Unlocked Galaxy S20 models now getting June security update in the US

In a surprising development, Samsung has released new software updates for the Galaxy S20 series in various markets with different changelogs and security patches on the same day. Over in its home country, Samsung released an update that brings call quality improvements to the Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra and bundles the May security patch. In the US, the company is updating unlocked versions of the Galaxy S20 series devices with the June Android security patch.

Based on its firmware version and changelog, the update rolling out for the unlocked Galaxy S20 models in the US only brings a new security patch. It’s unclear if the camera improvements included in the update released for international models a couple of weeks back are present in the update for the unlocked US variants. The last time the carrier-free versions of the Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra received an update with new features was way back in April, so it seems Samsung isn’t treating them the same as the carrier-locked models.

It remains to be seen when the international Galaxy S20 models will receive the June security update, but we will let you know once they do. In the meantime, if you own an unlocked Galaxy S20, S20+, or S20 Ultra, you can download the new update from the phone’s Settings » Software update menu or from our firmware archive. If you own a Galaxy S20 Ultra, you can check if the latest update includes camera improvements by seeing if there’s a new ‘close-up zoom’ feature in the camera that we have detailed here.

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This cursed wallpaper can crash your Samsung Galaxy smartphone

A known Samsung insider recently discovered one of the most bizarre Android bugs in recent memory – one that bootloops your device after a wallpaper change. The image, seen above, crashes not just Galaxy devices but many other Android smartphones, as well. Following further investigation, this appears to be a direct consequence of the OS’s lack of built-in RGB support. More specifically, the high dynamic range of the “cursed” image returns a histogram value higher than 255, thus exceeding the limit of the sRGB color space native to Android.

In effect, setting it as your wallpaper is likely to crash and even bootloop your device, as many Twitter users too curious for their own good found out. On the bright side, the nature of the bizarre bug means that applying any kind of processing to the image – from changing a single pixel to screenshotting it – should render it safe to use. That isn’t to say experimenting with it is recommended, though, so consider yourself warned.

A fix is on the way

The crash-inducing issue, brought to light by IceUniverse, is reportedly limited to Android 10 and older versions of the operating system as Android 11 handles such potential color space discrepancies on the fly. A straightforward fix has already been submitted to Google’s AOSP repository by developer Davide Bianco who proposed artificially limiting histogram bounds in Android 10 to 255, and Samsung has also reportedly prepared a fix that will arrive in a future software update for Galaxy devices.

In case you’ve disregarded all warnings and now have a bootlooping Galaxy smartphone on your hands, you may be able to revive it by rebooting into safe mode and changing your wallpaper from there. Some users also report they’ve had success with manually deleting wallpaper data, while others have had to reset their device through the recovery menu to get their device working again.

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Samsung launches 8GB RAM variant of Galaxy M31 in India

Samsung has launched a new variant of the Galaxy M31 in India, and it has 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. The South Korean smartphone brand had launched 64GB and 128GB variants of the smartphone with 6GB RAM in the country in February 2020.

The Galaxy M31’s 8GB RAM variant (SM-M315FZKHINS) is priced at INR 19,999 (around $265) in India, and it is available in black and blue colors. Samsung has not started selling the 8GB RAM variant yet and is currently displaying the ‘Notify Me’ button on its website.

The 64GB storage variant, which comes with 6GB RAM, is priced at INR 16,999 (around $225), while the 128GB variant with 6GB RAM costs INR 17,999 (around $240).

Galaxy M31 specifications

The Galaxy M31 sports a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-U display with Full HD resolution. The phone runs Android 10 with One UI 2 and uses the Exynos 9611 processor. It is equipped with 6GB/8GB RAM and 64GB/128GB UFS 2.1 storage. There’s a microSD card slot and a dual-SIM card slot.

The phone has a fingerprint reader at the rear and 32MP selfie camera with 4K video recording at the front. The mid-range smartphone features a 64MP+8MP+5MP+5MP quad-camera setup at the rear. Only the primary camera sensor can record 4K videos at 30fps.

In terms of connectivity, the Galaxy M31 comes equipped with 4G LTE, GPS, Wi-Fi ac/b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. A 6,000mAh battery powers the phone and supports 15W fast charging.

Galaxy M31 review

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Newest Galaxy S20 series update adds call quality improvements

Samsung has a new software update for the Galaxy S20 series which it started rolling out in its home country of South Korea. However, the firmware package doesn’t come with a new Android security patch. Instead, it seems to only introduce some call quality improvements to the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and the Galaxy S20 Ultra. The software upgrade in question can be identified by build number G98xNKSU1ATED and is just over 208 MB in size.

This new over-the-air rollout comes less than two weeks after Samsung last updated its newest series of Android flagships. Its previously released firmware images included camera and stability improvements. The next software update for the Galaxy S20 line will presumably include the June 2020 security patch.

Samsung improves call quality on Galaxy S20 smartphones

Samsung’s newest Galaxy S20 series firmware began rolling out in South Korea late last week. It’s currently unclear whether these same software updates are meant to be released globally as is, or if their call quality improvements will be bundled with the June 2020 security patch that’s expected to hit the Galaxy S20 family in the coming days. South Korean owners of compatible flagships (SM-G981N, SM-G986N, and SM-G988N) can download the latest updates for their devices from SamMobile‘s firmware archive.

Samsung has been hard at work improving the Galaxy S20-series devices ever since their release, with the company being likely to maintain that packed OTA release schedule moving forward. Meanwhile, the manufacturer is also gearing up for the launch of its next high-end Android smartphones in the form of the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Fold 2 series.

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Verizon to launch Galaxy A71s 5G UW featuring Snapdragon 765

Samsung is working on a new variant of the Galaxy A71 5G for Verizon’s network. According to a new report, the phone will be branded as the Galaxy A71s 5G UW. The ‘UW’ bit shows that the phone will support Verizon’s Ultrawide 5G network, which uses the mmWave 5G technology for faster download and upload speeds when compared to sub-6GHz 5G.

Although Verizon’s version of the smartphone (SM-A716V) would look like any other Galaxy A71 5G, it reportedly uses the Snapdragon 765 processor. If the information in this report is correct, the Galaxy A71s 5G UW will be the first phone with the Snapdragon 765 chipset to feature support for mmWave 5G networks.

The global variant of the Galaxy A71 5G features a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-O display with Full HD+ resolution and an optical fingerprint reader. Its 32MP selfie camera is hidden inside a punch-hole cutout in the top-center part of the screen. The smartphone uses an Exynos 980 processor, 6GB/8GB RAM, 128GB UFS 2.1 storage, and a microSD card slot.

The phone runs Android 10 with One UI 2.0. It has a quad-camera setup at the rear, featuring a 64MP primary camera sensor, a 12MP ultrawide camera, a 5MP macro camera, and a 5MP depth sensor. It can record 4K 30fps videos. The Galaxy A71 5G is powered by a 4,500mAh battery and supports 25W fast charging via the USB Type-C port.

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Samsung starts selling The Wall TVs in South Korea, offers experience zones

Samsung has started selling its The Wall lineup of ultra-premium QLED TVs in South Korea. The company had started experience zones for the new TVs at the Samsung Galleria Mall in Gwanggyo, Suwon, Gyeonggi Province on March 31 so that customers could see the massive TV in action.

An experience zone for The Wall TV is present at Samsung Electronics’ Premium Store inside the Gwanggyo store’s eighth floor. People can experience the 146-inch version of The Wall. However, the experience is being operated as a customized concierge service and will only be available for those who pre-book the visit.

Samsung said in a press release that it would expand experience zones for the TV to more stores across South Korea in the future. People would be able to experience the moon in 8K resolution and Quantum HDR 24X. The South Korean firm will hold various events, including the opening of The Wall Experience Zone, to coincide with the revamp of its store.

The Wall TVs are based on the micro LED technology, which offers improved picture quality compared to LCD technologies. It offers 8K resolution, ultra-low reflection backlight technology, improved color volume, and HDR10+. Business and cinema versions of The Wall are available as well, and they offer modular designs.

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Samsung announces plans to expand memory chip production capacity in Korea

Samsung is the world leader in memory and storage chip segments, and the company has now announced that it plans to expand its NAND flash memory chip production. It will invest in Line 2 at its Pyeongtaek factory to expand the production to meet the increased demand for computers and servers since the COVID-19 lockdown measures were introduced.

The construction of the new facility began last month, and the company says that the mass production of V-NAND flash memory chips will start from the second half of 2021. Samsung says that demand for memory chips will increase in the future due to increased adoption of 5G, AI (artificial intelligence), and IoT (Internet of Things) technologies.

Analysts say that the company would invest anywhere between KRW 7 trillion and KRW 8 trillion for the new facility. The new production line will address the mid-term and long-term demands for NAND flash memory chips. The company plans to invest even more as digital lifestyle continues to evolve. Samsung’s Pyeongtaek Campus is the home to two of the world’s largest memory production lines.

Samsung has been the leader in the memory chip segment for the past 18 years. The company recently announced that its newest memory chip technology, the 160-layer V-NAND flash design, is the first in the industry. It allows even denser chips for higher memory capacity (256Gb 3-bit).

Cheol Choi, Executive Vice President of Memory Global Sales & Marketing at Samsung Electronics, said, “The new investment reaffirms our commitment to sustain undisputed leadership in memory technologies, even in uncertain times. We will continue to serve the market with the most optimized solutions available while contributing to the growth of the overall IT industry and the economy in general.“

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