Galaxy M31s to be unveiled in India this month ahead of August release

It’s been nearly half a year since Samsung launched the Galaxy M31 as yet another compelling budget phone, and the company is apparently gearing up for the release of the upgraded Galaxy M31s. It will be unveiled in India by the end of the month, according to IANS via Business Insider India, and it will reportedly be sold later in August for nearly INR 20,000 ($266) via Amazon and other retail channels. August is already a very busy month for Samsung, with most of its efforts being directed towards the Galaxy Note 20 launch.

For the sake of comparison, the Galaxy M31 was released for the starting price of INR 14,999 and prospective buyers had the option of paying INR 15,999 for the beefier model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Another souped-up Galaxy M31 variant with 8GB of RAM was also introduced to India nearly two months ago for the price of INR 19,999. The question now is how will the Galaxy M31s differ from the regular M31?

Numerous key internal hardware components are seemingly shared across the board. The Galaxy M31s was previously spotted in a benchmark running the same Exynos 9611 chipset as the Galaxy M31, coupled with 6GB of RAM. The device should have 128GB of storage as exclusively revealed by SamMobile a couple of months ago, as well as a quad-camera combo including a 64MP main sensor. A 6,000mAh battery has already been confirmed twice, both via TUV Rheinland Japan and through a live photo depicting the internal battery itself.

On paper, and at least judging by the details that have emerged so far, the Galaxy M31s doesn’t seem to bring significant – or any – changes or upgrades over the regular Galaxy M31. Surely, Samsung must’ve given the Galaxy M31s an identity of its own in one way or another, but we’ll have to wait for the final product to go official before we can determine that.

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Galaxy Note 20 Ultra gets green light from Indonesian telecom

Samsung’s upcoming S Pen flagship has seemingly been certified by a telecom agency in Indonesia, where the device is being referred to as the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. There’s no mention of the base model, but the Galaxy Note 20 series will follow a launch strategy similar to last year’s Galaxy Note 10 lineup, with the company planning to release not one, but two variants of the same flagship. The 4G variant of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has now been confirmed to be planned for release in Indonesia, as telecom agencies are already making the necessary launch preparations ahead of Samsung’s virtual Galaxy Unpacked event scheduled for August 5.

If you’ve been keeping a close eye on the Galaxy Note 20’s evolution of news, leaks, and rumors, it should come as no surprise that the certificate at hand links the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra name with the SM-N985F model number. In contrast, the standard Galaxy Note 20 variant carries model number SM-N980F, and the 5G-enabled alternatives should correspond to model numbers SM-N981 and SM-N986. As yet, there’s no evidence to support the launch of the 5G-enabled Galaxy Note 20 / Note 20 Ultra in Indonesia.

The Plus is dead, long live the Ultra

Coincidentally, the Indonesian telecom certificate unearthed by MySmartPrice also lends more credibility to the Ultra designation, even though additional proof of a name change wasn’t necessarily needed at this point. But over the past few months, the media’s been referring to the top-tier Galaxy Note 20 model by both the ‘Plus’ and ‘Ultra’ monikers, with the latter gaining more traction as time went by. And granted, although nothing is official until Samsung says so, SamMobile has been fairly confident that the Korean company will choose the latter name tag ever since the phone’s visit to Bluetooth.

Regardless of how the top-tier Galaxy Note 20 will be called, the device is expected to boast a total of four rear-facing sensors including a 108MP main shooter, a periscope-type lens capable of 50x hybrid zoom, a 12MP ultra-wide shooter, and a ToF or laser autofocus module. These details are subject to change, but not for long.

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Samsung will take advantage of Huawei’s tragedy to sell more processors

Samsung makes mobile processors but they’re largely used in its own devices. The company has been trying to win new customers and while it has seen some success, Huawei’s ongoing troubles have given it a golden opportunity.

The company is looking to improve the performance of its Exynos chips, particularly their artificial intelligence capabilities. It wants to offer more capable chips as Huawei’s fabless HiSilicon subsidiary is unable to get its chips made at TSMC.

Huawei’s loss could be Samsung’s gain

Samsung and Huawei both design custom mobile processors but the big difference between them is that Samsung has its own manufacturing facilities. It doesn’t need to work with a semiconductor fab like TSMC to have its chips made. Huawei’s HiSilicon has its chips made at the Taiwan Semiconducting Manufacturing Co.

Huawei has been blacklisted by the United States and the country recently amended its chip export rules. The amendment mandated that sales of semiconductors made overseas with US technology would require a license, which the US Commerce Department would obviously not grant for Huawei.

TSMC has since stopped taking any orders from HiSilicon and that means Huawei can’t get its mobile processors made now. It has found a substitute in China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation that’s making the HiSilicon Kirin 710A processor on its 14nm node. However, TSMC is miles ahead of SMIC in terms of process technology, as it’s expected to bring is 5nm node online this year. SMIC is currently unable to meet Huawei’s needs for flagship-level chips.

There has been some speculation recently that Huawei could have its chips made at Samsung but even that might not be possible. Recent reports have suggested that Samsung might not take Huawei’s orders. Why it might do that is unclear but with South Korea being a key US ally and Samsung being one of its biggest companies, perhaps the conglomerate may not want to wade into this geopolitical issue.

Chinese smartphone manufacturers that previously used Huawei’s chips are now more likely to opt for Samsung’s Exynos. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors are generally more expensive and that would further limit their profit margins. Samsung has been pursuing a strategy of undercutting Qualcomm on the price to win more customers for its chips. It recently inked a deal with Vivo that’s now using its 5G-enabled Exynos 880 in a new smartphone.

Huawei’s tragedy has given Samsung an amazing opportunity to make strides in this market. We can expect the company to throw its entire weight behind this goal, because it’s unclear when or if Huawei will ever catch a break.

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Samsung brings its 2020 lineup of party speakers and soundbars to India

Samsung has announced the launch of its newest party speakers and soundbars in the Indian market. The company’s new lineup includes two Sound Tower speakers as well as Q-series and T-series soundbars. All the devices have been tuned by Samsung Audio Lab in Valencia, California, in the US.

The company’s 2020 lineup of speakers for the Indian market includes 13 models: Sound Tower MX-T70, Sound Tower MX-T50, HW-Q950T, HW-Q900T, HW-Q800T, HW-Q60T, HW-T650, HW-T550, HW-T450, HW-T420, HW-T400, HW-T45E, and the HW-T42E.

Turn up the bass with Sound Tower party speakers

The Sound Tower party speakers are meant to fill any room with exceptionally crisp and loud audio. The MX-T70 and the MX-T50 feature bi-directional sound, and the company claims that there’s no distortion even at the maximum volume. The MX-T50 offers 500W audio output, while the MX-T70 can go as high as 1,500W. They also come with features like DJ Effect, Dynamic Bass, Karaoke, and LED party lights.

Up to 10 Sound Tower speakers can be connected to each other using Group Play. Multiple source devices can be connected to these speakers using the multi-point Bluetooth feature. They’re splash-proof, too. The MX-T70, which features a 10-inch woofer, costs INR 42,990, while the MX-T50 is priced at INR 29,990 in India.

Q-series soundbars bring premium features like Dolby Atmos, Alexa, and SmartThings

Samsung’s new Q-series soundbars come with premium features like Dolby Atmos, built-in Alexa voice assistant, Q-Symphony, SmartThings, and Tap Sound. The most high-end model in the Q-series lineup, the HW-Q950T, is priced at INR 1,39,990, while the HW-Q900T and the HW-Q800T are priced at INR 1,03,990 and INR 53,990. The most affordable model, the HW-Q60T, is priced at INR 35,990 in India.

The HW-Q950T and the HW-Q900T come wrapped in the premium Kvadrat material. The Q-Symphony feature allows users to pair the soundbar with Samsung’s QLED TVs and play audio from both devices at the same time for fuller and richer audio. The soundbars also feature side-firing and up-firing speakers for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D audio technologies.

Alexa and SmartThings allow users to control smart home products, among other things. Other features include Acoustic Beam, Adaptive Sound, and Game Pro Mode.

T-series soundbars feature Dolby Atmos, DTS: Virtual X, and Smart Sound

Samsung’s T-series soundbars feature Dolby Audio, just like Q-series models, but they miss out on DTS:X. Instead, they come with the DTS: Virtual X audio technology for spatial surround sound without the need for additional speakers. The Smart Sound feature tunes audio as per the content, be it movies, news, sports, or TV series.

The soundbars also switch to Game Mode automatically by detecting game consoles with the HDMI cable. In terms of connectivity, the company’s new T-series soundbars feature multi-point Bluetooth and HDMI.

Here’s the pricing for T-series soundbars:

1. HW-T650: INR 35,990
2. HW-T550: INR 25,990
3. HW-T450: INR 19,990
4. HW-T45E: INR 19,990 (available only via Amazon)
5. HW-T420: INR 16,990
6. HW-T42E: INR 16,990 (available only via Flipkart)
7. HW-T400: INR 10,990

All the soundbars and party speakers that have been announced for the Indian market can be controlled using Samsung’s Audio Remote app. Buyers can get 10% cashback on these devices when they make purchases using an ICICI Bank or Federal Bank credit and debit cards. They all come with a 12-month warranty.

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Galaxy Tab S7 photo reconfirms the selfie camera has been relocated

With exactly three weeks left before Samsung’s next Unpacked event takes place, the company’s upcoming flagship tablet, the Galaxy Tab S7, has been spotted in a live photo at Safety Korea. And much like previously-leaked renders and photos have hinted before, the new live photo at hand clearly reconfirms the relocation of the front-facing camera to the right edge of the device.

As you’re most likely aware, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S tablets usually carry their front-facing sensors on the top edge – when using the slates in portrait mode to be precise. This design was employed even by more recent models like the Galaxy Tab S6 and the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, but the company is now switching gears with the Galaxy Tab S7. This design change indicates that Samsung may be putting a greater focus on landscape mode, but time will tell if this is also going to be reflected through software.

More changes are coming to Samsung’s flagship tablets

Evidently, this is not the only change expected from the upcoming tablet series when comparing it with the models that are on sale today. Although the Safety Korea documents don’t reveal much else about the tablet’s specs, earlier rumors claim that the Galaxy Tab S7 series will be equipped with displays capable of a 120Hz refresh rate. Likewise, for the first time in Samsung’s tablet history, the next flagship may also boast 45W super fast charging capabilities. We were also hoping that the Galaxy Tab S7 lineup will have an IP rating, but Samsung doesn’t seem to be ready to make this step just yet, even though this might hold the tablet back from being truly great.

The Safety Korea certificate links the photo with model number SM-T875N, i.e., the Galaxy Tab S7+, but the documents also mention the ‘derivative model’ SM-T870, which should correspond to the standard Galaxy Tab S7 variant. The paper also confirms that the flagship tablet series is being manufactured at Samsung’s facilities in Thai Nguyen, Vietnam.

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Galaxy A72 might be the first to get Optical Image Stabilization in 2021

It was first reported two months ago that Samsung is thinking about bringing Optical Image Stabilization to its mid-range phones. That meant we’d end up with Galaxy A models that had this functionality.

A new report suggests that top models of the 2021 Galaxy A series would be the first mid-rangers from Samsung to get OIS. This would ostensibly include the Galaxy A72 which will be one of the top models in the series.

Samsung may finally bring OIS to mid-range phones

The technology allows for much sharper photos and videos as it eliminates blur. A gyro sensor is mounted on the camera which allows the lens to move in the direction opposite to the movement of the device. This cancels out lens shake and results in sharper images. Enhanced software processing is also used to further improve the result.

Samsung may not have added this functionality to mid-range devices previously because profit margins in this segment are already slim. The additional cost would have eaten into the company’s bottom line. However, market dynamics have significantly changed over the past six months.

It’s no secret that sales of the Galaxy S20 series have been sluggish at best. That can partly be blamed on the COVID19 pandemic as well since it has made customers more mindful of what they’re spending money on during these uncertain economic conditions. The flagship smartphone market may continue to feel the effects of this for quite some time now.

That’s why it’s more important than ever before for Samsung to have a robust and highly competitive mid-range lineup. It continues to face relentless competition in the mid-range segment from Chinese manufacturers and Apple is not helping matters with the $399 iPhone SE as well.

The latest report suggests that the Galaxy A71’s successor, likely called Galaxy A72, would be among the phones that get OIS in 2021. This may also be the case for the Galaxy A82 and Galaxy A92, though Samsung is yet to launch the Galaxy A81 and Galaxy A91.

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Galaxy Z Fold 2 could be unveiled alongside Galaxy Note 20 on August 5

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 was expected to be announced alongside the Galaxy Note 20 and the Galaxy Z Flip 5G during Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked 2020 event. However, a report claimed that the South Korean tech giant might delay the launch due to incomplete software. Now, another report claims that the company will indeed unveil its second-generation Galaxy Fold on August 5.

According to DSCC’s Ross Young, Samsung will announce the Galaxy Z Fold 2 during the Galaxy Unpacked 2020 event on August 5. However, the foldable phone might not ship to customers until early October. He also reiterated that the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will feature a 7.59-inch screen with 2213 x 1689 pixels resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and LTPO technology.

Galaxy Z Fold 2 leaked specifications

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is expected to come equipped with the Snapdragon 865+ processor, 256GB/512GB internal storage, and a microSD card slot. The phone will run Android 10 with One UI 2.5 out of the box. It is rumored to feature a 6.23-inch cover display on the outside with a punch-hole-shaped cutout for the selfie camera. The internal 7.59-inch screen is expected to be protected by UTG.

Samsung’s upcoming foldable phone is rumored to feature 10MP selfie cameras and a 12MP+12MP+64MP triple-camera setup on the rear, similar to the Galaxy S20. The Galaxy Z Fold could come only in a 5G variant. Leaked documents have revealed that it could come packed with a 4,365mAh battery with 25W fast charging and 15W wireless charging. It could also feature 15W reverse wireless charging.

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