Hey Samsung, why not make the Galaxy Fold’s cover display more useful?

I have had the good fortune of taking the Galaxy Fold with me on holiday in Egypt this week. As many of you will be aware, I have been enamored with this device ever since it was first unveiled. I was very excited to get my hands on it again and start using it as my primary device.

It’s been a good week. The weather is lovely and the country amazing. I’ve been taking pictures a lot more than I usually do because that’s what you do on a holiday. So this has enabled me to really get a good sense of the photography experience on the Galaxy Fold. I am impressed with a couple of things but there’s something that is just an unnecessary annoyance.

Ever find yourself wishing for a larger viewfinder? It would certainly help with framing and composing the picture exactly the way you want it. While taking pictures when the device is folded is good enough as it’s easy to hold, simply unfolding the device takes things to the next level. You immediately have a 7.3-inch viewfinder for photos and videos, something that has never been possible before on smartphones.

It’s also good that there’s no learning curve when it comes to the camera software itself. All of the camera modes that Samsung users are familiar with are onboard. If you have been using Samsung devices for long, you’ll be right at home in the Galaxy Fold’s camera app.

What I’m annoyed by is that Samsung hasn’t done much in the way of extra functionality even though the device was delayed by almost six months. It could have cooked up a few things in the time that the hardware design team was working on improving the device’s durability. For example, there are possibilities with the cover display which could have been realized.

Let’s circle back to using the foldable display as a viewfinder. It’s pretty great but what I don’t understand is why there’s no option to activate the cover display at the same time? That would allow the subject to look at the composition and framing and to make any adjustments to their pose or surroundings themselves.

Samsung actually gives you separate front cameras for the cover and foldable display, however, it has to be admitted that the front cameras could have been better. What doesn’t make sense also is why it’s not possible to use the triple rear camera setup for selfies, particularly wide-angle selfies? The selfie quality would certainly be better if this was allowed, you could pop the phone open, use the cover display as a viewfinder and take a selfie with the primary camera setup.

Samsung should offer Galaxy Fold owners more useful features, particularly for the camera, so that the truly unique nature of the device can be utilized. These are changes that Samsung could still make through software updates but whether or not it will do that is another matter. We can only hope for the best.

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Galaxy S10’s big update with Note 10 features is rolling out more widely

Samsung began rolling out a new major software update for the Galaxy S10 series earlier this week, and availability has now expanded to a few other European countries. The update was initially launched in Germany and Switzerland, but Galaxy S10 users in Panama, Luxembourg, and the Baltic are now receiving the package as well.

The update is rolling out to the Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, and Galaxy S10+, carrying firmware version G970FXXU3ASIG, G973FXXU3ASIG, and G975FXXU3ASIG, respectively. The release introduces a handful of features from the Galaxy Note 10, including Samsung DeX for PC, Dynamic Lock screen, AR Doodle, Super steady recording in the camera’s Hyperlapse mode, new effects for the Live focus mode, and Live focus video.

Another big change is the addition of Night mode for both the front-facing sensor and the rear-facing telephoto camera. The mode doesn’t do a whole lot to benefit images captured in low light with the selfie shooter, but as we’ve detailed yesterday, the telephoto camera takes greater advantage of Night mode thanks to its smaller aperture.

Galaxy S10 owners residing in Panama, Luxembourg, and the Baltic should now be able to download the update over-the-air. Alternatively, they can visit our firmware section for the Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, and/or Galaxy S10+, download the firmware manually and install it using a Windows PC. As for the update’s availability in other regions, Samsung originally stated it will begin reaching Europe on September 23 – which it did – but the company didn’t reveal any dates for other markets, so only time will tell where it might arrive next.

Having said that, availability will likely continue to expand to more European countries before Samsung will bring it to other continents. Users of the Snapdragon variants in the US are likely to have to wait the longest, as carriers stateside have not been particularly quick with releasing previous Galaxy S10 updates, either.

Galaxy S10e

• Model: SM-G970F
• Dimensions: 69.9 x 142.2 x 7.9mm
• Display: 5.8” (146.5mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9820 Octa
• Camera: 12 MP, CMOS F1.5/F2.4 (77°) & 16MP, CMOS F2.2 (123°)Ultra Wide

More specifications

Galaxy S10

• Model: SM-G973F
• Dimensions: 70.4 x 149.9 x 7.8mm
• Display: 6.1"(157.5mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9820 Octa
• Camera: 12 MP.CMOS F2.4 45° Telephoto & 12MP F1.5 77° & 16MP F2.2 123° Ultra-wide

More specifications

Galaxy S10 Plus

• Model: SM-G975F
• Dimensions: 74.1 x 157.6 x 7.8mm
• Display: 6.4"(162.5mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9820 Octa
• Camera: 12 MP.CMOS F2.4 45° Telephoto & 12MP F1.5/F2.4 77° & 16MP F2.2 123° Ultra-wide

More specifications

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Galaxy S7 gets another security update (September 2019)

Samsung’s software support for the Galaxy S7 continues to impress us, as the company has released yet another security update for its 2016 flagship. The September security update is rolling out for the Galaxy S7 in Puerto Rico and Uruguay right now, with software version G930FXXS6ESIS in tow. The Galaxy S7 edge doesn’t seem to have joined the party just yet, but it shouldn’t be long before the curvier Galaxy S7 gets the update as well.

The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge have been in and out of Samsung’s quarterly schedule for security updates in the last few months. Earlier this year, the company had surprised us by keeping the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge on a quarterly schedule even after the devices crossed three years on the market, only to dump them in the “other regular security updates” category a couple of months later, meaning they would get updates only when necessary.

That didn’t last long and both phones are back to getting security updates every three months. Of course, just being in the quarterly schedule doesn’t guarantee that a device will get updates in every market, but it’s still a good show of support from Samsung. The September update is likely to remain limited to a few countries, and the next update that comes out for the S7 and S7 edge will similarly be rolled out only in some countries.

In any case, Galaxy S7 owners in Puerto Rico and Uruguay can download the new update over the air by tapping the Download updates manually option in the Settings » Software update menu on their phone. Alternatively, they can download the latest firmware from our firmware archive and flash it on their phone using a Windows PC.

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Galaxy Note 10 shipments set to eclipse the Galaxy Note 9

The Galaxy Note 10 will most likely outsell its predecessor, according to industry analysts cited by The Investor, who predict that the Galaxy Note 10 shipments will be up 11 percent compared to the Galaxy Note 9. This wouldn’t come as a huge surprise considering how Samsung sold twice as many Galaxy Note 10 models in its first month of availability.

Analyst Lee Chang-min of KB Securities expects the company to push 10.5 million Galaxy Note 10 units onto the market. The company could achieve this thanks to its two-phone strategy, which seems to be working well. The analyst also claims that Samsung’s early foray into the 5G market is going to bump up sales figures even further.

Samsung is seemingly winning the 5G race too

Samsung isn’t seeing a lot of competition in the 5G segment and its biggest potential competitor, Huawei, has been losing ground amid trade disagreements with the US government. Meanwhile, Chinese OEMs including VIVO could partner with Samsung and acquire the company’s Exynos 980 5G chipset solution.

Samsung fans in South Korea have been limited to purchasing the Galaxy Note 10/10+ 5G with no alternative to acquiring the LTE models. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as Korean carriers are aggressively expanding 5G availability. The flagship series enjoyed a successful launch, with pre-orders topping the 1.3 million mark in just ten days.

Strong sales figures for the Galaxy Note 10 series will benefit Samsung Mobile as well as the tech giant’s component divisions, such as Samsung Electro-Mechanics who supplies the flagship’s three rear-facing camera modules. Kim Ji-san of Kiwoom Securities estimates that the strong sales for printed circuit boards and camera modules will offset some of the losses experienced recently in the multilayer ceramic capacitor segment.

Whatever the case may be, the Galaxy Note series is stronger than ever, partly thanks to Samsung’s early entry in the 5G segment, partly due to the two-phone strategy, and mostly because the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ are just shy of being perfect.

Galaxy Note 10

• Model: SM-N970F
• Dimensions: 151.0 x71.8x7.9mm
• Display: 6.3"(160.02mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9825
• Camera: 12 MP, CMOS F2.2 Telephoto & 12MP F1.5/F2.4 77° & 16MP F2.2 123° Ultra-wide

More specifications

Galaxy Note 10+

• Model: SM-N975F
• Dimensions: 162.3 x 77,2 x 7.9mm
• Display: 6.8"(172.7mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9825
• Camera: 12 Ultra Wide: 16MP F2.2 (123°) & Wide-angle: 12MP 2PD AF F1.5/F2.4 OIS (77°) & Telephoto: 12MP F2.1 OIS (45°) & DepthVision Camera: VGA

More specifications

Galaxy Note 10 5G

• Model: SM-N971N
• Dimensions: 151.0 x71.8x7.9mm
• Display: 6.3"(160.02mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9825
• Camera: 12 MP, CMOS F2.2 Telephoto & 12MP F1.5/F2.4 77° & 16MP F2.2 123° Ultra-wide

More specifications

Galaxy Note10+ 5G

• Model: SM-N976B
• Dimensions: 162.3 x 77,2 x 7.9mm
• Display: 6.8" (172.7mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
• Camera: 12 Ultra Wide: 16MP F2.2 (123°) & Wide-angle: 12MP 2PD AF F1.5/F2.4 OIS (77°) & Telephoto: 12MP F2.1 OIS (45°) & DepthVision Camera: VGA

More specifications

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New evidence suggests Galaxy Home release may be around the corner

It has been over a year since Samsung first unveiled the Galaxy Home, its Bixby-powered smart speaker. It was unveiled alongside the Galaxy Note 9 in New York City. Samsung didn’t even mention the Galaxy Home during its Galaxy Note 10 event in August.

We know that it hasn’t been discontinued and that Samsung still intends to release it. Some new evidence has surfaced which suggests that the company might finally be close to releasing the much-awaited product.

Galaxy Home release could be just around the corner

One of our readers shared a screenshot with us of a pop-up he got out of the blue upon launching the Spotify app. The Galaxy Home’s silhouette is clearly visible in this pop-up, which when translated from French essentially encourages Spotify users to link their streaming account to their Samsung account so that they can access their music on all of their Samsung devices.

We’ve not seen the pop-up on any of our devices in the Netherlands or elsewhere so it could just have been a test of some sort. It’s not odd that this happened with Spotify. Some of you may remember that it was at the August event last year that Samsung confirmed Spotify as the go-to music service across all of its devices.

Users could link their streaming account to their Samsung account in order to bring their music to their Samsung IoT ecosystem which includes Smart TVs and even Family Hub refrigerators. The Galaxy Home will undoubtedly be a key part of this ecosystem going forward.

Samsung is yet to confirm precisely when it’s going to release the Galaxy Home. However, Kim Hyun-suk, CEO of Samsung’s Consumer Electronics Division, did say four months ago that the speaker would be released in the “mid-second half of the year.” We have just about reached that point in the year so here’s hoping that this is an indication that Samsung is finally going to release the Galaxy Home.

Have you seen a similar pop-up in the Spotify app in your region? Do share with us in the comments below.

Thanks, Luidjy!

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Galaxy Tab S5e LTE coming to AT&T on September 27 for $479

The Galaxy Tab S6 might be the greatest Android tablet of 2019 but there are still reasons to want and buy a Galaxy Tab S5e instead. For starters, it’s cheaper and offers a great bundle of features for the price. AT&T is going to start selling the Galaxy Tab S5e LTE to customers in the United States beginning September 27 for the price of $479, or in exchange of $16 a month for 30 months on an AT&T Installment Plan.

The Galaxy Tab S5e has been available for a few months, but AT&T is only just now launching the LTE variant on its network. The mobile carrier released a promotional video to celebrate the release and detail some of the tablet’s main characteristics as well as some of its own services available on the tablet, such as AT&T TV.

AT&T’s Galaxy Tab S5e LTE has the same overall specifications as the international model, so you can expect a 10.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560 by 1600, a Snapdragon 670 chipset, and 64GB of storage paired with 4GB of RAM. The tablet also comes with four speakers and Dolby Atmos support for a great multimedia consumption experience.

Will you be interested in the Galaxy Tab S5e LTE from AT&T once it arrives on the network on September 27, or do you think the mobile carrier is too late to the party and you’ve moved on?

Galaxy Tab S5e (LTE)

• Model: SM-T725
• Dimensions: 245.0 x 160.0 x 5.5mm
• Display: 10.5” (266.7mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 670
• Camera: 13 MP, CMOS

More specifications

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Report: Galaxy S11 camera to feature 5x optical zoom, 108MP camera

The Galaxy S11 could up the ante in the camera department by featuring 5x optical zoom capability. A report from Korean publication The Elec citing industry sources says that the Galaxy S11 would be the first Samsung phone to feature its 5x optical zoom camera module that it started mass producing earlier this year. It wouldn’t be the least bit surprising if that does end up happening, but reports from South Korea media are always good to see as they make things more believable than just speculation and random rumors.

The Galaxy S11 won’t be the first to offer something like 5x optical zoom. It will also not be the first to use the ingenious periscope-type camera modules that make high optical zoom capabilities possible in smartphones. As you can see in the video below, such modules have the sensor and lenses arranged sideways and utilize the principle of reflecting light in a periscope. Samsung’s 5x optical zoom module is just 5mm thick, so theoretically, it could fit inside the Galaxy Note 10+ and not protrude any more than the current 2x telephoto lens on Samsung flagships does.

Samsung’s flagship phones may have the best overall camera experience, but the company needs something exciting and innovative to make the Galaxy S11 stand out in the photography department now that the competition has amped up their efforts. And while 5x optical zoom alone won’t be enough to do that, it certainly won’t hurt, either. 2x optical zoom is getting a little old at this point, having been introduced on the Galaxy Note 8 back in 2017; while the Galaxy Note 10 brought some improvement by way of a wider aperture for the telephoto lens, it doesn’t really make a whole lot of difference in real-world performance.

The report also claims the Galaxy S11 will be equipped with a 108MP camera for wide-angle shooting (regular pictures, that is, not ultra-wide), but that sounds like too big of an upgrade considering Samsung flagships currently feature 12-megapixel primary rear cameras. The 108MP camera sensor was designed by Samsung in partnership with Xiaomi, and only time will tell if it will actually find its way into the Galaxy S10 successor.

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