one more update after this one and possibly not even that, depending on where in the world they’re located. Still, we’re talking about years after any other manufacturer would have left their entry-level customers to fend for themselves.

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