It was rumored that Samsung would soon announce its plans to set up a $17 billion semiconductor chip plant in the US. While some reports claimed that the plant would be in Arizona, others reported that the South Korean firm would choose Austin or New York for the factory’s location. Now, a new report claims that Samsung will set up the upcoming chip factory in Texas.
According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, Samsung will build a semiconductor chip factory on 1,200 acres of land in Taylor, Texas, in the US. The report also claims that Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, is scheduled to make an “economic announcement” on Tuesday at 5 PM (local time). Documents filed with the state planners claim that the plant will offer up to 1,800 jobs, and the chip production could begin sometime in 2024.
Texas reportedly offered substantial tax incentives to attract Samsung to the state for its next chip plant. The state could provide breaks for over 90% in property taxes for the first ten years. However, these incentives will gradually decrease in the following decades. For decades, Samsung has already been operating a chip plant in Austin, Texas, but the Taylor chip plant is reportedly bigger.
Samsung Foundry’s biggest rival, TSMC, is also eying new chip plants in Japan, Taiwan, and the US (Arizona). Amid the ongoing global chip shortage, foundry firms like Global Foundries, Samsung, and TSMC are investing hundreds of billions of dollars to set up new chip plants or expand the existing ones. Still, the chip shortage will likely not end before 2024.
Samsung has released the latest security update to the Galaxy A31. The mid-range smartphone, which was launched in March 2020, is getting the November 2021 security update in some Asian countries. More regions are expected to get the new security update over the next few days.
The latest software update to the Galaxy A31 comes with firmware version A315FXXS1CUK2. It includes the November 2021 security patch that fixes dozens of user privacy and data security-related vulnerabilities. While we don’t have the changelog for the update yet, it is possible that the update also includes general bug fixes and device stability improvements.
If you are a Galaxy A31 user in Caucasus countries, Russia, Ukraine, or Uzbekistan, you might have received a notification of the new update. If you haven’t received it yet, you can check for it manually by heading over to Settings » Software update and tapping on Download and install. You can also download the latest firmware file from our database and flash it manually.
One UI 4.0 is now available for the Galaxy S21 series, and the same Android 12-based update is slowly but certainly approaching its debut for other Galaxy devices. Samsung has prepared a half a year roadmap for One UI 4.0, with dozens of smartphones and tablets waiting in line. By then, however, many Samsung customers will be rooting for the release of the next update, which should be called One UI 4.1.
Although One UI 4.0 is as fresh as firmware gets, the shine won’t last long. Samsung’s been quiet about the next firmware update, given that the company’s working hard to bring One UI 4.0 to more phones, but if history is any indication, then the Galaxy S22 should be the first to ship with an updated One UI version, i.e., One UI 4.1.
SamMobile confirmed that Samsung will launch the Galaxy S22 in February, which means that One UI 4.1 should debut on the same day as the flagship series. It should then reach other devices gradually, and the majority of future Galaxy phones that will go on sale after the Galaxy S22 should also run One UI 4.1 out of the box.
What should we expect from One UI 4.1?
It’s too early to tell what features One UI 4.1 will introduce exactly, but the update will follow a major release, so it’s only natural to assume that it won’t make massive changes. If anything, One UI 4.1 will be to One UI 4.0 what One UI 3.1 was to One UI 3.0. The latter brought more camera features, the Object Eraser, better privacy with options to remove location data from photos upon sharing, video call background effects, and closer integration with certain Google apps and services like Google Duo.
Similarly, One UI 4.1 could add some polish to One UI 4.0 once it debuts with the Galaxy S22 series in February. We’re hoping for things like better virtual RAM management, better wallpaper-based color theme integration with Google apps, and more.
Samsung hasn’t said much about what comes after One UI 4.0, so there’s always the possibility that the next update will take everyone by surprise with a new approach. But judging by Samsung’s usual way of doing things, One UI 4.1 should be coming in the next few months and should be a refinement over One UI 4.0 with not too many additional features but a more polished user experience overall.
The Galaxy S21, Galaxy S20, Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy Z Fold 3, and Galaxy Z Flip 3 should be amongst the first phones to get One UI 4.1 through a firmware update once the Galaxy S22 series goes on sale.
Smartphone shipments in Thailand and Indonesia have declined due to the ongoing global semiconductor shortage and the increasing number of COVID infections. Thailand and Indonesia have recorded 14% and 6% YoY fewer shipments, respectively, but despite these challenges, Samsung managed to improve its market position over its rivals.
Samsung was the fourth-largest smartphone vendor in Indonesia in Q3 2020, but one year later, the company climbed up the ranks to occupy second place on the podium after Oppo. Samsung had a smartphone shipment share of 19% in Q3 2021, up 3% year-on-year.
Meanwhile, in Thailand, Samsung distanced itself from Oppo and is now leading the market. A year ago, Samsung was tied with Oppo, each of which had a 21% share. Samsung now has a 22% shipment market share, whereas Oppo and Xiaomi have a 17% share each.
Low-cost Galaxy A phones were in high demand
Although the $400 segment remained active thanks to promotions, consumer demand — in Thailand, at least — mostly revolved around the sub-$150 market segment.
Samsung did well in this area, and according to Counterpoint Research, sales were led by low-cost Galaxy phones such as the Galaxy A12, Galaxy A02, and Galaxy A22.
In Indonesia, Samsung benefitted from gradually recovering from its production issues in Vietnam. The company trailed behind Oppo, but it overtook two of its key rivals from China.
Samsung appears to be already developing Android 12 and One UI 4.0 for its 2019 flagship phones, i.e., the Galaxy S10 and Note 10 series. The 5G versions of these devices can now be seen at the online benchmark Geekbench running Android 12, or more specifically, a pre-release version of the firmware, which Samsung is now presumably testing before rolling out the first public build in the coming months.
Both the Galaxy S10 5G and Galaxy Note 10 5G got benchmarked several times over the past few days, and they both ran Android 12. Of course, there’s always the possibility that we’re dealing with fabricated benchmarks made to look like these Galaxy flagships are running Android 12, but nothing seems out of the ordinary. The benchmark scores are within normal parameters, and so are the hardware specifications listed on Geekbench.
All signs indicate that Android 12 is to the 2019 flagships in a month or two
Samsung testing Android 12 for its 2019 flagships means that we should be getting closer to the first public release. As to when the Galaxy S10 and Note 10 series might be getting One UI 4.0, Samsung’s roadmaps already confirm that the company is aiming at a January timeframe, at least in some markets. In others, the update could be released later, while in select markets it could go live sooner. According to Oculus, the Galaxy S10 series might be getting Android 12 as early as December.
It will be interesting to see just how many One UI 4.0 features will make it to the Galaxy S10 and Note 10 series once the update goes live, especially since Android 12 will be their last major OS update.
You can expect SamMobile to release another Android 12 (One UI 4.0) hands-on video once the firmware is available for the Galaxy S10 and/or the Galaxy Note 10, so don’t forget to follow our social media channels linked below.
Wear OS is now the second-largest smartwatch platform after Apple’s Watch OS, and it all seems to be thanks to Samsung’s contributions. Wear OS had a market share of only 4% in the second quarter of the year, but the platform captured a whopping 17% market share by the end of Q3.
Wear OS 3 was developed in collaboration with Samsung, and as many of you know, the Galaxy Watch 4 series is powered by this operating system rather than Tizen OS. Samsung joining the Wear OS camp meant that every new Galaxy Watch 4 model sold would boost the market share of Wear OS, and it did.
Apple’s wearable software platform (Watch OS) had a 22% market share at the end of Q3 — 5% higher than Wear OS. However, Watch OS lost significant market share throughout the year and dropped from 40% in Q4 2020 to 33% in Q1 2021, slipping further to 28% in Q2.
Apple lost 10% YoY smartwatch market share but could soon recover
Apple’s lost software market share is reflected by the company’s poorer Apple Watch sales figures. While Samsung increased its global smartwatch market share year-on-year from Q3 2022, Apple’s share dropped by a significant 10% YoY. This, along with Huawei losing more ground, allowed Samsung to strengthen its hold over the global smartwatch market and rank 2nd by the end of the third quarter.
However, the year is not over, and Samsung could be facing stronger opposition in Q4. Counterpoint Research notes that the Apple Watch Series 7 got delayed until Q4, which meant that the latest wearables didn’t count toward the company’s market share in Q3. Hence, Q4 could have a different outcome. The holiday shopping season is difficult to predict, especially during a global semiconductor shortage, so time will tell if Samsung and Wear OS will be able to keep their momentum.
The latest update for the Galaxy Tab A 10.5 comes with firmware version T595XXS4CUK1, and it has already been released in the UK. The Galaxy Tab Active 3 (LTE) is getting the new update in Hong Kong, and it bears firmware version T575XXS3BUK1.
The LTE variants of the Galaxy Tab S7 and the Galaxy Tab S7+ have started getting the new security update with firmware versions T875XXS2BUK2 and T975XXU2BUK6, respectively. The Galaxy Tab S7 is currently getting the new software update in select European countries, while the Galaxy Tab S7+ is getting the update in the UAE. Non-LTE variants of these high-end tablets haven’t received this update yet.
The November 2021 security update fixes dozens of vulnerabilities. If you are a Galaxy Tab A 10.5, Galaxy Tab Active 3, or Galaxy Tab S7 (LTE) user in the markets mentioned above, you can check for the update by navigating to Settings » Software update and clicking on Download and install. You can also download the new firmware file from our database and flash it manually.
The bug causes the Galaxy S21’s screen refresh rate to revert from 120Hz to 60Hz as soon as the user’s finger stops touching the display. This causes the UI, animations, and scrolling to appear laggy and jittery. However, this isn’t the phone’s usual behavior, and the South Korean firm has acknowledged the issue as many people have complained about the bug.
An official Samsung Members forum moderator has mentioned that the team has escalated the issue, and the company is working on a fix. The bug only affects the US’s Snapdragon 888-equipped Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra variants. It could be fixed with the next software update.
If you are a Galaxy S21 series smartphone user in the US, have you experienced this bug? Let us know in the comments section below.
Based on Android 12, One UI 4.0 brings a crazy number of small yet useful enhancements and a few major new features, but it’s not perfect. Since this is version 4.0 of One UI we’re talking about, we decided to pick exactly four things that we dislike about it.
Performance ranges from stupid fast to beta-like lag
If you used the One UI 4.0 beta on your Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, or Galaxy S21 Ultra, you will know that one of its biggest issues throughout the test period was a high degree of stutter and lag. That’s to be expected from beta software in general, but it’s something you would expect to be fixed for the stable, public release.
And the final version of One UI 4.0 certainly does fix it, or it does so for the most part. When our Galaxy S21 smartphones are running well on One UI 4.0, they feel like the fastest and smoothest phones we’ve used from Samsung, ever. The performance enhancement over One UI 3.x is palpable as you navigate the user interface and jump in and out of apps, and we love it.
However, things don’t hold up so well all of the time. On at least one of our Galaxy S21 Ultras, there are times when performance starts to drag as if the phone is still on beta software. All of a sudden the phone starts stuttering when performing actions like going to the home screen or opening the notification shade, and it can be quite jarring.
This performance drop persists for a few minutes before the phone goes back to running normally again, and while this could be more of a Galaxy S21 thing rather than a general issue with One UI 4.0, it’s something Samsung needs to fix.
Note: Our performance issues are different from the one that some users are facing, wherein the variable refresh rate of the screen introduces too much stutter when scrolling inside apps by constantly switching between 60Hz and 120Hz mode. More details about that issue here.
That virtual RAM feature can’t be disabled or customized
Samsung introduced RAM Plus, a virtual RAM feature, to its smartphones a couple of months back. RAM Plus dedicates 4GB of onboard storage for use as virtual random access memory for when the device’s actual RAM runs out, and while it was initially being added to Galaxy phones randomly, One UI 4.0 seems to make it a standard feature for all.
The problem, however, is that RAM Plus in its current state is too limiting. First, you can’t turn it off. Once you install One UI 4.0, RAM Plus is turned on by default and will eat up 4GB of your phone’s internal storage. Second, RAM Plus is not customizable. You only get to use 4GB of storage as virtual RAM. Let’s hope this is addressed in future updates, or perhaps with One UI 4.1 that’s bound to debut on the Galaxy S22 series next year.
The wallpaper-based color themes don’t apply to Google apps
Samsung, however, hasn’t implemented it as well as we would have liked: those custom colors do not currently apply to Google apps. For now, only Samsung’s apps are affected by the feature. This is something we had hoped would be fixed by the time the final version of One UI 4.0 rolled out, but that isn’t the case. Here’s hoping Samsung doesn’t take too long to make it happen.
Video call effects don’t work with stills, app support still limited
Video call effects can only be applied to video calling apps and don’t work with stills. But even the list of video calling apps that the feature supports hasn’t been expanded with One UI 4.0. You can’t enable background effects when making calls in WhatsApp, for example. It makes sense that video call effects aren’t applied to pictures, but can we at least have support for them in more third-party apps, Samsung? Pretty please?
What is it about One UI 4.0 that you dislike and what improvements would you like to see? Let us know down in the comments!
Samsung began adding an option for listening to podcasts in Samsung Free earlier this year through a background update, but the feature was not available everywhere. It still isn’t, but thankfully, it’s now reaching more customers. Samsung announced today that the podcast feature in Samsung Free is going live in several European markets.
The service is compatible with select Galaxy phones running Android 11, and it’s now available in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK.
Various podcasts can now be accessed by Galaxy device users in these markets, though as you would expect, podcast availability differs by region. In Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, customers can access podcasts from ProSiebenSat1, Axel Springer Group, Podimo, Red Bull, and other channels.
In the UK, Samsung Free offers a one-stop shop for podcasts from Red Bull, CNN, The Guardian, The Economist, and more. In France, Samsung Free users can now listen to Nouvelles Écoutes, Louie Media, and Binge Audio, while in Italy, the platform offers various podcasts from Storielibere, Piano P, and La Gazzetta dello Sport.
No need to download additional apps
The beauty of Samsung Free is that it offers access to new content without needing additional downloads. Users can play mobile games directly from the “Play” section in Samsung Free without having to download the apps themselves, and similarly, they now have access to podcasts in Samsung Free from the “Listen” section without having to access the Play / Galaxy Store or signing up to additional services.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is undoubtedly one of the more expensive smartphones out there. The fragile contraption might come off as little more than a party trick initially, but our in-depth review determined that it strikes a steady balance between performance and aesthetics. Those looking to get their hands on one will be pleased to know that Amazon is selling it for $1,499, a full $300 less than its regular price.
If that wasn’t good enough, Amazon is also throwing in a pair of Galaxy Buds 2 worth $150, for no extra cost. The offer is valid on both the 256GB and 512GB Galaxy Z Fold 3 variants but will depend on availability. Those looking to enhance their Galaxy Z Fold 3 experience can also buy an S Pen case. Unfortunately, one has to fork out an extra $64 for that.
Samsung’s official website has a similar deal which brings down the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s price down to $1,549.99. One also gets three months of Spotify Premium, four months of YouTube Premium, and six months of SiriusXM Streaming service. Samsung’s in-house financing options start from $32.29 for 48months and $64.49 for 24 months.
Over the past few weeks, OnePlus has drawn a bit too much inspiration from Samsung. Between accidentally singing praises of the Galaxy Note 20 series’ S Pen to using a Galaxy S22 Ultra-like camera layout for its upcoming OnePlus 10 series, the Chinese OEM can’t seem to get enough of Samsung. Now, some new concept renders of OnePlus’ first-ever tri-folding tablets have emerged online.
LetsGoDigital, in tandem with Parvez Khan of TechnizoConcept, has drawn up some fantastic-looking 3D renders of OnePlus’ tri-folding tablet. While this may be a first for OnePlus, the concept had been adopted by several OEMs such as Oppo, TCL and even Samsung. However, we’re yet to see such a device being sold over the counter.
In the patent document above, we can see that OnePlus’ tablet will a combination of two hinges in series to enable folding. While the exact screen size isn’t specified, it appears that all three foldable edges will be identical in size. It is also apparent that one of the hinges is larger than the other, so the device could have trouble staying flat when laid out on a surface.
Unlike OnePlus, Samsung already has a working prototype of its tri-folding tablet. A cursory glance at its software tells us that Samsung has been sitting on it for quite some time. Therefore, we can reasonably conclude that Samsung’s tri-folding tablet will be out and about on the market well before OnePlus, although its sister company Oppo could beat it to the punch.
Besides, only Samsung Display has the technological know-how to manufacture foldable displays, so it wins regardless. The company has already demonstrated some shiny new foldable display concepts, making a tri-folding device look like a thing of the past. A Samsung-branded double-folding phone is reportedly en-route already, so OnePlus will almost certainly be a few months/years late to the foldable party.
By now we all know how Samsung introduced super quick 45W charging to its smartphones a couple of years back before ultimately removing the feature. 45W charging is only supported on the company’s tablets right now, though there are rumors that could change next year with the Galaxy S22 series. And while we wait for the Galaxy S22 to arrive, Samsung seems to have launched a new version of its 45W charger.
A new 45W Samsung super fast charger with model number EP-T4510 has been listed by various retailers and seems to be available for sale already. However, it’s unclear how this one is different from the original 45W charger (model number EP-TA845) that Samsung launched alongside the Galaxy Note 10+ back in 2019.
The pictures suggest this new 45W charger is a little smaller and could match the dimensions of the company’s 25W charger. The original 45W charger, for those wondering, is quite thick and big and also comes with a thicker USB-C cable. Of course, big or small, this 45W charger probably isn’t going to be of much use to most customers, as there are very few Galaxy smartphones and tablets that charge at that speed.
That said, we could see Samsung making 45W charging more accessible by bringing it to some non-flagship devices next year. It would certainly help the company in its fight against Chinese manufacturers, which keep trying to dazzle customers with faster and faster charging speeds on both mid-range and flagship phones.
Samsung has released the November 2021 security update to dozens of smartphones in high-end and mid-range segments. Now, the company seems to be expanding the reach of its latest security patch to lower-end devices like the Galaxy A12, at least in a few markets.
The latest update for the Galaxy A12 comes with firmware version A125FXXU1BUK1. The update is currently rolling out in Russia, and it could reach more countries over the next few days. We don’t have the changelog for this update yet, but we know for sure that it includes the November 2021 security patch that fixes dozens of vulnerabilities. It might also include general bug fixes and device stability improvements.
If you are a Galaxy A12 user in Russia, you can check for the new update by navigating to Settings » Software update and clicking on Download and install. You can also download the latest firmware file from our firmware database and flash it manually if you have a computer running the Windows operating system.
Samsung sells a variety of wired and wireless chargers for its smartphones, tablets, laptops, and wearables. Now, the company seems to be working on a new fast wired charger: EP-T6530. Samsung is calling it Power Adapter Trio, and it offers a way to fast-charge all your devices, so you don’t need to carry separate chargers for each device.
The EP-T6530 is a new charger from Samsung, and it features three ports: 1x USB Type-C (65W max), 1x USB Type-C (25W max), and 1x USB Type-A (15W max). It costs around €56 and is already available for sale on a few European websites. Samsung hasn’t officially launched them yet, so we are unsure whether it can offer a maximum power of 65W or 105W (65W+25W+15W).
Going by Samsung’s history with chargers, the two USB Type-C ports on the WP-T6530 could be compatible with USB PD 3.0 with PPS. Using this charger, you can fast-charge your Galaxy Book, Galaxy S21, or the Galaxy Z Flip 3.
Although AMD and Samsung have been working together on a mobile GPU for quite some time, that’s about the extent of their partnership. Much like several other fabless companies out there, AMD relies on TSMC for its silicon needs. Things between the two companies have been smooth-sailing so far, but that could change in the future, much to Samsung’s delight.
A new report online suggests that AMD will have to look at Samsung Foundries for its 3nm products due to issues at TSMC. The Taiwan-based chipmaker has reportedly earmarked a lion’s share of its 3nm capacity for Apple, forcing AMD to look at alternatives, which, at this point, is just Samsung. Qualcomm is said to join AMD to be one of Samsung Foundries’ first 3nm customers, although rumour has it that the chipmaker has opted for Intel instead.
Much like TSMC, Samsung is expected to kick off mass production of its 3nm node sometime in 2022. It is far too early to predict which products will use the facility, but we can expect the Qualcomm Snapdragon 898 (or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1) successor to be one of them. AMD’s future Ryzen processors and Radeon graphics cards could follow suit.
Until now, Samsung’s manufacturing nodes have lagged behind similarly-specced ones from TSMC. It is apparent with the market share disparity between TSMC and Samsung, although the latter has been catching up a little. High-profile customers like AMD are just the shot in the arm Samsung Foundries needs to get back into the game.
Google’s newest smartphones—Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro—use the company’s first-generation Tensor processing chipset. However, not all parts of the chipset are made in-house. For instance, Tensor uses ARM’s stock CPU and GPU cores and Samsung’s Exynos 5G modem. It was recently found that the US variant of Galaxy S21 performs way better than the Pixel 6 Pro when it comes to 5G.
According to a cellular test done by PCMag, the Galaxy S21 (with Snapdragon 888) was able to handle 4G and 5G signals better than the Pixel 6 Pro with an Exynos modem. The Galaxy S21 was able to capture LTE signals better in almost every scenario by 2-5dBm. These tests were done on T-Mobile and Verizon’s networks in the US.
In 5G tests, the Pixel 6 Pro struggled to reach download speeds of more than 1Gbps, but the Galaxy S21 easily reached over 2Gbps download speeds. On mid-band 5G networks, Samsung’s smartphone did better in six out of seven tests. Some people even complained that the Pixel 6 loses the cellular network entirely for a few seconds when switching between LTE, 5G, and 5G UWB (mmWave), but we can’t say for sure if it’s a hardware or software issue.
When it comes to catching low-band cellular network signals in rural areas, the Pixel 6 Pro appeared to outperform the Galaxy S21. The comparison shows that Qualcomm’s modem performs better than the Exynos modem used in the Pixel 6 series. Let’s hope that Samsung improves its 5G modems with the Exynos 2200 that will debut inside the Galaxy S22 series.
Samsung Display is the world’s biggest manufacturer of small-sized OLED panels used in smartphones and tablets. Recently, the company entered the medium-sized OLED market with its new high-refresh-rate displays for laptops. The company even makes flexible OLED screens for foldable smartphones like the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
The company has set up a beautiful new website to showcase all the form factors that are possible with its flexible OLED panels. The company is calling its flexible screens’ Flex OLED’, and there are five sub-categories: Flex Bar, Flex Note, Flex Square, Rollable Flex, and Slidable Flex. Flex Bar is for clamshell-style foldable smartphones like the Galaxy Z Flip 3. Flex Note screens are for laptops with foldable screens. Flex Square is for foldable smartphones like the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
The South Korean firm’s Rollable Flex screens can be used in devices with rollable screens, and we could see such devices in the future. LG uses a similar OLED screen in one of its rollable TVs. Slidable Flex display can be used in smartphones with a slidable screen. OPPO showcased such a smartphone prototype earlier this year, but it hasn’t been launched yet.
Samsung Display’s flexible OLED screens can be folded, rolled, or slid. They feature high brightness, HDR10+ content playback, a low folding radius (R1.4), and better screen protection (UTG) compared to products from rival firms. The displays can be folded more than 200,000 times, equivalent to 100 folds and unfolds every day for five years.
Samsung has released its latest security update to the Galaxy A52 and the Galaxy A52s 5G. These mid-range smartphones were released earlier this year and have been getting security patches every month. The two smartphones have started getting new updates in a few markets, and the update could expand to more countries over the next few days.
The latest software update for the Galaxy A52 comes with firmware version A525FXXU4AUJ2 in Ukraine and Vietnam. In Latin American countries like Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Paraguay, the update comes with firmware version A525MUBU4AUJ3. The newest security update for the Galaxy A52s 5G bears firmware version A528BXXS1AUK7 in Peru.
If you are a Galaxy A52 or Galaxy A52s 5G user in any of the countries mentioned above, you can check for the new update by navigating to Settings » Software update and tapping on Download and install. You can also head over to our firmware database to download the latest firmware file and flash your smartphone manually.
