Galaxy Note 9 getting a second stable Android Pie update in Germany!

Could Samsung finally be getting ready to release the Galaxy Note 9 Android Pie update to more than just one country? Well, it depends on how optimistic you are. Samsung has just released a second stable Pie update for the Galaxy Note 9 in Germany, and it could be the version that will be released for other countries in the coming days. Again, it all depends on how optimistic you are but it’s best to keep a lid on your expectations even though Samsung also published the Note 9 Android Pie user manual earlier today.

The new update comes with software version N960FXXU2CSA2, with a generic changelog that also accompanied the first update. Since it’s not a beta, we can’t expect a proper changelog in the Samsung Members app, either, so it’s unclear what improvements or changes it brings. We can hope that it adds some of the missing features on the first Android Pie release, such as a schedule option for Night mode and the ability to record videos in the camera’s Pro mode.

Of course, if you get the update on your Note 9 in Germany, you can check and tell us in the comments whether those features have been added or not. You can download the 130 MB update from the Software update menu in the Settings app by tapping the Download and install option. If you’re not in Germany, be sure to check back regularly to find out when Android Pie for the Note 9 starts rolling out in other countries (Galaxy S9 owners can check out this list).

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Latest Galaxy Xcover 4 firmware update brings the January security patch

The latest Galaxy Xcover 4 firmware update that Samsung is rolling out today brings the January 2019 security patch. The device is often quick to receive new patches and in some instances, it has even received the patches before Samsung details them. We don’t have to look too far either for evidence. It received the December 2018 security patch before Samsung officially detailed it.

Samsung started rolling out the January 2019 security patch only a few days ago. The patch has made it to a couple of handsets so the Galaxy Xcover 4 is still getting it before even the flagships.

Galaxy Xcover 4 firmware update

Samsung is rolling out firmware version G390FXXU3BSA2 for the Galaxy Xcover 4 in Turkey. It brings the security patch for the month of January 2019. The update may not bring much in the way of new features for this device. It’s a minor release meant to address the vulnerabilities present in Android and Samsung’s software.

January’s security patch has fixes for three Android OS vulnerabilities that were classified as critical. There are also fixes for several high-risk vulnerabilities. Samsung’s software has received fixes for four vulnerabilities that were identified.

Samsung is rolling out this latest Galaxy Xcover 4 firmware update in Turkey. It may be a while before users in other markets get it. Not to worry, though, we have the update available for download from our firmware section.

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T-Mobile Caller Verified tool is exclusive to Galaxy Note 9

Galaxy Note 9 owners subscribed to T-Mobile in the U.S. have just got an exclusive feature. Your network provider has enabled a new “Caller Verified” technology on your device to protect you from scammers and spammers. The technology uses the new STIR/SHAKEN standards to combat illegal caller ID spoofing.

T-Mobile says the feature is available for customers with an updated Galaxy Note 9.

50% of U.S. mobile traffic in 2019 will be scam calls

Phone call and data enterprise company First Orion estimates that nearly 50 percent of U.S. mobile traffic will be scam calls in 2019. These calls, on top of being annoying, often trick users into losing hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of dollars to fraudsters. While existing protection apps can blacklist known scam numbers, they hardly can identify newly spoofed ones.

T-Mobile is trying to fill that void with the Caller Verified technology. The telco will verify that the incoming call is authentic and is being made from the same number that is displayed on the screen. It will then display the “Caller Verified” message on your Galaxy Note 9 screen. More Galaxy devices and other smartphones should get the feature in the future. And once other carriers implement the STIR/SHAKEN standards, Caller Verified will work on calls made across networks.

The Galaxy Note 9, meanwhile, is yet to get the stable Android Pie One UI update in the U.S. In fact, the update has only been released in Germany for beta users. But with Samsung today publishing the Android Pie user manual for the device, one can suspect that the worldwide update is not far away.

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Samsung chronicles its mobile innovations ahead of Galaxy S10 launch

As Samsung gears up for the launch of the Galaxy S10 next month, the company has come up with a blog post chronicling its major mobile innovations so far. The post shows how far the Korean company and mobile phone technology in general have come in the last couple of decades.

Many of the readers may not be even aware of some of the innovations and models mentioned here, but they were major landmarks in Samsung’s journey to the top. Back in 1999 itself, Samsung released the Samsung B600 with a 10-megapixel camera for capturing memories. It even launched a TV phone to make entertainment portable and more accessible. Even before the smartwatches were a thing, Samsung also launched the watch phone. Three years later, the company announced the True Color Phone with world’s first active matrix LCD.

Of course, the lineup that truly catapulted Samsung to the top is the Galaxy series. The Korea giant opted for Android in the early days of the operating system itself, which resulted in substantial gains for both the company and the OS in the later years. Ironically, the same OS has now turned into a disadvantage for the company with increased commoditization and absence of meaningful differentiation between various smartphones in the market.

Samsung launched the first Galaxy S series device in March 2010. The Galaxy S packed a 4-inch Super AMOLED display, powerful GPU, 5-megapixel rear camera, etc. – all of which was cutting-edge technology then. The company built on the success of the Galaxy S and launched the Galaxy SII, Galaxy S3, and so on in the coming years, pushing the limits of mobile technology with each generation.

Galaxy Note popularized a new category of phones with large displays

The company also popularized a new category of phones with large displays with the launch of the Galaxy Note in 2011. Along with a large screen, powerful internals, and a big battery, the Note Series also brought to market the most famous Android stylus till date – the S Pen, enabling new ways to interact with the phone.

With the Galaxy Note 4 Edge, the company introduced the market to curved displays. The technology was refined further in the next generation models and went on to become a trademark feature of Samsung’s flagship smartphones. In 2017, Samsung debuted the Infinity Display on the Galaxy S8/S8+, turning bezel-less phones into a mainstream trend. Along with the hardware, the company also introduced software solutions like Samsung Knox, Samsung Pay, and others to make Galaxy smartphones more capable.

Despite growing challenges, it’s not game over for Samsung, as the company has many exciting projects in the pipeline. At its developer conference in November last year, the company introduced the Infinity Flex Display and gave a sneak peek of its upcoming foldable smartphone, kickstarting an era of new smartphone design and form factors. The company has also emerged as a major force in the development and deployment of 5G with the highest number of 5G patents, industry-wide collaborations, and the first FCC-approved 5G network equipment.

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Galaxy Note 9 Android Pie user manual now available online

The Android Pie user manual for the Galaxy Note 9 is now available on Samsung’s website. This follows two weeks after the Galaxy S9 Android Pie user manual showed up on the Samsung website in various countries. The stable Galaxy Note 9 Pie update has only been released in Germany for beta users, but we could see it being released in more markets in the next few days now that the user manual has been published online.

Of course, it wouldn’t come as a surprise at this point. We’re nearly halfway through January and the clock is ticking for Samsung’s officially declared timeframe for the Pie/One UI update. As for the Note 9 user manual, it’s the same as the one for the Galaxy S9, even when it comes to telling us that the Night mode feature should have a location-based setting, which is missing on the currently available final updates for the S9 and Note 9. Even video recording in Pro mode is missing, but we will hopefully see these issues fixed with the worldwide release of the update.

Sadly, there’s no telling when the worldwide rollout will begin. That Christmas release of Android Pie for the Galaxy S9 and S9+ in some countries sent everyone into a tizzy, only to leave many of us high and dry, and we hope that isn’t the case with the Galaxy Note 9 Pie update.

You can view the user manual at this link. Don’t forget to check out our coverage of everything Android Pie brings to Galaxy smartphones.

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Samsung isn’t changing its traditional branding with the Galaxy S10

When the iPhone X came out, people all over the world started calling it exactly what it reads as, only to be told that the X is the roman numeral for the number 10. But the X looks cooler, so that’s what Apple has been sticking to as far as branding and marketing is concerned. And while Samsung’s mobile chief had suggested it could go for a name change with the Galaxy S10, it doesn’t look like it’s happening if we go by the official Galaxy S10 teaser the company posted earlier today.

It’s a minute detail but an interesting one nonetheless. Of course, with Samsung already using the letter S, it wouldn’t make sense to go the iPhone X route, and the company would have to come up with a completely new naming scheme to make a difference. And branding is not the only thing for which Samsung isn’t taking inspiration from its arch-rival. The Korean giant has also decided to opt for a corner cutout instead of a central notch for its next flagship. While a cutout is still going to get in the way of the so-called all-screen experience manufacturers have been talking about, it will differentiate Samsung’s 2019 flagship from the competition.

However, it’s not like Samsung won’t be bringing anything new in terms of branding. The Galaxy S10 Lite will reportedly be sold as the Galaxy S10 E, which might be what DJ Koh had been referring to. Even the Lite moniker would have been a notable departure, as Samsung has simply been sticking the Edge or Plus moniker to the larger model ever since it started releasing two versions of its Galaxy S flagships, and the reason it’s changing things now is no doubt the fact that the Galaxy S10 will come in three variants (and a fourth one with 5G support and a ginormous battery for some markets).

What do you think about Samsung keeping the traditional branding for the Galaxy S10?

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Samsung may have accidentally leaked the Galaxy S10 design

Samsung may have accidentally given away the Galaxy S10 design. The company recently published an article explaining its OneUI Android Pie overhaul. It seems they got too enthusiastic in the process and ended up creeping the Galaxy S10 design in one of the images.

Samsung has since removed all the images from the post and replaced them with more generic ones. So, where there’s smoke, there’s got to be fire, right?

Could have been a clever marketing ploy

Reddit user qgtx initially spotted the images in the post on the Samsung Newsroom, one of which had the punch-hole selfie camera cutout. The image matches with most of the previously seen renders and leaks of the device. It looked like a glaring error by Samsung but could have been a clever marketing ploy to begin with. Who doesn’t love a little attention after all.

In either case, Samsung has now removed the images. The replacement, obviously, doesn’t have the camera cutout and the bezels got thicker too. The original image had much thinner top and bottom bezels. Kudos to Samsung for trying to disguise the bezel again. Here are the two images side by side:

 

Earlier today, Samsung confirmed the Galaxy S10 launch date. The upcoming Samsung flagship will be unveiled at a Galaxy Unpacked event on February 20, 2019 in San Francisco, California. It’s not like there’s much to be surprised by in this image. The camera cutout in the front right corner is a done deal and so are the smaller bezels. It seems business as usual otherwise.

What do you think, though? An honest mistake or a marketing ploy? Let us know in the comments section below.

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