Galaxy Buds Pro wireless earbuds now appear in Phantom Silver colorway

Samsung is set to expand its Galaxy Buds lineup with the launch of the Galaxy Buds Pro. We first heard about the upcoming truly wireless earbuds last week, and then its images were leaked shortly. Now, a new color variant of the Galaxy Buds Pro has appeared on the internet.

Trusted leakster Evan Blass has published the press renders of the Phantom Silver variant of the Galaxy Buds Pro. He reiterated that these truly wireless earbuds would be launched in January 2021 alongside the Galaxy S21 series. We had exclusively revealed that Samsung will launch the Galaxy S21 series earlier than usual. It now appears that the Galaxy Buds Pro will be available in at least two color variants: Phantom Silver and Phantom Violet.

The Galaxy Buds Pro appears to have a design that’s a slight improvement over the Galaxy Buds and the Galaxy Buds+. However, the case’s design seems to be exactly similar to that of the Galaxy Buds Live. The Galaxy Buds Pro are expected to feature improved audio quality, active noise cancellation, and better ambient mode. Combined with an in-ear canal design and ANC, the upcoming earbuds could have the best noise cancellation performance that has even been offered by Samsung’s truly wireless earbuds.

Previous leaks have revealed that the Galaxy Buds Pro’s case has a 472mAh battery. We can also expect other features such as Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC, touch controls, a smartphone companion app, equalizer settings, USB Type-C charging, fast charging, and Qi wireless charging.

The post Galaxy Buds Pro wireless earbuds now appear in Phantom Silver colorway appeared first on SamMobile.

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Fresh deal drops Galaxy Buds+ / BTS Edition price to its lowest yet

Samsung is offering a great deal on the Galaxy Buds+ and prospective buyers can now acquire the earbuds for their lowest price yet. They normally cost $149 and Samsung did drop the price down to $109 on Black Friday, but the company is now offering the Galaxy Buds+ for an even lower price of $99. Combine this new deal with Samsung’s trade-in offer and you can virtually buy the Galaxy Buds+ for as low as $79.

The offer is available at Samsung USA’s e-shop as well as partner retailers Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H. The offer applies to the Galaxy Buds+ in black, blue, red, and white, though Samsung and Best Buy are also offering the earbuds in the more exclusive Aura Blue color option.

Samsung drops up to $90 off Galaxy Buds+ BTS Edition

While the standard Galaxy Buds+ are now available for $50 off, Samsung is dropping the price of the Galaxy Buds+ BTS Edition from $199 down to $129. Furthermore, customers who are willing to trade in another pair of earbuds can get an additional $20 discount, bringing the product’s final price all the way down to $109. In other words, the Galaxy Buds+ BTS Edition now cost just $10 more than the standard variant.

Then again, what you will be paying extra for is a rarer paint finish featuring the BTS ARMY logos in purple. Spec-wise the Galaxy Buds+ BTS Edition are identical to the standard model, so you’ll be getting features like Ambient Sound and around 11 hours of music playback on a single battery charge. You can refer to the links below for more details.

Galaxy Buds+ review

• Buy the Galaxy Buds+ at Samsung USA
• Buy the Galaxy Buds+ BTS Edition at Samsung USA
• Buy the Galaxy Buds+ at Amazon
• Buy the Galaxy Buds+ at Best Buy
• Buy the Galaxy Buds+ at B&H

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Galaxy Note 10 Lite, Note 10, Note 20 go head-to-head for under $1,000

There have never been as many Galaxy Note options on the market as there are now. If you’ve never owned a Galaxy Note model and you’re considering making a change, now might be the best time to do it; even more so if the latest rumors turn out to be true and the Galaxy Note 20 will be the last of it kind.

The S Pen will not go away anytime soon but the Galaxy Note series might go through drastic changes next year. Certain reports suggest that the S Pen will become a Galaxy S and/or Galaxy Fold accessory while the Galaxy Note series will be discontinued. And with the end of the year bringing various discounts along with it, you might never get a better chance of owning a Galaxy Note model before it may be phased out.

Now, we don’t advise smartphone users to decide making purchases based on early rumors but regardless of the series’ future, the end of 2020 is the first time in a decade when Samsung fans have the option of choosing from three relatively new Galaxy Note models that cost under $1,000. They are the Galaxy Note 10 Lite, the Galaxy Note 10, and the Galaxy Note 20, and today we’ll be taking a quick look at some of the reasons why you may want to buy one model over the others.

Reasons to pick the Galaxy Note 10 Lite

If you’ve never owned a Galaxy Note model and you’d like to buy one as your secondary driver rather than fully committing to the S Pen then the Galaxy Note 10 Lite might be your best choice. It’s the most affordable Galaxy Note model from the three and you can generally find it unlocked for around €450-470, though it’s worth noting that it’s the only model listed here to lack an IP rating for dust and water resistance and DeX support.

Other noteworthy characteristics include all-day battery life, compatibility with Samsung Pay via MST and NFC, a decent main camera combo and good performance. It’s also the only Galaxy Note model of the three to still offer a standard 3.5mm audio port, and it has the largest battery with a capacity of 4,500mAh.

The Galaxy Note 10 Lite was released running Android 10 and One UI 2.5. This technically makes it eligible for three major Android OS updates up to Android 13, whereas the full-fledged Galaxy Note 10 is only guaranteed to receive Android 12.

Galaxy Note 10 Lite review

Reasons to pick the Galaxy Note 10

You’ll find that the base Galaxy Note 10 model costs about the same as the standard Galaxy Note 20 variant in most markets but you might want to pick the 2019 model over the sequel for a few reasons.

To begin with, the Galaxy Note 10 is the only model of the three to have a premium finish with a glass back panel. The Galaxy Note 10 Lite and the Galaxy Note 20 have a plastic back panel instead. Similarly, the Galaxy Note 10 offers Gorilla Glass 6 protection whereas the Galaxy Note 10 Lite and Galaxy Note 20 have Gorilla Glass 3 and Glass 5, respectively.

If you’re buying your S Pen device in the USA then the Galaxy Note 10 offers the most storage for the price. It has 256GB whereas the Galaxy Note 20 in the USA ships with 128GB.

Lastly, the Galaxy Note 10 is the only model to have a curved display wrapping around the side edges, though this might not necessarily be an advantage for a device that ships with a S Pen.

Galaxy Note 10 review

Reasons to pick the Galaxy Note 20

Last but not least, you should aspire towards the Galaxy Note 20 if you’re looking for the most modern S Pen experience for under $1,000. The new model has an improved S Pen with a lower, 26ms latency, down from the Galaxy Note 10’s 42ms.

The display is larger compared to the 2019 model as it clocks in at 6.7 inches but the resolution is nearly the same. The display’s flat design is arguably a better choice for an input device like the S Pen, but you won’t be gaining any additional frames as the panel remains limited to a 60Hz refresh rate.

Because it’s the most recent model of the three, the Galaxy Note 20 will benefit from the best firmware support and it’s guaranteed to receive three major Android OS updates throughout its lifetime.

Galaxy Note 20 review

Which one of these three Galaxy Note models do you think would make for a good sub-$1,000 choice for people who haven’t experienced the S Pen before? Join us in the comment section and refer to the device comparison widget below for a better look at what makes these three Galaxy Note models tick.

Galaxy Note 10 Lite

VS.

Galaxy Note 10

VS.

Galaxy Note 20

Full comparison

General Information
Model name	Galaxy Note 10 Lite	Galaxy Note 10	Galaxy Note 20
Model number	SM-N770F	SM-N970F	SM-N980F
Model type	Bar	Bar	Bar
Color	Sliver (Sliver) Black (Black) Red (Red)	Silver (Silver) Black (Black) White (White) Blue (Blue) Pink (Pink) Red (Red)	Bronze (Bronze) Black (Black) White (White)
Announced	2020, January	2019, August	2020, August
Released	2020, January	2019, August	2020, August
Physical Specifications
Dimensions	Bar: 163.7 x 76.1 x 8.7 mm	Bar: 151.0 x 71.8 x 7.9 mm	Bar: 161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3 mm
Weights	199g	168g	192g
Operating System
Operating system	Android 10	Android 10	Android 10
One UI version	2.5	2.5	2.5
Network
Networks	2G 3G 4G	2G 3G 4G	2G 3G 4G
Display
Kind	Main Display	Main Display	Main Display
Name	Infinity-O Display	Infinity-O Display	Infinity-O Display
Technology	Super AMOLED Plus	Dynamic AMOLED Display	Super AMOLED Plus
Size	6.7 inch / 170.18 mm	6.3 inch / 160.02 mm	6.7 inch / 170.18 mm
Resolution	FHD+ / 2400x1080 pixels	FHD+ / 2280x1080 pixels	FHD+ / 2400x1080 pixels
Pixel density	394 PPI	401 PPI	393 PPI
Screen to body ratio	~86.6%	~90.9%	%
Memory
RAM/ROM sizes	6 GB RAM with 128 GB ROM 8 GB RAM with 128 GB ROM	8 GB RAM with 256 GB ROM	8 GB RAM with 128 GB ROM
Rear camera
Megapixels	12MP	16MP	64MP
Aperture	F1.7	F2.2	F2.0
Battery
Standard battery capacity	4500 mAh	3500 mAh	4300 mAh
View full comparison »

Galaxy Note 20

• Model: SM-N980F
• Dimensions: Bar: 161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3 mm
  
• Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Super AMOLED Plus
• CPU: Exynos 990
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy Note 10

• Model: SM-N970F
• Dimensions: Bar: 151.0 x 71.8 x 7.9 mm
  
• Display: 6.3 inch / 160.02 mm Dynamic AMOLED Display
• CPU: Exynos 9825
• Camera: 16MP

More specifications

Galaxy Note 10 Lite

• Model: SM-N770F
• Dimensions: Bar: 163.7 x 76.1 x 8.7 mm
  
• Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Super AMOLED Plus
• CPU: Exynos 9810
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

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Report: Galaxy Z Fold 3 has small 4-inch cover display, Z Flip 2 has 3-inch

A few rumors claiming to uncover Samsung’s plans for the foldable market in 2021 have already emerged and the latest such report attempts to shed more light on the entire lineup for next year. According to The Elec citing OLED research firm UBI Research, Samsung has finally decided it will release three foldable models in 2021.

Samsung began its journey into the foldable display era with the original Galaxy Fold but it didn’t take long for the company to kickstart a second form factor through the release of the Galaxy Z Flip. Next year the company is expected to revitalize these two lineups with new Galaxy Z Flip 2 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 models, but according to the source, Samsung will also introduce a more budget-oriented Galaxy Z Fold Lite next year.

Galaxy Z Fold Lite is back in the news, Z Flip Lite is out?

This isn’t the first time we’re hearing about a ‘Lite’ foldable device being planned by Samsung for 2021 but so far the rumors are split. There are some that claim Samsung will be launching a Galaxy Z Fold Lite next year, while other rumors suggest that the budget variant will be a clamshell. According to UBI Research, Samsung’s budget-oriented foldable will be a Galaxy Fold, not a Flip.

The research firm also revealed a couple of specs pertaining to the Lite model’s displays. The so-called Galaxy Z Fold Lite will supposedly have a 7-inch foldable panel and a small 4-inch cover display. Worryingly, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is said to share the same characteristics.

Galaxy Z Fold 3 to have a small cover display (again)?

Samsung will supposedly take a step backwards with the full-fledged Galaxy Z Fold 3 by equipping it with a smaller 4-inch cover display. If true, it would be a tough pill to swallow. The 4.6-inch cover display of the original Galaxy Fold was the phone’s biggest weakness in terms of user experience and usability, and Samsung acknowledged this when it released the Galaxy Z Fold 2 with a larger 6.23-inch cover display.

Having said that, we can’t think of a good reason why Samsung would take a massive step backwards with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 but that’s what the latest report suggests. On the bright side, this downgrade would be contrasted by improvements in other areas, such as the selfie camera which will supposedly be hidden behind the display. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is also said to have a foldable screen strong enough to work with an S Pen so perhaps Samsung doesn’t feel like the cover display will be as relevant as it is now.

Galaxy Z Flip 2 to have a larger 3-inch cover display

Finally, the report suggests that although Samsung will shrink the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s cover display, it will do the exact opposite for the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 2. The ongoing Galaxy Z Flip has a 1.1-inch display that provides quick information at a glance but the Galaxy Z Flip 2’s external screen will supposedly have a 3-inch diagonal.

This could drastically change the way users interact with the Galaxy Z Flip 2. A larger 3-inch display would certainly be a better match for One UI 3’s new lock screen widgets, and it should enable users to perform more tasks without having to flip open the phone.

Join us in the comment section below and let us know how you feel about these alleged changes to Samsung’s 2021 foldable lineup. Keep in mind that the information above is not official but it is subject to change and it’s still unclear what route Samsung will take for the budget Lite foldable. Which form factor would you prefer?

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Galaxy S20’s Android 11 release is another knock out of the park from Samsung

Samsung has been killing it with updates recently, but there was a time when it was infamous for taking what felt like eternity to roll out major new Android OS updates for its devices. The company was also shy about letting customers beta test upcoming releases of Android and its custom experience skin, but even after addressing that void back in 2016, the speed with which public releases of these updates took place continued to frustrate die-hard fans.

All that has changed in the past couple of years. I think it was with Android Pie for the Galaxy S9 and S9+ that Samsung took its first big step at bringing new OS versions to its devices as quickly as it could. To be more precise, it was the first time we saw the company release a major update the same year it was announced by Google, with the Galaxy S9 and S9+ receiving the first stable Android Pie build in late December, 2019.

It still wasn’t perfect: That stable build was initially released to the two phones in less than a handful of markets, and it took a couple of weeks for the rollout to begin in earnest. But since then, Samsung has only gotten better and better at it. The Galaxy S10’s stable Android 10 update came in late November last year, and while it wasn’t as quick this year, Samsung has still managed to roll out the latest Android and One UI upgrade to the Galaxy S20 series at the beginning of December.

And that’s not all. This is also the first time we’re seeing the rollout of a major new update for a Galaxy device in multiple markets on the same day. Yesterday, Samsung announced that Android 11 and One UI 3.0 for the Galaxy S20 series is coming out in most of Europe, the US, and South Korea this week. More than a dozen countries have already received the update, and we can expect plenty more to join the party by the time the year comes to a close.

There’s still plenty of room to improve. Samsung could, for instance, start off its beta programs earlier than it currently does and, as a result, further speed things up as far as the public releases are concerned. It could also plan things ahead for devices like the Galaxy S20 FE. That phone is part of the Galaxy S20 family but was not included in the One UI 3.0 beta program, and it is not expected to get the update before late December. A concurrent rollout of Android 11 for the Galaxy Note 20 series would also have been nice to see.

Of course, for a manufacturer that sells as many devices as Samsung does, there are too many variables at play, so this may be the best it ever gets. But it probably isn’t, seeing how far we’ve come from the days when guessing the ETA on a new Android OS update from Samsung was akin to playing a game of Russian roulette.

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Galaxy S20 Android 11 firmware download available now

You can now download full system images with the latest, Android 11-based One UI 3.0 for the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and the Galaxy S20 Ultra. We’re talking about the real deal here, i.e. the first official stable releases of the new firmware and not any beta branches that could have recently been pulled from the wild – or directly from Samsung, if you participated in the Galaxy S20 series’ beta program.

The updates are already rolling out to Samsung’s flagships, but if you’re feeling impatient, you can also get them directly from our firmware archives. And you might just do that, considering how this isn’t a simple monthly security update that’s on offer, but a pretty major upgrade to Samsung’s custom Android implementation. In other words, there’s a lot of new features and improvements to enjoy.

Galaxy S20 Android 11 firmware download

We already have several Android 11 images for the regular Galaxy S20 (SM-G980F), designated as G980FXXU5CTKG. As always, you should only install those intended for your particular model and country. The situation with the availability of Galaxy S20+ Android 11 firmware is even better, as there are already over a dozen builds to choose from, identified with build number G985FXXU5CTKG.

Finally, the volume of those for the Galaxy S20 Ultra, release version G988BXXU5CTKG, falls somewhere in the middle. More different firmware builds from other parts of the world are coming soon, so check back in a while if you can’t find a compatible image matching your particular device and your country just yet because we’re building out our archive in real time.

Galaxy S20

• Model: SM-G980F
• Dimensions: Bar: 151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9 mm
  
• Display: 6.2 inch / 157.48 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Exynos 990
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy S20+

• Model: SM-G985F
• Dimensions: Bar: 161.9 x 73.7 x 7.8 mm
  
• Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Exynos 990
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G

• Model: SM-G988B
• Dimensions: Bar: 166.9 x 76.0 x 8.8 mm
  
• Display: 6.9 inch / 175.26 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Exynos 990
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

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PSA: Galaxy S21 won’t support your old Gear wearables

Unfortunately – though not unexpectedly – you can forget about your old Gear wearables having anything resembling official support from the Galaxy S21. Samsung’s next range of high-end smartphones won’t be the only such lineup incompatible with the company’s old fitness trackers and smartwatches. In fact, all of its mobile devices released from next year onward will ditch support for those gadgets.

The situation stems from the planned roadmap for the Galaxy Wearable (Samsung Gear) Android app. Namely, future versions of the tool won’t be made available on a handful of older hardware released as part of the Gear series, Samsung communicated, as reported by GalaxyClub.

Could have Samsung done more to prolong support for its Gear fitness trackers?

The full list of devices that are approaching their de facto end of life next year includes the original Galaxy Gear, Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo, Gear S, and the Gear Fit.

All of those wearables are pretty old at this point, and it’s been years since you could have last seen them sold anywhere. Most have turned six in the last couple of months, actually. So it’s probably not reasonable to expect Samsung to support them for much longer, given how device compatibility across half a decade of technological advancements is already pretty much unheard of in consumer electronics.

And it’s not like Samsung hasn’t been investing significant resources into delivering a better after-sales experience to its customers lately. After all, it just started guaranteeing three generations of OS updates for its smartphones as of this fall. So when an industry leader says it’s dropping support for fitness trackers that are as old as the modern concept of wearables, it’s probably safe to assume it did everything it reasonably could in order to delay the inevitable.

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