Forget the Galaxy S22, I’m excited about a different Samsung phone

This year, the Galaxy S21 Ultra took the crown of the best overall flagship on the market. Despite coming out months after the Galaxy S21 Ultra, devices like the iPhone 13 Pro Max and the Pixel 6 Pro failed to be as good of an all-rounder as Samsung’s top dog. But perhaps a more interesting Galaxy phone than the S21 Ultra in 2021 was the Galaxy A52, Samsung’s star player in its mid-range lineup.

The Galaxy A52 is nothing like the Galaxy A51 and Galaxy A50. Those phones didn’t really have any high-end features, but the Galaxy A52 has plenty of them, including a high refresh rate screen, IP67 water and dust resistance, an optically stabilized main camera, and stereo speakers. It also has a fairly capable Snapdragon chip under the hood instead of something from Samsung’s infamous Exynos series of processors, which makes it an excellent performer for most use cases.

Galaxy A52 was a surprise package, so the Galaxy A53 excites me

And next year, with the Galaxy A53, Samsung can only fly higher. We’ll certainly see an upgraded Snapdragon chip, a bigger battery is all but certain, and should Samsung decide to add a 3x zoom camera to the A53, it could be the most perfect mid-range phone the company has ever produced. Well, that’s unless you consider a headphone jack a part of a ‘perfect’ package, in which case it could miss the mark.

Still, Samsung has the chance to make the Galaxy A53 extremely exciting, though I guess it probably won’t make the phone as good as it can be. Remember, there’s also the Galaxy A73, and with the Galaxy A72 already having very few advantages over the Galaxy A52, I’m assuming Samsung will want to keep a few things — like a zoom camera — exclusive to the A73 so it has a chance to attract some customers.

But whatever ends up happening, one thing is clear: The Galaxy A53 is the most interesting 2022 Samsung phone for me, and I can’t wait to see what Samsung cooks up. The Galaxy S22 series will probably be great, too, but Samsung’s flagships have been mostly excellent for so long that it’s hard to keep getting excited about them, so my eyes are on the company’s mid-range lineup instead.

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Looking to protect your Galaxy Watch 4? Here are some of the best cases

Samsung doesn’t offer protective cases for the Galaxy Watch 4 series. But there are a few well-known brands that sell a variety of protective solutions for the latest wearables. Today, we’re taking a look at some of the best and most interesting Galaxy Watch 4 cases available.

Before we begin, it’s worth noting that the market offers more cases for Galaxy Watch 4 than the Classic model. The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic already has a protruding physical bezel, so its display has a lower chance of getting damaged during normal use.

The standard Galaxy Watch 4 is more prone to damage from accidental hits than the Classic model, and it’s worth noting that most protective cases partly cover the virtual bezel, making it a bit more difficult to reach. It’s an inconvenience Galaxy Watch 4 users have to accept if they want to keep their smartwatches secure.

Galaxy Watch 4 Spigen cases

As yet, Spigen offers three protective case models for the Galaxy Watch 4 and none for the Classic model. The list includes the Rugged Armor Pro, the Liquid Air, and the Ultra Hybrid, and they’re all available for both the 40mm and 44mm models.

The shock-resistant Rugged Armor Pro consists of a full case with a strap, and it’s available in Black or Charcoal Gray for $34.99.

The Spigen Liquid Air case is lighter and doesn’t come with a strap. It’s designed for customers who may need extra protection but don’t want to change the Galaxy Watch 4’s looks too much. The Liquid Air case comes in black and costs $19.99.

Last but not least, Spigen offers the Galaxy Watch 4 Ultra Hybrid case for $24.99. It’s similar to the Liquid Air case in that it covers only the watch, but it has a clear finish.

• Buy Galaxy Watch 4 Spigen cases

Galaxy Watch 4 Unicorn Beetle PRO by Supcase

Galaxy Watch 4 owners who are looking for a rugged and industrial-looking protective case can turn to Supcase. The Unicorn Beetle PRO comes with its own wrist strap and has a thick shell made of shock-absorbent TPU.

The Unicorn Beetle PRO by Supcase is available for the Galaxy Watch 4 (44mm) and the Watch 4 Classic (46mm), in black, for $24.95 a piece.

• Buy the Unicoern Bettle PRO by Supercase (Galaxy Watch 4 / Galaxy Watch 4 Classic)

Galaxy Watch 4 series rims and cases by Ringke

Ringke offers protective solutions for the Galaxy Watch 4 as well as Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, regardless of size.

First up, the case maker offers ‘Slim’ clear cases for the entire series. The company sells two Slim cases per pack for $13.99. An Air Sports case with a similar design is offered for $11.99 (one per pack).

In addition, Ringke has developed minimalist protective rings for the Galaxy Watch 4’s bezel. They can be stuck onto the screen and give the base Galaxy Watch 4 model a physical bezel similar to the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. Of course, it doesn’t function as an actual physical rotating bezel, but it offers an extra layer of protection for the Galaxy Watch 4.

• Buy Galaxy Watch 4 Ringke cases and bezels

Similar stylish bezel rings are available for the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. They don’t really add much in terms of extra protection, but they can change the look of your Galaxy Watch 4 Classic’s bezel in different ways.

Out of the box, the Galaxy Watch 4 series offers an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. The watch is MIL-STD-810G-compliant, and the display is protected by Gorilla Glass DX+. Check our review and hands-on videos below for more details on the latest Samsung wearables.

Galaxy Watch 4 series review

SamsungGalaxy Watch 4 (40mm)

BuyFull SpecsReviewHands-On

SamsungGalaxy Watch 4 Classic (42mm)

BuyFull SpecsReviewHands-On

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Galaxy S21 FE color options and release in India to coincide with global launch

The Galaxy S21 FE could follow the same launch pattern as the global variant, meaning Samsung may launch the device in four color options at the beginning of 2022. SamMobile previously confirmed that Samsung wants to unveil the Galaxy S21 FE in the first half of January. Now, a new report suggests that Indian customers won’t have to wait very long before getting the option to buy the upcoming Fan Edition smartphone in their country.

Like the international variant, the Galaxy S21 FE in India should hit the shelves in four color options — the same that leaked in renders just a couple of days ago. Therefore, it will be available in black, white, pink, and green. Indeed, rumor has it that the Galaxy S21 FE won’t offer as many color options as the Galaxy S20 FE did at launch. The latter model had six color options from which to choose, and they were all available in most markets.

What can Indian customers expect from the Galaxy S21 FE?

According to previous benchmarks and other bits of preliminary data, the Galaxy S21 FE should be released with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset in some markets and the Exynos 2100 SoC in others. In theory, India should get the latter variant.

The Galaxy S21 FE likely features a 6.4-inch 120Hz display, and all evidence points at a triple main camera setup comprising a 12MP wide shooter, a 12MP ultra-wide sensor, and an 8MP telephoto camera featuring 3x optical zoom capabilities.

Are you excited for the Galaxy S21 FE arriving in India in early January? Are you a Galaxy S20 FE user looking to upgrade? Let us know in the comment section.

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Chinese companies are trying but failing to steal Samsung’s thunder

As the leading smartphone vendor globally, Samsung obviously has a lot of competition. Chinese smartphone companies in particular have been trying to steal the company’s market share. They have been pulling out all the stops to try and beat Samsung at its own game.

It’s not just about the numbers, though. It’s also about stealing the spotlight, something Samsung knows a thing or two about. The company significantly increased its marketing efforts to elevate its brand value. It took Apple head-on with ads that were daring and sometimes even controversial.

For example, Samsung’s brilliantly executed “Next Big Thing” ad campaign drove Apple crazy. Its marketing head Phil Schiller asked his team in an email “Has Apple lost its cool to Samsung,” and that “we have a lot of work to do to turn this around.” The company reportedly even considering switching its ad agencies to mount an effective response to Samsung’s marketing blitz.

Samsung now finds itself in a completely different league. With Apple basically giving up on innovation and Samsung leading the foldable revolution, its greatest threat now comes from the companies that are going after its bread and butter.

The mid-range and entry-level smartphones are some of the best-selling Samsung phones. They’re also what keep Samsung at the very top of the global smartphone suppliers list. Chinese OEMs like Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, etc have been aggressively targeting this segment in a bid to turn the tables.

There was a time that Samsung’s lead did seem to be in trouble. Huawei was rapidly gaining market share in key regions. It was even close to officially launching smartphones in the US, a major market that had always been off-limits to it. Things unravelled quickly for Huawei after it landed in hot water with the US government and nothing has been the same for its smartphone division ever since.

Huawei’s downfall gave these other Chinese OEMs hope that perhaps they might be able to go after Samsung with the same ferocity. That hasn’t really worked out for them, though. For the most part, these companies are competing against each other, rather than causing a headache for Samsung.

One of the ways most Chinese OEMs are approaching this is by launching devices that are very competitively priced and often by making superfluous claims about features. Charging speed claims are a favorite. We already have a great video explaining why these charging speed claims should be taken with a grain of salt.

These companies can’t really grow at the scale to target Samsung if they’re just cannibalizing each other’s market share. They do continue to find growth opportunities in some markets but the significant leap remains elusive. There are a few reasons behind this.

Due to geopolitics, the general anti-China sentiment in the West and the fallout for Chinese OEMs from the Huawei debacle, the opportunities are simply not there anymore. The USA, one of the most lucrative smartphone markets remains, remains effectively off-limits. Samsung doesn’t have that limitation.

There’s also the fact that the specs arms race has cooled. There’s a lot more that goes into a decision about which phone to buy these days than just the gigahertz, gigabyte and megapixel numbers. The economic uncertainty stemming from the pandemic has made people hold on to their phones for longer and mostly buy items that give them the best bang for the buck.

More than ever before the brand reputation, community and support that an OEM is able to provide acts as a major consideration for customers. Samsung offers all three and no Chinese OEM can even match that.

That’s one of the reasons why Samsung doesn’t need to worry about these OEMs too much. It must keep an eye on the competition for sure since the Chinese OEMs always have a trick up their sleeve.

For a long time, there has been a perception that perhaps some of these companies receive state support. That’s why they’re able to price these phones so aggressively because they’re effectively being subsidised.

That might help win market share but the relatively weaker after sales support compared to Samsung would mean that sustaining the market share will always be a challenge.

While that may or may not be the case, the guidance for customers is clear. Don’t just buy a phone because it’s the cheapest of them all. Buy one that’s competitively priced and also comes with the promise of great after-sales support and a dedicated community. If it’s backed by a community like SamMobile, even better!

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Third One UI 4.0 beta update for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is rolling out now

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 entered the Android 12-based One UI 4.0 beta program a couple of weeks ago, and Samsung is now rolling out the third beta build for testers in South Korea. The firmware version is identified by the (final four) letters ZUKK, and the changelog mentions a handful of fixes related to various features.

Galaxy Z Fold 2 One UI 4.0 beta testers in South Korea should now be able to use fingerprint authentication in all the apps that support this feature. The screen should no longer lose brightness upon rebooting, and Samsung also claims to have addressed an issue related to the Galaxy Watch 4 draining the Z Fold 2’s battery when connected.

The third One UI 4.0 beta update fixes additional issues pertaining to the lock screen, unstable Windows PC connections, navigation gestures, and the quick toggles lacking visual effects.

All in all, the Android 12 One UI 4.0 update is getting closer to a public release for the Galaxy Z Fold 2. The Galaxy S21 series received four beta updates before Samsung released the first public build worldwide, so the Galaxy Z Fold 2 shouldn’t be too far behind — at least, in theory. In countries like India, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is expected to receive stable Android 12 in January 2022, though other markets could get the update even earlier. We’ll keep you posted.

SamsungGalaxy Z Fold 2

BuyFull SpecsReview

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Apple could overtake Samsung as world’s biggest smartphone brand

Samsung was the global smartphone leader in Q3 2021, with a market share of 21.2%. However, its position is expected to drop as Apple could overtake the South Korean firm in Q4 2021, thanks to impressive iPhone 13 sales. A new report claims that Samsung’s smartphone market share could drop below 20% by the end of the current quarter.

Market research firm TrendForce estimates that Samsung’s smartphone market share could drop to 19.4% in Q4 2021. On the other hand, Apple’s market pie could expand to 23.2% during the same period, taking the iPhone maker to the top position in smartphone rankings. Apple could sell more than 25 million iPhone SE 2020 units during the period.

OPPO could take the third spot with a 13.9% market share, while Xiaomi (12.7%) and Vivo (9.8%) could rank fourth and fifth, respectively.

Samsung’s position could improve in Q1 2022 when it is expected to launch the Galaxy S22. It is being reported that the company is aiming to sell at least 33 million Galaxy S22 units. The firm will also launch the Galaxy S21 FE in January 2022.

The analyst firm expects cumulative smartphone sales in 2021 to reach 1.335 billion, which is 10 million lower than initial estimates. TrendForce says that the ongoing chip shortage has led to lower smartphone shipments. It is expected that the situation might improve by the end of next year.

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US carriers start rolling out November 2021 security update to Galaxy Z Flip

While the international variant of the Galaxy Z Flip has already received the December 2021 security update, the carrier-locked version of the foldable smartphone is only now getting the November 2021 security patch in the US.

Samsung’s latest software for the Galaxy Z Flip’s US carrier-locked variant comes with firmware version F700USQU1ATAQ. The update is currently available on Sprint’s network, but more carriers will release the update over the next few days. The November 2021 security patch fixes dozens of privacy and security-related vulnerabilities. The update might also bring some bug fixes and stability improvements.

If you are a Galaxy Z Flip user in the US, you can check for the new software update on your smartphone by navigating to Settings » Software update and tapping on Download and install. You can also download the latest firmware file from our database and flash your foldable phone manually.

The Galaxy Z Flip was launched in February 2021 with Android 10 on board. The foldable phone got the Android 11 update in early 2021, while the Android 12 update could be released in the first quarter of 2022.

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