New Galaxy Watch 4 update improves the virtual touch bezel feature

Samsung launched two versions of its latest Galaxy smartwatch. There’s the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, which comes with a physical rotating bezel and is a sequel to the Galaxy Watch 3, and then there’s the regular Galaxy Watch 4, which replaces the Galaxy Watch Active 2 as Samsung’s sportier smartwatch offering.

While the Watch 4 lacks a physical bezel, like Samsung’s Tizen-based watches, it gives you the option of swiping around the edges of the display to emulate a physical bezel. And with a new update for the Galaxy Watch 4, Samsung is improving the usability of the virtual touch bezel.

Some users had reported issues with scrolling using the virtual bezel feature, and the new update will hopefully fix all of them. The update also brings improved system reliability and stability, and a new animation for when you open the app drawer to access the vast library of apps you can install from the Play Store thanks to Samsung’s switch to Wear OS.

The latest Galaxy Watch 4 update weighs around 290 MB, sports firmware version R8**XXU1BUI5, and is available for both Watch 4 models. You may not be able to download it immediately as these updates are rolled out in phases, but expect to see it arrive on your watch in the next couple of days.

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Samsung India has some excellent Ganesh Chaturthi offers

Samsung India has announced a new set of attractive offers on various consumer electronics to celebrate the Hindu festival Ganesh Chaturthi. The company offers cashback, easy EMIs, or at least some form of attractive deal on nearly everything needed to upgrade one’s home, from soundbars to refrigerators, microwaves, and air conditioners.

These offers won’t last forever though, and customers who may want to take advantage of these deals will have to act before September 2021.

Aside from offering up to 20% additional cashback and easy EMIs as low as INR 990 ($13) on select products, Samsung also prepared perks for each product category. For instance, Samsung QLED TV customers get up to 50% off on soundbars, in addition to a 2-year warranty and a 10-year no-screen burn-in warranty on select TV models.

Get extended warranties and and extra discounts

Other consumer electronics, such as select washing machines get a 12-year motor warranty, and if you buy a Windfree air conditioner, you can have it installed for free.

Select refrigerators get one EMI off, and as of this writing, Samsung is offering the Spacemax Family Hub and the Curd Maestro refrigerator at significant discounts for a limited time. By the way, the latter refrigerator’s name isn’t a gimmick. The Curd Maestro can actually make curd overnight if given the right ingredients and instructions. It’s quite ingenious. Check it out in the official video below.

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One of the best Tizen apps is now available on Galaxy Watch 4

The PPT Controller app might not have (re-)launched alongside the Galaxy Watch 4 series back in August, but it’s not getting left behind. Namely, Samsung has just finished porting the said mobile tool to the next generation of its wearables. Meaning if you proceed to the Galaxy Store right now, you should be able to download a new version of PPT Controller that runs on the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.

Alternatively, see if you can’t get the latest build from the Play Store. The version you’re looking for is labeled as the release 1.0.00.42.

This is still the same Tizen tool that we all know and love

Apart from the newly added support for Samsung’s Wear OS devices, this is still the same Tizen tool that we know and love. Its main selling point is letting you control PowerPoint presentations from your wrist. Which is about as convenient as a slideshow controller gets without reading your thoughts.

The app’s functionality is still limited to controlling presentations on Windows-powered PCs. It’s also Bluetooth-based, which does limit its usefulness a little bit. But then again, how often do you need to hold a presentation from a desktop tower? The navigation mechanics leverage the rotating bezel of the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. And you can also swipe across your wearable’s screen in order to control the slides.

Rounding out this convenient feature set is the option to set a wrist alert notifying you when your presentation is at its last slide. As all Samsung-developed wearable apps, the newly updated PPT Controller is entirely free to download and use.

SamsungGalaxy Watch 4 (44mm)

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Google already working on Android 12.1 as we wait for Android 12?

As we wait for Android 12 and One UI 4.0 to arrive, Google is seemingly already developing the next version of Android OS. It could be called Android 12.1, and it might go live before the end of the year — or, who knows?! Maybe even before One UI 4.0 goes live on public channels.

What’s interesting about Android 12.1 is that it appears to be a so-called “point update.” This is something we haven’t seen in the world of Android since version 8.1 Oreo got released four years ago.

It’s worth noting that the upcoming update bumps up the API level, which would normally hint at a new version of Android OS, i.e., Android 13. However, evidence found by XDA-Developers indicates that the update should correspond to Android 12 as opposed to Android 13.

With that in mind, there’s also the possibility that the new API level won’t change the version of Android. In other words, evidence shows that Google is working on this new API 32-based update, though it might not necessarily change the OS version. It could still be Android 12 by the time it rolls out.

It might not be that big of an update, and there’s also a possibility that it could remain exclusive to the Google Pixel lineup. On the other hand, Android 12.1 could also signal the release of a new version of One UI later down the line. For the time being, all focus is on One UI 4.0 in anticipation of the beta program. Samsung reportedly wanted to release the first beta build today, but the launch may have been delayed.

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Four Samsung chips receive Carbon Trust’s CO2 Measured certification

Samsung has been taking a lot of steps to make its products and processes more eco-friendly. The company’s smartphone chargers are made using eco-friendly materials. Even its factories have received various eco-friendly certifications. Today, the South Korean firm announced that four logic chips have received the Carbon Trust’s CO2 Measured certification.

Four chipsets from System LSI—Exynos 2100, ISOCELL HP1, DTV S6HD820, and TCON S6TST21—have received the CO2 Measured certification. It shows consumers that the company’s chips had little to no negative impact on the environment as per globally recognized specifications (PAS 2050). It also helps Samsung as it can use the certification as a benchmark to measure future carbon reductions.

Measuring a chip’s carbon footprint requires extensive effort and a lot of time. It includes calculating carbon emitted from fabricating raw materials to manufacture those chips to transporting the end product. It also takes into account the electricity, gas, and water required to manufacture the product.

The Exynos 2100 is Samsung’s current flagship smartphone processor, and it is made using the industry-leading 5nm process. The ISOCELL HP1 is the South Korean firm’s flagship camera sensor, and it was recently unveiled. The DTV S6HD820 is a chipset used in smart TVs, and its NPU upscales low-resolution images to a higher resolution. The TCON S6TST21 takes signals from the DTV S6HD820 and converts them as per the requirements of the display driver.

Hugh Jones, Managing Director at the Carbon Trust Advisory, said, “We’re pleased to have worked with Samsung on this step in its sustainability journey. The Carbon Trust’s Carbon Measured certification is a clear and credible indicator for consumers that the carbon footprint of these products have been independently verified, as well as a baseline for Samsung to compare against as they work towards reducing their emissions in the future.”

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Galaxy Xcover 5 went live in Mexico this week for under $350

The Galaxy Xcover 5 is now finally available for purchase in Mexico. The phone was initially unveiled six months ago, but it remains just as relevant as before due to a lack of competition. After all, there aren’t that many rugged phone options out there, which makes the Galaxy Xcover 5 somewhat of a rare breed.

The Galaxy Xcover 5 is distributed in Mexico by Ingram Micro, Grupo CVA, Dusof, and Airbus SLC. Customers are looking at a price tag of MXN 6,799 ($341).

The model offered in Mexico has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of built-in storage expandable via microSD. Other than that, the Galaxy Xcover 5 is powered by the Exynos 850 chipset and has a relatively small — by today’s flagship standards — TFT display measuring 5.3 inches.

One of the last phones to have a user-replaceable battery

Samsung’s latest rugged phone has a programmable physical button, walkie-talkie functionality and boasts IP68 water and dust resistance along with a MIL-STD-810H certificate. The Galaxy Xcover 5 has Glove Touch functionality to increase display sensitivity when wearing heavy gloves, and of course, it ships with Samsung Knox for increased security.

One of the Galaxy Xcover 5’s most unusual characteristics is the user-replaceable battery. This is a great feature, especially for a rugged phone, as it allows users to carry extra batteries and keep the phone running for as long as they need to without having to recharge it. It’s a great feature to have for a rugged phone that’ll probably be used out in the wild. Not many smartphones today have a user-replaceable battery or a rugged body, so the Galaxy Xcover 5 a fairly unique smartphone in Mexico, Samsung or otherwise.

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Galaxy S21 One UI 4.0 beta reportedly delayed to… sometime in the future

Samsung’s been teasing the upcoming One UI 4.0 beta program for the Galaxy S21 series for some time now. The company never announced an official release date for the first beta except for saying it’s coming sometime in September, which isn’t surprising as updates are only released when they are ready, beta or not. However, it would seem that today, September 9, is when Samsung was planning to debut the One UI 4.0 beta, but that’s said to no longer be the case.

That’s according to Twitter user FrontTron, who tweeted out that the One UI 4.0 beta has been delayed and will not be released today. Since this information doesn’t come from Samsung itself, we can’t say if it’s accurate or not. But delays do happen when it comes to beta software, and we can only hope the Korean giant had a good reason for this one, because Galaxy S21 users are getting impatient as they wait to get their hands on the next version of One UI.

At this time it’s not known what new features One UI 4.0 will have to offer, though internal testing of the update in China revealed some changes, like improved animations (including a not-so-nice new charging animation) and a transparency effect in the notifications section. One UI 3.0 wasn’t a huge upgrade in terms of new features, and we imagine the same will be true for One UI 4.0. We’ll let you know as we learn more, though, so stay tuned!

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Galaxy A52s 5G gets the September 2021 security update

Samsung started rolling out the September 2021 security update last week, and the Galaxy S20 FE was the first phone to get the update. Earlier this week, the update was released to the Galaxy A52 and the Galaxy A72 as well. Today, Samsung has released its latest security patch to the Galaxy A52s 5G.

The company has released a new software update to the Galaxy A52s 5G in Europe. The update has firmware version A528BXXS1AUHA, and it includes the September 2021 security patch. The company had revealed yesterday that its new security update fixes more than 50 vulnerabilities related to privacy and security. As usual, the update might also include device stability improvements and bug fixes.

The update is currently rolling out in France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Spain, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, the Nordic region, and the UK. If you are a Galaxy A52s 5G user in Europe, you might have received a notification of the new update. If you haven’t received the update yet, you can check for it manually by navigating to Settings » Software update and tapping on Download and install.

If you don’t want to wait for the OTA update to arrive on its own, you can download the latest firmware file from our firmware database and flash it manually. Samsung could expand the update to more markets worldwide over the next few days.

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Another Chinese smartphone brand wants to match Samsung’s update policy

Last year, Samsung became the first Android OEM to commit to three Android OS updates and four years of security updates for some of its smartphones. This year, Google, OnePlus, OPPO, and Vivo also promised to support their smartphones for four years. Now, another Chinese smartphone brand has announced a similar software support policy.

Xiaomi, the world’s biggest smartphone brand, has announced that its upcoming high-end smartphones will get three Android OS updates and security patches for four years. The company will launch its newest high-end phones—11T and 11T Pro—on September 15, and they will be the first phones to get four years of updates. They will launch with Android 11 onboard and will get the Android 14 update in the future.

Unlike Samsung, Xiaomi has still not promised the same software update policy for its older smartphones, which means that the Mi 11 Ultra may not get Android OS updates for three years. The company said that it would “also evaluate the possibility of bringing the extended Android system and security upgrades services to more Xiaomi devices.”

After becoming the world’s biggest smartphone brand, Xiaomi is eyeing the premium market with devices like the Mi 11 Ultra and the Xiaomi MIX 4. Its new software update policy could play a huge role in attracting buyers in the high-end space, especially in Europe (and maybe in the US in the future). However, only time will tell if longer support also translates to fewer buggy updates.

With more brands committing to longer software support, Samsung needs to do something better. It recently announced that it will remove ads and promoted content from its stock apps. The company also improved its stock apps with One UI 3.1.1 to take full advantage of bigger and foldable screens on devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

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[Poll] Since it’s already late, would you even buy the Galaxy S21 FE?

The Galaxy S21 FE should have been launched in August. That didn’t happen. The company decided to delay the launch of its affordable flagship. Perhaps it didn’t want to take away the spotlight from the new foldables. Or perhaps it really was forced to do so due to the chip shortage.

It has become clear in recent weeks that the Galaxy S21 FE is going to be launched. The device is now expected to be launched in late October. So it won’t likely be in your hands until the first week of November at the very least.

That’s quite late. Let’s not forget, the Galaxy S22 series is due in January 2022. While some rumors claim that the new flagship could be out in December, that’s highly unlikely. An early January launch can’t be ruled out, considering that the Galaxy S21 series was unveiled on January 14, 2021.

This is one reason why we feel that the Galaxy S21 FE will be dead on arrival. What incentive will customers have to buy this phone when they know something better is coming just a couple of months later?

If you’ve been waiting for the Galaxy S21 FE, will you now consider buying the device? It could be that the device is just the right fit for your use case. Maybe you don’t want to spend too much and just want a flagship-level experience at a competitive price. Or maybe you’d only decide once the Galaxy S22 series is out and you feel the Galaxy S21 FE remains a better option for you.

We’d love to hear from you. Vote below and let us know in the comments how you’ll make the purchase decision for the Galaxy S21 FE.

Since it's already late, would you even buy the Galaxy S21 FE?

• No, I'd just wait and buy a Galaxy S22 instead
• I'd decide only once the Galaxy S22 is announced
• Yes, it would give me the best value for money
• Yes, it would be best for my usage

Results

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Unlocked Galaxy S20 units picking up the September 2021 security update in the US

The September 2021 security update was released to the international variants of the Galaxy S20 series last week. Now, the update is being rolled out to the unlocked variants of the phones in the US. Unfortunately, the carrier-locked versions of the smartphones haven’t received the update yet.

The Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and the Galaxy S20 Ultra have started getting a new update on AT&T, C-Spire, T-Mobile, and Verizon’s networks in the US. The update bears firmware version G98xU1UES2DUH2 and includes the September 2021 security patch. Samsung had revealed yesterday that its latest security patch includes fixes for more than 50 vulnerabilities.

The new update could also include some One UI 3.1.1 enhancements such as faster pop-up menus, a Bedtime Mode quick setting toggle, a more responsive camera app, and better heat management. As usual, the update could also bring general bug fixes and device stability improvements to the phones.

If you are a Galaxy S20 series smartphone user on any of the networks mentioned above, you can check for the update by navigating to Settings » Software update and tapping on Download and install. You can also download the latest firmware file from our firmware database and flash it manually using a Windows machine.

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Australians can’t stop buying Samsung’s new foldable phones

Samsung has been hard at work bringing foldable smartphones to the mainstream over the past couple of years. The exceptional response it has seen for the new Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 shows that more people are finally willing to take a chance on these handsets.

It’s a similar story down under. Samsung’s foldable smartphone sales have reached an all-time high in Australia. The trend witnessed elsewhere across the globe has emerged in this key market as well.

Samsung’s foldable phone sales in Australia are at an all-time high

Samsung Australia has already taken more pre-orders for the new foldable smartphones than all of the foldable handsets it sold in 2020. The company previously confirmed that pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 (review) and Galaxy Z Flip 3 (review) have outpaced its global foldable smartphone sales to date.

Samsung Australia’s vice president of mobile Garry McGregor points out that these great pre-order numbers were achieved even though retail stores in New South Wales and Victoria were closed due to COVID-related restrictions.

“These numbers suggest to me there is pent-up demand out there, and when people do their homework this is resonating with them,” he added. Once retail stores open up after the restrictions are lifted, McGregor hopes there’s going to be another wave of interest for the devices. More people might make up their minds to buy these devices once they’re able to experience them in person at a store.

There are quite a few reasons why Samsung is seeing greater interest in its new foldables. It had made key durability improvements. Made the devices more powerful, added S Pen support to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and cut prices significantly. This combination of factors has made Samsung’s foldable smartphones more appealing to a lot more customers.

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