Galaxy A80 video shows Samsung’s clever engineering of the rotating camera

There are already a few handsets on the market with pop-up cameras. Manufacturers are using them to eliminate notches and holes for truly edge-to-edge displays. Samsung had a slightly different idea with the Galaxy A80. It created a sliding, rotating mechanism for the camera. So there’s just one single camera system on the device that rotates to let you take selfies as well.

Have you ever wondered how Samsung has made this happen? A video of a disassembled Galaxy A80 shows us how cleverly Samsung has engineered the entire mechanism. It only uses one motor to both raise up the slider and rotate the camera.

Samsung’s clever engineering is on display in this Galaxy A80 video

The Galaxy A80’s triple camera setup has a 48-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensor, and a 5-megapixel depth sensor. It can rotate 180 degrees so the entire setup can also be used for selfies and video calls. Samsung has rightly been highlighting this prominently in marketing materials for the Galaxy A80.

The video first posted on Weibo shows how the motor first raises the slider out of its housing and then continues to push it further to rotate the camera. This shows that the mechanism Samsung is using for this rather unique idea is not too different or more complicated compared to a normal pop-up camera. It’s just extracting a little bit more out of the same hardware.

Samsung has even built in a fail-safe into the mechanism in the event of a malfunction. The camera rotates even if the pressure in only exerted on one side. This means that even if there’s a hardware defect on one side, the camera would still rotate. Impressed? We certainly are!

This is the mechanical structure of the Galaxy A80 camera, which is very complicated but takes up space.
Video from a Chinese Samsung engineer pic.twitter.com/YTdLfyqIFI

— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) July 3, 2019

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Exclusive: Galaxy Watch Active 2 features include ECG and Fall Detection

We exclusively revealed the very first images of the Galaxy Watch Active 2 soon after confirming that this smartwatch was being developed. We now have some more information about the wearable device, particularly about the new health-related features that it’s going to offer.

As previously mentioned, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 will be available in both 44mm and 40mm sizes. The design is going to be the same and both won’t have the rotating bezel like previous Samsung smartwatches. The decision that Samsung made with the original Galaxy Watch Active to remove the bezel wasn’t a one-off.

Our sources reveal that the Galaxy Watch Active 2 will take a page out of the Apple Watch Series 4’s book and feature an ECG app. It will enable users to take an electrocardiogram from their wrist. The app will let users capture their heart rhythm when they experience symptoms such as rapid or skipped, low or irregular heartbeat. The data could then be shared with physicians for an expert opinion.

Galaxy Watch Active 2 will provide Afib notifications too

The device will also be able to provide users with atrial fibrillation or Afib notifications by occasionally checking heart rhythm in the background. It’s the most common kind of irregular rhythm and if it’s not treated, it could result in a stroke. So this functionality will be a welcome addition to the smartwatch. Given that Apple was required to obtain FDA clearance for these features, it’s highly likely that Samsung would require it as well. This would mean that the features may not be available at launch.

The Galaxy Watch Active 2 will also have Fall Detection. The feature will work much in the same way that it does on the Apple Watch Series 4. If the device detects a hard fall while it’s on the wrist, it will display an alert on the screen and also vibrate to nudge the user. They can use one-tap options to either contact emergency services or dismiss the alert. If the smartwatch doesn’t get a response in a pre-determined period time, it will automatically call emergency services and also send messages to the user’s emergency contacts.

It’s unclear as yet when the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is going to be released. Some are suggesting that perhaps it might be launched alongside the Galaxy Note 10 on August 7. Samsung hasn’t confirmed anything about a new wearable device at this point, though. We’ll update you if more information about the Galaxy Watch Active 2 comes in.

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Samsung accused of false claims about smartphone water resistance

Samsung has been making water-resistant phones for a while now. The Galaxy S5 from 2014 had an IP67 rating and could withstand being submerged for up to 30 minutes in depths of 1 meter or less. The Galaxy S7 was its first IP68 phone which can withstand being submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes. All of its flagship phones have kept the same IP rating since.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has taken issue with Samsung’s claims. The consumer watchdog says that Samsung has made “false, misleading and deceptive” claims in advertising the water resistance of several Galaxy smartphones. Therefore, it has decided to take Samsung to Federal Court.

Samsung accused of misleading customers

As we have previously explained, phones with an IP-rating are water resistant, not waterproof. There are certain limitations that must be kept in mind. Furthermore, an IP68 rating certifies that the device can be submerged in 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes. However, the official classification mentions that it must be fresh water since the tests for assigning these ratings are conducted in lab conditions. The devices are not tested in a swimming pool or the beach.

The ACCC’s issue is that Samsung’s advertisements show that the devices will be fine with exposure to all types of water, including ocean water and swimming pools, and that they “would not be affected by such exposure to water for the life of the phone.” The claim here is that Samsung showed people in its ads using the devices in pools and beaches even though the IP68 certification explicitly mentions fresh water. It has collected 300 examples of such ads.

The consumer watchdog adds that Samsung has denied warranty claims for customers whose phones were damaged after being used in water. It then points out that Samsung’s own website mentions that the new Galaxy S10 series is “not advised for beach or pool use.” Thus the ACCC is now initiating court action against Samsung and will be seeking penalties.

“Samsung stands by its marketing and advertising of the water resistancy of its smartphones,” the company said in a statement, adding that “We are also confident that we provide customers with free-of-charge remedies in a manner consistent with Samsung’s obligations under its manufacturer warranty and the Australian Consumer Law.”

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Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8 (2019) specs revealed in new leak

Samsung is preparing to launch a new low-cost tablet as part of the Galaxy Tab A series. According to a WinFuture report, there will be two versions of the tablet; one with the model number SM-T290 which will be limited to Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as an LTE-enabled variant identified as the SM-T295. It runs Android 9 Pie so it’s nice to know that One UI will be part of the experience.

A lower-resolution display and a switch to Qualcomm’s SoC

All of the purported specifications place the upcoming Galaxy Tab A 8 (2019) model in the low-end segment. It retains the 8-inch display diagonal and 16:10 aspect ratio from the Galaxy Tab A Plus 8 model launched earlier this year but has a lower-resolution display with a pixel count of 1280 by 800. The overall design is nothing to write home about, having hefty bezels all around, but that’s to be expected from a product that’s supposed to target the budget market.

Samsung also appears to have switched from an in-house Exynos chipset to a low mid-tier Qualcomm solution, namely the Snapdragon 429. The SoC has four ARM Cortex-A53 CPU cores clocked at up to 2.0GHz and an Adreno 504 GPU with Vulkan 1.1 support. It was the company’s first SoC to be built on a 12nm FinFET process and supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0.

Affordable across the board but a larger battery is included

The upcoming low-cost Galaxy Tab A 8 (2019) is said to feature 2GB of RAM and at least 32GB of onboard storage expandable through a microSD card slot. There may be other storage variants available at launch, but as yet it’s not entirely clear whether this will be the case.

Unsurprisingly, the camera setup also underwent a downgrade from the earlier 2019 model. The rear-facing unit might still have an 8-megapixel resolution, but the front-facing sensor has been demoted to 2-megapixels. Other expected features include a 3.5mm headphone jack and Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity as opposed to Bluetooth 5.0. A plastic body will wrap around the components and the entire package should tip the scale at roughly 347 grams.

There is at least one area in which the low-cost Galaxy Tab A 8 (2019) has been improved, and that is the battery capacity. The upcoming model is said to rely on a 5,100mAh unit, which is a considerable increase from the ongoing model’s 4,200mAh internal battery.

The tablet should be officially introduced in the coming days, according to the source, and will be launching in two color options including black and gray.

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Daily Deal: 29% off this Samsung Sound Bar

A sound bar can be a good solution if you don’t want a full home theater setup but want better sound than what your TV is able to offer. Sound bars can produce impressive sound quality so that you can enjoy your movies or games as they were meant to be enjoyed. On top of that, sound bars are easy to set up, you can be done with the process in just minutes. The HW-R550 sound bar from Samsung even has smart sound technology, so it will automatically detect what you are watching and adjust the sound for the best experience.

You can now get this Samsung sound bar for 29% off at just $197.99, making it a good alternative for more expensive surround sets, while not sacrificing sound quality. Use the Buy Now button below to order one before the price changes again!

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Samsung’s Q2 profit likely took a big hit due to poor memory chip sales

Samsung’s smartphones may get a lot of media coverage, but they are not the major contributor to the company’s bottom line. That title has been held by the company’s semiconductor business for many years now. So, when the US government came down heavily on Huawei, more than helping Samsung’s smartphone revenue, the move probably harmed the company’s semiconductor business, which counts Huawei as a client.

A report in Reuters says Samsung Electronics’ Q2 profit may be halved due to a substantial drop in memory chip sales. The situation is believed to be further exacerbated by Huawei’s growing woes, resulting in a likely drop in overall quarterly profit when Samsung reports its preliminary earnings on Friday. If the earnings pan out as predicted, it will be the Korean company’s lowest in nearly three years. Analysts believe Samsung will report a 60% drop in April-June operating profit at 6 trillion won ($5.14 billion).

The memory chip market is reeling from oversupply, bringing down the prices in an already slowing market. Analysts believe Samsung’s recovery is at least a few quarters away. Though Samsung stands to gain in the global smartphone market where Huawei is currently the second largest vendor, the likely gains are no match to the erosion of profits from its semiconductor business which accounts for nearly two-thirds of the company’s overall profit.

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Samsung fixed the Galaxy Fold and it may be out by the holiday season

Despite admitting that the Galaxy Fold’s launch had been rushed, Samsung mobile CEO DJ Koh didn’t say when the device would be released. He did mention that over 2,000 units were constantly being tested to ensure that there are no further problems after the relaunch. His comments were very much meant to dispel the rumors that Samsung had given up on the device.

A new report says that Samsung has now completed its two-month redesign of the Galaxy Fold to fix the screen failures. With mass production set to begin soon, the Galaxy Fold can now be expected to arrive in time for the holiday season.

Galaxy Fold may arrive before the holiday season

Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reports that Samsung is now in the final stages of producing a commercial version of the Galaxy Fold. However, it hasn’t pinned down a date yet to begin sales. The April 26 release was delayed because it wasn’t abundantly clear to many that peeling the protective layer on top of the display would cause it to break. The hinge gaps also didn’t provide adequate protection against foreign substances making their way inside.

The report says that this protective film has now been stretched to wrap around the entire foldable display. It flows into the outer bezels so that it’s impossible to peel off by hand. Samsung has also re-engineered the hinge. It’s now pushing slightly upward from the screen and is flush with the display.

This is to help the film stretch further when the phone is unfolded. This tension is what makes the film feel harder and a more natural part of the device instead of something like a screen protector. That’s what many reviewers mistook it for initially and just peeled it off. This added rigidity may also reduce the chance of a crease forming in the middle of the screen, a source mentions.

Samsung will reportedly be shipping major components for the Galaxy Fold such as the display and battery to a plant in Vietnam for assembly. The launch date is still being debated but it remains unlikely that the Galaxy Fold will be relaunched alongside the Galaxy Note 10 on August 7. Samsung hasn’t commented on this report.

The company would certainly want its marquee device of the year to be out before the lucrative holiday shopping season. So while it seemingly won’t be available in a few weeks time, it does seem like it’s not going to be too long before we can finally get our hands on the Galaxy Fold once again.

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