Samsung’s eyeing LG’s 5G patent portfolio after its demise from mobile

Samsung Electronics is reportedly looking at LG’s 5G patent portfolio with interest following LG’s retreat from the mobile market earlier this year. Samsung as well as a lot of NPEs (non-practicing entities) are reportedly considering buying LG Electronics’ 5G patents, though Samsung might be looking at alternative ways in which it can secure these 5G technologies.

LG has retired from the mobile market but the company still owns a lot of valuable patents for both LTE and 5G technologies. Last year, LG was the world’s third-largest patent holder for 5G technologies after Nokia and Samsung. According to sources, LG’s patent portfolio covering both LTE and 5G technologies is worth anywhere between 1 and 1.5 trillion won ($900 – $1.3 million).

Samsung might be more interested in licensing deals

Some NPEs are reportedly looking at LG’s portfolio with intentions of buying the company’s 5G patents. This makes sense for NPEs because it’s their usual M.O. NPEs hold on to patents and sell licensing agreements for profit, but they don’t intend on using the patented technologies for their own products.

As for Samsung Electronics, the company might be thinking of doing the exact opposite. Samsung might be looking to tap into LG’s rich 5G patent portfolio through licensing agreements rather than acquisitions, according to anonymous industry sources cited by The Korea Times.

Samsung hasn’t officially confirmed any of this though, so we’ll have to wait and see if the company does indeed have any interest in LG’s 5G patented technologies.

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The Galaxy M12 will hit online retail stores in Vietnam early next week

The Galaxy M12 debuted in Vietnam all the way back in February but availability has so far been limited to the company’s offline stores. Soon enough though, customers in Vietnam will have the option of buying the Galaxy M12 online from Shopee.

Samsung Vietnam has revealed the online launch details earlier today and confirmed that the Galaxy M12 will be available from Shopee in two configurations. The entry-level model with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage will be released in two color options: black and green. Similarly, the variant with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage will also be released in two colors: black and blue.

Prospective buyers are looking at a suggested retail price of 3,490,000 VND ($151) for the model with 3GB of RAM. Those who may want to purchase the 4GB variant will have to pay 3,890,000 VND or the rough equivalent of $168.

The Galaxy M12 will be available in Vietnam from Shopee’s e-commerce website starting May 5. Samsung Vietnam is also offering a 200,000 VND ($9) discount and a free phone case for early buyers. Meanwhile, the company has paired the 4GB / 64GB Galaxy M12 with an extended Samsung Care+ warranty of 24 months.

As to whether or not the Galaxy M12 is worth it, well, it’s a surprisingly good budget phone with a 90Hz refresh rate display. Nope, that’s not a typo. The Galaxy M12 is Samsung’s most affordable smartphone with a high refresh rate display to date. You can read more about it in our review linked below.

Galaxy M12 review

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What year is it? A ‘monthly’ security update just hit Galaxy J7 Neo

Samsung’s been doing a lot to normalize long-term software support in recent years. But a Galaxy J7 Neo being updated in mid-2021? Sorry, but that’s nothing short of baffling any day of the week. If that name made you go “what”, you’re not alone; we barely covered this thing back when it released. OK, that’s not entirely fair; you might just remember this entry-level handset as the Galaxy J7 Nxt, which is how it’s been marketed in India.

Or perhaps even the Galaxy J7 Core, a name Samsung picked for the Philippines, presumably for local copyright reasons. Regardless, the exact PDA version rolling out to select Galaxy J7 Neo units right now bears the J701FXXSACUD2 designation.

When was the last time you saw one of these?

Either way, the OTA in question carries the March 1st security upgrade running on top of the same old Android 9 that’s been running on hopefully all remaining Galaxy J7 Neo units in the wild since 2019. It’s already live in Taiwan but Latin America should follow. Maybe. This whole situation is largely unprecedented. Not completely, though; and Samsung doing everything it can to normalize it.

For the uninitiated, this smartphone might as well have been named after the Matrix movies. Fortunately, it is neither that old, nor does it seem to age any less gracefully than Keanu Reeves. If anything, the Galaxy J7 Neo is ahead in this department, seeing how Keanu received a grand total of zero security upgrades since his commercial debut.

These days, only the most dedicated tech aficionados are likely to recall when exactly Samsung discontinued the Galaxy J series. And who can blame them? This product line was hardly designed to be a head-turner.

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Surprise! The Android 11 / One UI 3.1 update is live for the Galaxy A41

Android 11 has so far been released for too many Galaxy devices to keep track of, but lately Samsung’s been focusing its attention on older mid-range devices and the latest one to join the part is the Galaxy A41. Not surprising given that the Galaxy F41 has already received two major Android 11-based firmware updates this year.

The new Android 11-based firmware update brings a ton of cool new features as part of One UI 3.1. The user interface is more modern and UI elements are easier to read and reach, and countless Samsung apps got updated with new features and a new design.

The update is now available for the Galaxy A41 (SM-A415F) in Russia and it carries firmware number A415FXXU1CUD4. As expected, the latest release also promises better security thanks to the April 2021 security patch.

Galaxy A41 owners can attempt to download the Android 11 update from the Settings app on their phones by navigating to the Software update menu. And as usual, SamMobile readers can skip the wait by downloading the latest firmware from our archive and installing it on their phones manually. Just make sure you’re searching for the correct device / model number and region before downloading.

As of this writing, the Android 11 update is rolling out for the Galaxy A41 in Russia, though the phone should get the same treatment in other regions gradually.

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Android 11 update for Galaxy A31 now rolling out internationally

Two weeks ago, Samsung had started rolling out the Android 11 update to the Galaxy A31. However, the update was limited to the South Korean market. Today, the company has released the Android 11 update to the Galaxy A31 in more countries worldwide, bringing new features to more users.

The latest software update for the Galaxy A31 is now available in Malaysia, Russia, and the UAE. The Android 11-based One UI 3.1 update, which has firmware version A315FXXU1CUD4 (Russia and the UAE) or A315GDXU1CUD4 (Malaysia), also includes the April 2021 security patch. Since it is a big update, it is advisable to use a Wi-Fi network to download the update.

This new update brings a refreshed UI design, one-time permissions, auto permissions reset, chat bubbles, newer versions of Samsung’s stock apps, improvements to Samsung Internet and Samsung Keyboard, more lockscreen widgets and Dynamic Lockscreen options, better Digital Wellbeing and parental control features, and easier access to smart home controls. It could also include improved security, performance, and device stability.

If you are a Galaxy A31 user in Malaysia, Russia, or the UAE, you can check for the latest software update by navigating to Settings » Software update and tapping on Download and install. Alternatively, you can download the latest firmware from our firmware database and flash it manually. The update is likely to be rolled out to the Galaxy A31 in more countries over the next few days.

 

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Business leaders want Lee Jae-yong out of prison for South Korea’s future

South Korea’s most prominent business investors are reportedly lobbying for the release of Samsung’s imprisoned de facto leader Lee Jae-yong. The country’s major business lobby groups have reportedly sent a letter to Cheong Wa Dae — a.k.a. the Blue House / official presidential residence — in which they’re petitioning for Lee Jae-yong’s pardon.

Lee Jae-yong was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison on account of his bribery case earlier in January, and he was banned from working at Samsung for 5 years once the sentence is executed. However, an increasing number of prominent voices are now concerned that Lee Jae-yong’s imprisonment could have disastrous consequences for South Korea’s economy, and South Korea’s major business lobby groups agree.

According to The Korea Times, the five major lobby groups that have reportedly petitioned for Lee Jae-yong’s release earlier today are:

• Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Korea Enterprises Federation
• Korea Federation of SMEs
• Korea International Trade Association
• Federation of Middle Market Enterprises of Korea

South Korea needs Samsung’s leadership amid the semiconductor shortage

Although Lee Jae-yong’s lawyers told the public in January that Samsung’s de facto leader has humbly accepted the court’s decision to serve 2.5 years in prison, industry watchers, business leaders, and even religious figures have all been vocal about the consequences of Lee’s imprisonment during the ongoing global semiconductor shortage.

They believe that Samsung — South Korea’s largest business and one of the world’s key semiconductor companies — is in dire need of strong leadership if it wants to maintain relevancy in the semiconductor space. In their eyes, Lee Jae-yong’s imprisonment could have disastrously long-term consequences for South Korea’s economy.

To understand why, Emeritus Professor of Seoul National University Kim Hyung-jun drew a parallel between Japan’s semiconductor history in the ’80s and the current situation in a recent interview with The Elec. He argued that Japan lost the leading position in the semiconductor space a few decades ago precisely because Japan’s semiconductor industry didn’t have clear leadership, and instead it was spearheaded by groups of investors.

As per the recent petition for pardoning Lee Jae-yong, South Korea’s business leaders believe that any delay in investment and business decisions — especially now during the global semiconductor shortage — could lead to South Korea losing the No. 1 status in a day.

A couple of years ago, Samsung Electronics laid down a plan to become the industry’s largest semiconductor player by 2030, though it’s evident that some industry watchers believe that Samsung and / or South Korea’s semiconductor arm won’t survive until then if Lee Jae-yong remains imprisoned.

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Galaxy Tab A7 is the latest tablet to get Android 11 update

Samsung is continuing its Android 11 update party, and the latest Galaxy device to get the Android 11 update is the Galaxy Tab A7. The entry-level tablet was launched in late 2020 with Android 10 onboard, and it is now getting updated to the latest version of One UI and is getting a newer security patch.

The LTE variant of the Galaxy Tab A7 (SM-T505) has started getting the Android 11-based One UI 3.1 update in various European countries and the UK. The new software update, which bumps up the tablet’s firmware version to T505XXU3BUD7, also brings the March 2021 security patch. The update has various new features and a refreshed UI design.

While we don’t have an official changelog for the new update yet, it should include improved UI design, one-time permissions, auto permissions reset, chat bubbles, a centralized media player widget below quick settings toggles, a conversations section in the notifications area, quicker access to smart home controls, and improved performance and security.

One UI 3.1 features include more Dynamic Lockscreen options and lockscreen widgets, improved Digital Wellbeing and parental controls, newer versions of stock apps with new features, improved Samsung Keyboard and Samsung Internet apps, the ability to remove GPS location data from images while sharing them, and a newer design in the Device Care section.

If you are a Galaxy Tab A7 user in Europe or the UK, you can manually check for the latest update by navigating to Settings » Software update and tapping on Download and install. You can also download the new firmware from our firmware section and flash it manually. Samsung could roll out the new update to the Galaxy Tab A7 in more markets over the next few days.

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