Galaxy S10 certified with Android 10, but don’t get too excited

The Galaxy S10 has been certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance with Android 10 on-board. The certification has been granted to all three LTE models, the Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, and Galaxy S10+, and the Galaxy S10 5G for both the Exynos-powered and Snapdragon-powered variants in the last couple of days (including unlocked US variants). However, don’t get excited just yet, as a green light from the Wi-Fi Alliance does not mean that the stable Android 10 update for the Galaxy S10 series will be here soon.

In 2018, multiple Galaxy devices, including the Galaxy S9, Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note 9, and Galaxy Note 8, and the Galaxy Note Fan Edition, received Wi-Fi certifications with Android Pie in mid-November, but it was only the Galaxy S9 that got the update in the same year. The first stable Pie update for the Galaxy S9 was released just a day before Christmas and the Note 9 got it in early January, but the rest of the devices in that list above didn’t start getting their Android Pie updates until well into February.

That said, the Galaxy S10 should get the stable Android 10 update in some countries before 2020. Google recently revealed that Samsung has promised to update some of its devices to Android 10 before the end of the year, and it should be quite easy for the Korean giant to keep that promise considering how it launched the Android 10 beta program for the Galaxy S10 series more than a month earlier than it released the first Android Pie beta for the Galaxy S9 last year.

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Is the W20 5G, Samsung’s next flip phone for China, a foldable phone?

At its developer conference earlier this week, Samsung gave everyone solid confirmation that its next foldable phone will have a clamshell form factor, and is it possible that clamshell foldable Galaxy could be on its way to China later this month? Well, that is what a teaser for the Samsung W20 5G, posted by Chinese carrier China Telecom, seems to be suggesting, but we don’t think another proper foldable phone from the Korean giant is coming out anytime soon.

The W20 5G is just a regular flip phone, or at least that’s what we can infer from our sources. Samsung uses the word ‘folder’ for flip phones internally, and that’s how the SM-W2020, which should be the model number for the W20 5G, is described as well. Furthermore, the parts list for the SM-W2020 does not mention a hinge, unlike the list of parts we can find for both the Galaxy Fold (SM-F900F) and the new Fold (SM-F700) that Samsung will launch sometime next year.

Now, it’s possible the information we have on our hands isn’t fully correct. Samsung China could be using the word folder to describe foldables as well, as Samsung China does work on projects (along with Samsung headquarters in Korea) on its own. However, based on the available information, there’s a much higher chance that the W20 5G is just a regular flip phone, albeit a high-end one that will be quite expensive like previous devices in Samsung’s flip phone lineup.

Right now, not much known is about the hardware of the W20 5G/SM-W2020. We know it has 512GB of internal storage and will come in black and white. It will also support 5G because, well, that’s the future. In fact, China’s top three carriers launched the country’s 5G services just a few hours ago, and so the announcement of the W20 5G will come at a pretty opportune time, even though it won’t be the first 5G Samsung smartphone to launch in China (the Galaxy A90 5G and Note 10+ 5G are already available in the country).

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Samsung Electronics celebrates its 50th anniversary

Samsung Electronics marked its 50^th anniversary today. A special event was organised at the company’s headquarters, Samsung Digital City, in Suwon, South Korea, to celebrate the momentous occasion. More than 400 employees, including the company’s executive team, attended the event and pledged to make Samsung a leading centennial company.

“The past 50 years were only possible thanks to the dedication and hard work of each and every one of you. Looking to the next 50 years, let’s free our imaginations and dream of an extraordinary future,” said Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee in a video message to the employees. “Applying our new technologies, let’s build a healthier and happier future. By sharing and growing together we will become the very best in the world.”

“Unpredictable change, driven by material shifts in demographics and consumer behavior, will be a hallmark of the next era of the technology industry,” said Kinam Kim, Vice Chairman & CEO of DS Division, while speaking at the event. He shared relentless self-innovation, focus on the customer, and contributing to a better world as the three key goals for Samsung’s next chapter.

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Galaxy Note 10 November security update released in the US

November is just starting, but at least one carrier in North America has released the security patch for the month for the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+. Comcast’s Xfinity Mobile is rolling out an update for the Galaxy Note 10+ that includes the November security patch. The Galaxy Note 10 doesn’t seem to be getting the same update yet, but that is likely to change in the next few hours. The build number accompanying the new update is N97*USQS2ASJ8.

The November security update for the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ was released earlier this week for the Exynos-powered models in some markets, and it doesn’t bring any new features. The November security patch, meanwhile, is a mystery, as it won’t be detailed by Google or Samsung until sometime next week. For Galaxy devices, the November patch may include a fix for a critical Android OS vulnerability that is fixed in Google’s version of the October security patch but did not make it into the October patch released for Galaxy devices, at least if we go by the details for the patch published by Samsung on its security bulletin.

It may be the reason why Samsung has been quick to roll out the November patch for both the Galaxy S10 and the Galaxy Note 10, even going as far as releasing the Galaxy S10’s November update in Switzerland just a day after it released an update with the October patch for the S10 series in the country. The Galaxy Tab S4 also received this month’s security patch a couple of days back, although it remains to be seen if Samsung will maintain the same pace in bringing the November update to other devices in its lineup.

Those on the Xfinity network on the Galaxy Note 10 or Note 10+ can check for the update from the Settings » Software update menu on their device. The firmware for the latest update can also be downloaded from our firmware archive (Note 10 | Note 10+). Got the update on a different carrier variant of either device? Let us know down in the comments section!

Galaxy Note 10

• Model: SM-N970U
• Dimensions: 151.0 x71.8x7.9mm
• Display: 6.3"(160.02mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
• Camera: 12 MP, CMOS F2.2 Telephoto & 12MP F1.5/F2.4 77° & 16MP F2.2 123° Ultra-wide

More specifications

Galaxy Note10+ (US)

• Model: SM-N975U
• 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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Samsung TV Plus adds CBSN to its growing 70+ TV channel portfolio

The Samsung TV Plus service seems to be constantly expanding, which was bound to happen given how the platform is available on virtually any Samsung smart TV released since 2016. That’s not to say that the company isn’t actively trying to improve the service as more people gain access to it. On the contrary. Samsung has just announced that CBSN is joining the existing portfolio of 70+ TV channels currently available on the platform.

CBSN is a free 24/7 live streaming news channel launched by CBS News and CBS Interactive in 2014. ‘As viewership trends continue to shift, we feel it is important to offer consumers a live and linear TV experience that is completely free […]’ said Selek Brodsky, VP of Strategic Partnerships for Samsung Electronics.

CBSN launches on Samsung TV Plus

Samsung revealed at SDC 2019 that the linear and non-linear TV models have become nearly equally popular. But regardless of which method of content distribution we’re looking at, the general trend seems to be that people are abandoning traditional cable subscriptions in favor of Internet-based services such as Samsung TV Plus.

According to a paper by the Convergence Research Group, 34% of households in the United States are expected to abandon traditional cable subscriptions by the end of 2019. These households will transition entirely to Internet-based services for their entertainment.

Every Samsung smart TV that was released since 2016 comes with Samsung TV Plus pre-loaded. The free service offers consumers access to both linear and non-linear entertainment without the need for additional downloads or a credit card. It sounds like a great fit for the free 24/7 news streaming service provided by CBSN. Samsung TV Plus already offers instant access to a variety of channels ranging from news to sports and gaming.

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Mobile Design Competition concludes with these six unique product ideas

Samsung has announced the winners of the Mobile Design Competition at SDC 2019. The competition was first revealed in June and it’s the product of a collaboration between Samsung and design magazine Deezen.

Over the past few months, contestants have had a chance to submit designs to one of two categories labeled Next Mobile Wallpaper Paradigm Graphic Design and Next Mobile+ Product Design. The first category revolves around digital products, specifically wallpapers, while the second category explores mobile accessories. Here are the winners and grand finalists announced at SDC 2019.

Best of Next Mobile+ Product Design: Star Galaxy

The star of the Next Mobile+ Product Design category is, well, the so-called Star Galaxy, created by André Gouveia, Nuno Pires, and João Pereira. It’s a robotic stand featuring a 360-degree articulated arm that can hold and wirelessly-recharge a Galaxy smartphone, tablet, or smartwatch.

The stand wouldn’t have standalone Bixby capabilities. Instead, it would be equipped with a speaker and rely on the mobile device’s Bixby assistant. The tilting and rotating robotic arm would follow users with the help of face and voice recognition, meaning that the attached mobile device would always face towards the user. The Star Galaxy seems like a pretty cool idea for a product that could actually sell if it would be priced right. It’s technically a wireless charging stand that’s been souped-up to integrate Bixby without actually having any of Bixby’s brains on-board.

Next Mobile+ Product Design grand finalists: Fellas and BELT

Fellas is one of the two grand finalists in the product design category. It’s an interactive toy/clock powered by the Galaxy Watch. It can resemble a pig, bear, deer, or crocodile, and it uses the smartwatch’s display as an animated mouth for the characters.

Fellas would be able to tell stories and sing songs for children, all the while recharging the connected smartwatch.

Meanwhile, BELT by Alexander Rehn and Tobias Saller represents a new take on the idea of a silicon bumper. It takes the form of what seems to be an oversized silicon loop/bumper which can be resized and secured in place with a clip. The extra silicon material would form a second loop which doubles as a handle.

It’s a simple and effective design idea for a one-size-fits-all protective bumper, and that is precisely why it is interesting. Then again, it’s difficult to tell if it would work as a real product in today’s day and age because the design seems to leave a lot of room for user error. It would be up to the user to securely fit the BELT using the clip, and there’s a higher DIY element compared to other solutions on the market.

Best of Next Mobile Wallpaper Paradigm Graphic Design: Garden of Galaxy

The winner of the Next Mobile Wallpaper Paradigm Graphic Design category is Kalle Järvenpää and the Garden of Galaxy wallpaper. The wallpaper might look simplistic, if not pleasantly colorful, at first glance, but the idea behind the Garden of Galaxy is far more complex.

Each flower’s appearance would be based on a random combination of generated “genes,” as well as the user’s environment. The flowers would grow bigger with time and users would even have the option to share clips of their virtual gardens.

Wallpaper graphic design grand finalists: Approachability and Blossom

Approachability by Andre Cardoso is a wallpaper designed to change its colors whenever the user’s mobile device is located in the vicinity of other Galaxy devices wearing the same wallpaper. The wallpaper’s colors would blend until they’d form a similar hue across the different Galaxy devices.

Last but not least, Blossom by Guan Hong Yeoh is a wallpaper that claims to be a visual representation of energy in motion. It boasts colorful organic forms that change shape and color based on the time of day and ambient sound.

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As interesting as these designs may be, it’s worth reminding that there’s no guarantee they will ever become real products. Nevertheless, if any of these ideas born from the Mobile Design Competition would be fully realized, which ones do you think would be the most deserving of a commercial release? Share your thoughts below.

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Galaxy A70 headed to the US, could first launch on Verizon

While Samsung has plans for the Galaxy A series mapped out beyond 2020, the company hasn’t been very quick with bringing the 2019 Galaxy A smartphones to the US. That’s not surprising, as the mid-range Galaxy A lineup had stayed away from North American shores until last year. This year, Samsung brought a handful of 2019 A series phones to consumers in the US and Canada. Now, it looks like the Galaxy A70 could soon be sold stateside as well.

In development for Verizon at this time

Earlier this month, the FCC certified the US variant of the Galaxy A70, which sports model number SM-A705U. We can confirm that the device is in development for Verizon, but it’s highly likely that other carriers will also offer it to their customers at some point in the future. It may also land in Canada, although a release date or time frame is hard to pinpoint for either market.

The A70 will join the Galaxy A6, Galaxy A10e, Galaxy A20, and Galaxy A50 on the list of Galaxy A smartphones that are currently available in the United States. And that’s a good thing, if you read our Galaxy A70 review. The phone has plenty of attractive features, most impressive of which is a 4,500 mAh battery that supports 25W super fast charging like the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+.

The A70 will be slightly outdated when it debuts in the US

However, it’s unfortunate that Samsung isn’t directly launching the Galaxy A70s (pictured below) in the US. The A70s is the same phone as the A70, but it upgrades the 32MP rear camera on the latter to a 64MP camera. Megapixels aren’t everything, yes, but even without the camera upgrade, it makes little sense for Samsung to launch the Galaxy A70 in the US a couple of months after a slightly better variant is available in other (albeit limited) markets.

Then again, perhaps we should be grateful that Samsung is even bringing some of its Galaxy A series to the country instead of keeping it exclusive to the rest of the world as it has done in years past. Hopefully, starting next year, consumers in the US will start getting these devices at the same time as everyone else, especially considering how good Samsung’s mid-range offerings have become in recent times.

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