Check out Samsung’s high-tech production line for the Galaxy Z Flip

Foldable smartphones are not easy to manufacture, yet Samsung has been able to put two of them on the market within one year. It speaks volumes about the technological prowess of the Korean juggernaut.

The Galaxy Z Flip is its latest foldable smartphone and naturally, its manufacturing process is much more complicated compared to that of a conventional smartphone. The fact that this is the world’s first foldable smartphone with a glass display doesn’t really make things easier. Samsung has pulled back the curtain a bit to give us a glimpse of its high-tech Galaxy Z Flip production line.

Samsung offers a glimpse of the Galaxy Z Flip production line

The company has posted a short video online which shows the final stages of the Galaxy Z Flip production line. It would understandably not reveal some of the more advanced stages of production due to trade secrecy.

Be that as it may, it’s evident that Samsung employs a lot of advanced machinery to manufacture the Galaxy Z Flip, including contraptions that test the device’s Hideaway Hinge. Samsung previously revealed the massive test rig that it used to validate the durability of the Galaxy Fold’s hinge when the device was launched last year.

We also get a glimpse of a machine running final checks on the glass foldable display of the Galaxy Z Flip, a very important step seeing as how the foldable display really is what makes or breaks this device. Then its off to the software bay where the units get loaded up with the firmware before the units move down the line for a final physical inspection by an employee. The Galaxy Z Flip is then packed nicely into its box, packaged and palletized before being loaded on trucks for shipment.

It’s always fascinating to get a behind-the-scenes look at how these complex devices are made. These videos also go a long way in reinforcing consumer confidence in the product, particularly one that many deem to be too fragile than it actually is.

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Galaxy Z Flip output won’t be impacted by coronavirus-forced shutdown

Samsung had to unexpectedly shut down its smartphone manufacturing plant located in Gumi, some 200 kilometers south of Seoul, South Korea. While the majority of Samsung smartphones are manufactured in Vietnam, the Gumi factory is responsible for its most premium devices, the Galaxy Fold and the newly released Galaxy Z Flip.

While the shutdown was only implemented for the weekend and the factory is set to open today, there were concerns that the shutdown could cause supply issues for the new foldable smartphone. Samsung is confident that this won’t be the case.

Samsung factory shutdown won’t impact Galaxy Z Flip supplies

Samsung shut down the Gumi factory after a confirmed case of the coronavirus. Local reports reveal that a female employee who worked on the smartphone line was diagnosed with the virus on Saturday morning. Samsung immediately moved to shut down the plant and notified all employees that the Gumi factory would remain closed until Monday, February 24.

That employee has since been quarantined while Samsung is also having other workers tested for a possible infection. The company has conducted disinfecting procedures across the entire factory over the weekend and has restricted access to the floor where the infected employee worked until Tuesday, February 25.

The company has said in a press release that the “temporary shutdown” of its Gumi plant isn’t going to have a wide impact and that it has the situation “properly under control.” It obviously won’t have a large impact on Samsung’s smartphone business since the Gumi plant is only used to manufacture the Galaxy Fold and the Galaxy Z Flip, devices that don’t nearly sell as many units as its other flagships and mid-rangers.

However, to address concerns that perhaps a supply shortage caused by this shutdown could lead to an increase in prices for the foldable devices, Samsung says that it’s not going to increase the price of the Galaxy Fold and the Galaxy Z Flip. To compensate for this shutdown, Samsung is going to keep the production lines operating longer than usual at the Gumi factory this week.

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Verizon starts rolling out Android 10 update to Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+

Samsung started rolling out the Android 10 update with One UI 2.0 to unlocked variants of the Galaxy S9 late last month. Now, Verizon has started rolling out the Android 10 update to the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ on its network in the US. It is an OTA update, and you should be able to download it on your phone starting today.

Verizon has announced on its website that it has started rolling out the Android 10 update with an updated user interface in the form of One UI 2.0 to the Galaxy S9 (SM-G960U) and the Galaxy S9+ (SM-G965U). The software update for the Galaxy S9 has firmware version G960USQU7DTA8, while the one for the Galaxy S9+ has firmware version G965USQU7DTA8.

The update brings the February 2020 Android security patch to the smartphones. If you have not received the update notification yet, you can check for it and download manually by clicking the Download and install option in the Settings » Software update menu.

Verizon hasn’t explained much in the official changelog for the ‘System Update 19.’ However, we know that One UI 2.0 brings better UI navigation gestures, a system-wide dark mode, redesigned UI elements, native screen recorder, smoother animations, and more. AT&T pushed the Android 10 update to Galaxy S9 phones in the US earlier this month.

If you’re on Verizon’s network, have you received the One UI 2.0 update on your Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+ yet? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Samsung adds more Screen Zoom options with One UI 2.1

The Galaxy S20 and the Galaxy Z Flip run Android 10 with One UI 2.1. There are a few subtle differences between One UI 2.0 and One UI 2.1, and a few eagle-eyed enthusiasts have managed to find additional offers that come packed with the latter.

Phones running One UI 2.0 offer only three screen zoom levels. Now, a Reddit user has found out that Samsung has added two more levels on the Screen Zoom scale on the Galaxy S20. Hopefully, the feature is also present on the Galaxy S20+, Galaxy S20 Ultra, and the Galaxy Z Flip, which also run the One UI 2.1 software.

If you don’t know what the Screen Zoom feature is, let us explain. It allows you to set how large or small the contents on the screen such as text and UI elements appear. This is different from the font size feature, which only affects the size of the font. We hope that these new options are rolled out to older phones with a software update.

Some users, including me, prefer smaller elements and text so that more content can fit into the screen. While finer display size controls are also possible by changing the DPI settings through ADB commands from the computer, they sometimes break UI elements and native options are always preferable.

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Galaxy Buds+ support multi-device connection only on Samsung phones

Samsung’s newest true wireless earphones have garnered positive reviews all around (read our review), thanks to improved audio quality and longer battery life. However, the company has backtracked on one of the features it showcased during the launch of the Galaxy Buds+. Now, the South Korean firm claims that the feature exists, but in a limited way.

The official webpage of the Galaxy Buds+ had the ‘multi-device connection’ feature listed, but it was removed later. When DroidLife reached out to Samsung to clear the confusion, the company said that the multi-device connection feature works only on Galaxy smartphones running Android 7.1.1 (or newer) and have the SmartThings app installed on them.

Here’s the company’s official statement:

“Galaxy Buds+ offers users a convenient way to transition across devices that are logged into the same Samsung account with the SmartThings app installed. This feature can be accessed in the media panel (by selecting Galaxy Buds+), and is only available on Samsung mobile devices running Android 7.1.1 or later.”

Moreover, the easy switch feature will only work on phones that are logged into the same Samsung account, much like how Apple’s AirPods switch between devices logged into the same iCloud account. DroidLife was able to test this feature, and they were able to switch the Galaxy Buds+ successfully between the Galaxy Note 10 and the Galaxy Z Flip.

However, those who do not own two Galaxy devices would have to end the Bluetooth connection to the Galaxy Buds+ from one device and then re-connect to the other device. Is this feature important to you, and does your purchase decision depend on the availability of this feature for non-Samsung devices?

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Weekly SamMobile Quiz 14 – Come test your Samsung knowledge!

Consider yourself a superfan of Samsung? Take our quiz and see how many answers you can get right! This is a fun activity that we do with our readers every week to test their knowledge of our favorite company. The quiz has a mix of easy and difficult questions that most fans should be able to answer without turning to Google.

We intend to make a new quiz for you every weekend so we hope that you’ll participate and learn a thing or two about Samsung in the process! Don’t forget to share the results of the quiz with your friends and see if you can outscore them. A little competition never hurt anybody!

Remember, if the quiz isn’t loading properly, please access the non-AMP version of this webpage.

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Breaking: Coronavirus forces shutdown of Galaxy Z Flip factory

The coronavirus epidemic has already thrown global trade into disarray while infection cases continue to be reported across the globe. More than 400 coronavirus patients are currently being treated in South Korea with many fearing that the number could rise.

Samsung’s manufacturing plans have been hit by this epidemic as well. The company today confirmed that it’s shutting down a smartphone plant in Gumi City, South Korea after an employee was confirmed to have the coronavirus infection.

The Galaxy Z Flip is manufactured at the Gumi factory

Samsung’s Gumi factory is located some 200 kilometers from Seoul, South Korea. While many of Samsung’s phones are made in Vietnam, some of its most premium devices are still manufactured in South Korea. Both of its foldable phones, the Galaxy Fold and the newly launched Galaxy Z Flip, are manufactured at the Gumi plant.

The company has confirmed that its smartphone plant will remain shut down until Monday, February 24. It understandably wants to prevent the virus from infecting other employees. A local news report adds that employees that came into contact with the infected employee have been quarantined. Access to the floor where the infected employee worked will be off-limits until the 25th.

The infected employee is said to be a member of the wireless division that’s in charge of smartphone production. Employees at the plant were informed by the company’s Emergency Response Task Force by text message that the plant was being closed for the weekend as Samsung takes additional steps to sterilize the workplace.

Samsung advises workers to wear personal masks when they return to work on Monday as a precaution. The company has also recommended that employees refrain from domestic travel and use video conferencing to conduct business. Shuttle bus operations between its headquarters and the Gumi plant have also been suspended.

Since the shut down has been implemented over the weekend, Samsung says that the impact on smartphone production will be minimal. However, the situation is still far from ideal. The company is in the midst of rolling out the Galaxy Z Flip. Any prolonged shutdown of the plant will make it extremely difficult for Samsung to meet the strong demand that it’s seeing for the new foldable smartphone.

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