Galaxy A series helps Samsung secure top spot in Middle East and Africa

Samsung was the most influential smartphone vendor in the Middle East and Africa at the end of Q3 2019, according to a recent report citing Counterpoint Research. The company’s mobile devices accounted for 29 percent of the market, and its Galaxy A series has enjoyed tremendous success, hitting an all-time high in sales in these regions.

Galaxy A10 and A20 were strong sellers

The Galaxy A10 and Galaxy A20 were two of the most sought-after smartphones in the Middle East and Africa, and they’ve greatly contributed to Samsung’s success in Q3 2019. This doesn’t come as a big surprise given that the Galaxy A10 was Samsung’s best-selling smartphone in Q3 globally.

Emerging markets like Africa and the Middle East are now slowly transitioning from feature phones to smartphones, and the Galaxy A10 is an appropriate entry-level device that doesn’t break the bank.

China has little influence in these markets

The second most popular OEM in these markets was China’s Tecno Mobile, which managed to outperform Huawei. And aside from Huawei who doesn’t seem to pose a threat at this point, Samsung doesn’t face any strong opposition from Chinese rivals like it does in other markets. Xiaomi, VIVO, and OPPO have yet to enter these regions.

The smartphone market grew by 2 percent in the Middle East and Africa in Q3 2019. While this is not a huge figure, it does show that the adoption rate of smartphones is on the rise. Having said that, it’s quite beneficial for Samsung to establish itself as the smartphone brand in emerging markets. Brand recognition and loyalty go a long way, and having a foothold in these regions early on will make it more difficult for rival companies to compete later down the line.

Galaxy A10

• Model: SM-A105F
• Dimensions: 155.6x75.6x7.94mm
• Display: 6.2"(157.48mm) LCD
• CPU: Exynos 7884
• Camera: 13 MP, CMOS F1.9

More specifications

Galaxy A20

• Model: SM-A205F
• Dimensions: 158.4 x 74.7 x 7.8mm
• Display: 6.4"(162.5mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 7885
• Camera: 13 MP, CMOS & 5MP, CMOS

More specifications

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Samsung-backed 8K TV certification program makes life easier for buyers

Samsung Electronics entered the new year with an announcement of a new partnership with the 8K Association (8KA). The main purpose of this collaboration is to create a new certification program for 8K TVs and label them as such, making it easier for customers to differentiate between 8K-certified products and other devices.

Although Samsung’s QLED 8K TVs will be among the first to bear the 8KA certification logo this year, the program is obviously not limited to the Korean company’s product portfolio. Other brands can obtain the certificate as long as their TVs meet certain requirements.

These requirements are not limited only to reaching an 8K resolution. In other words, an 8K panel won’t necessarily guarantee an 8KA certificate, and there are a few other criteria that need to be met before OEMs can promote their 8KA products. In short, 8KA-certified TVs will have to top a resolution of 7680 by 4320 as well as peak brightness levels equal to or greater than 600 nits. They also have to support HVEC and HDMI 2.1.

Samsung joins the 8K Association just in time for CES

Although the official announcement makes no reference to CES 2020, the timing suggests that Samsung might unveil its first 8KA-certified TVs at the event in Las Vegas. The company is already expected to unveil new 8K TVs at the event, one of which might eliminate bezels entirely.

Likewise, Samsung could unveil a new AI-based 8K upscaling technology at the same event, and we expect the company and its rivals to make a stronger push into 8K territory this year.

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What’s your opinion about Samsung’s update policy last year?

Samsung fans always have a thing or two to say about Samsung’s update policy. Normally, they feel that the company doesn’t send them out as quickly as it should be. Others feel that there’s too much fragmentation, with certain markets getting the updates early while others were made to wait for much longer.

There was some improvement in the frequency last year, particularly in the case of security updates. We even saw Samsung rolling out new patches even before they had been detailed. The company also did a great job of getting the Android 10 update out the door.

It started the beta program and was able to release the Android 10 update for the Galaxy S10 in late November. Samsung later released the update for the Galaxy Note 10. It even managed to get Android 10 out for the Galaxy Note 9 on the very last day of 2019.

Those with US unlocked models still feel that Samsung should be doing a much better job of getting the updates out for their variant. We have also pointed out several times this year that Samsung didn’t do as good a job with updates for the Galaxy Fold as it should have.

What’s your opinion on Samsung’s update policy for 2019? Did you feel that there was some improvement or none at all? How should Samsung improve it in 2020? Comment below and lets get a discussion going.

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Daily Deal: 60% off PowerBear Fast Car Charger [45W]

No matter where you are, there will always be an (inconvenient) time where you need to charge your smartphone. Many of us spend a lot of time in our cars commuting to and from work which makes it the perfect time to give that smartphone battery some much-needed energy. This car charger comes with two USB 3.0 quick charge ports. This means you’ll be able to get an additional 50% charge in under half an hour. Your traveling companion will be able to charge just as fast with the 2nd port. At 60% off, this is a massive deal that you can’t miss if you’re looking for a great car charger.

Hit the Buy Now button below to get them while still discounted!

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Breaking: Galaxy Note 9 Android 10 update now out for Pie users

Samsung has released the Galaxy Note 9 Android 10 update to the general public, two days after beta users received the stable Android 10 build. The rollout has started in Germany and should expand to other markets in the next couple of weeks. You can download the update over the air by going into the Software update menu in the phone’s Settings app and selecting Download and install. You can also update your phone by flashing the Android 10 firmware that you can download from our firmware archive.

Developing…

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Samsung factory likely suffers millions in losses due to a blackout

Absolutely nothing can be allowed to go wrong at a semiconductor manufacturing plant. The manufacturing process for these chips requires exceptional care and even the slightest of hiccups can cause millions in damages.

That’s what’s feared to have happened at Samsung’s massive chip complex in Hwaseong, South Korea. Production had to be temporarily halted at the complex because of a minute-long electricity blackout.

Electricity blackout caused losses likely in the millions

The supply of electricity was cut to the plant because of a problem with a regional power transmission cable. The blackout was caused by the explosion of a power transmission cable at a nearby substation.

Consequently, Samsung had to stop DRAM and NAND flash production lines. Even though power was restored to the plant fairly quickly, Samsung says that a full recovery in manufacturing operations is likely going to take up to three days. It also expects that the damage from the temporary stoppage isn’t going to be too serious.

That being said, Samsung is going to suffer some loss as a result of this blackout. Reuters quotes a source with direct knowledge of the matter who claims that this incident likely caused millions of dollars worth of losses. Samsung’s Pyeongtaek chip plant faced a similar issue in 2018 and that incident resulted in estimated losses of over $43 million.

Samsung may not have wanted to ring in the new year this way, but it’ll just have to chalk this up as the cost of doing business.

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Is this the Samsung Zero Bezel 8K TV?

We reported two days ago that Samsung could possibly launch a truly Zero Bezel TV at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show 2020. A pair of renders have now surfaced online, apparently giving us our first look at this groundbreaking new TV.

CES would be the perfect stage for Samsung to unveil this TV. The company already has a history of launching its new premium TVs at the convention in Las Vegas. There’s no reason why it should be any different for the Zero Bezel 8K TV.

Samsung Zero Bezel 8K TV renders surface

Earlier reports have indicated that the bezel-less TV is only going to be available in sizes 65-inch and higher. This could either mean that the manufacturing process is so complicated that it’s not suited to smaller sizes, or that Samsung wants to further differentiate its top-end TV lineup from the competition.

It’s also believed that the Zero Bezel TV is going to have an 8K panel. Samsung has apparently been able to achieve a truly bezel-less look by welding the display panel directly with the body. The company must be fully confident in its structural integrity as the Zero Bezel TV isn’t said to be just a concept. Samsung is reportedly going to start mass-producing it from February.

There’s not much else to go on right now. It’s unclear how much the Samsung Zero Bezel 8K TV is going to cost. One thing’s for sure, though, it’s going to cost a pretty penny. We’ll be sure to bring you all of the updates from CES 2020 as they come in. It seems like Samsung is going to significantly raise the bar for premium TVs this year.

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