Samsung Experience 10 Launcher APK surfaces for Oreo-powered phones

We got our first glimpse at the Samsung Experience 10 launcher about a week ago. A leaked Android Pie for Galaxy S9 build had surfaced which gave us our first glimpse at the upcoming major firmware update. The Samsung Experience 10 Launcher APK is now available for download and it’s compatible with Samsung’s Oreo-powered devices as well.

This Samsung Experience 10 Launcher has been pulled from that very leaked build. It’s not the only app that was taken from that build. The upcoming version of the Samsung Internet browser was pulled as well.

Samsung Experience 10 Launcher APK

Many of you have seen the screenshots from that leaked Android 9.0 for Galaxy S9 build. Samsung Experience 10 brings major changes for the entire user interface and the launcher is a part of that UI.

The icons in this updated launcher are slightly larger in both the app drawer and folders. A new animation plays when Bixby Home is launched while the Home screen settings menu’s design language is similar to that of the Samsung Experience 10 skin.

The APK is now available for download. We have decided not to upload it on our APK page because it’s not officially signed by Samsung. SamMobile does not host unsigned APKs from third-parties as per policy, nevertheless, you can obtain it from the source link below and install it at your own risk.

This Samsung Experience 10 Launcher APK is compatible with Samsung devices running Android 8.0 and Android 8.1. It’s obviously compatible with devices running that leaked Android Pie build as well (here’s our guide on how to install that leaked build on the Galaxy S9). The app will have to be sideloaded before it can be selected as the default launcher from the Settings app.

The launcher won’t let you experience the full extent of the UI changes in Samsung’s custom Android skin. That will only be possible with Samsung Experience 10 which will ship the Android 9 Pie update. Samsung is currently testing the Pie update in all markets for the Galaxy S9 and will subsequently start rolling out the firmware update in the coming months.

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Samsung partners with PUBG Mobile for a global tournament

Samsung was the exclusive launch-partner for Fortnite on Android, although the exclusivity didn’t last for any meaningful amount of time. Last week, the company announced a Fortnite contest in partnership with the popular Fortnite streamer Ninja. The contest, which is open only to the Galaxy Note 9 and Tab S4 users in the US, promises attractive prizes to the winners.

If you are in the PUBG camp, then Samsung has something for you as well, sort of. The company has announced that it will sponsor the PUBG Mobile Star Challenge (PMSC) – a global tournament for celebrity streamers. Players will be competing for a $600,000 prize pool and official streaming contracts. Samsung doesn’t seem to be involved in the PMSC in anyway other than a sponsor, but we can expect the company to use the opportunity to showcase the gaming capabilities of the Galaxy Note 9.

Samsung sponsors PUBG Mobile Star Challenge

Unlike the Fortnite contest, the PMSC has higher barriers to entry and is open only to players with more than 1000 followers on streaming or social media platforms. The tournament is open to players and teams from Europe, North America, South America, China, Korea/Japan, and the rest of Asia.

The contest will be at the regional level first after which the winning teams from the six regions will fight for the global championship. Regional champion will get $20,000, while the runner-up and third-place winner will receive $15,000 and $10,000, respectively. The global final promises prize money of $200,000, $100,000, and $50,000 for the first, second, and third-place winners, respectively.

You can visit the PUBG Mobile Star Challenge page here for more details.

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Galaxy P30 might not have an in-display fingerprint sensor

There’s been plenty of speculation and rumor mongering about when exactly Samsung will release a phone with an in-display fingerprint sensor. It hasn’t made its way into the flagship Galaxy phones yet, and recent rumors have suggested that Samsung will be bringing such a fingerprint sensor to the Galaxy P30 later this year. But a new rumor is now claiming that may not be the case.

Galaxy P30 features might not include in-display fingerprint sensor

The latest tidbit comes from Chinese leakster MMDDJ_, who has taken to Twitter to say there’s no in-display fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy P30. The leakster also says that the P30 will have 6GB of RAM and the Galaxy P series phones will offer high-end hardware at a low price. The Galaxy A series, meanwhile, will reportedly continue to be all about the overall experience. It’s unclear if an in-display fingerprint is still on the cards for the Galaxy P30+. It’s possible Samsung will stick to a conventional fingerprint sensor for the non-Plus model, just like it has only equipped the Galaxy J6+ with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and not the Galaxy J4+.

That won’t mean the Galaxy P30 won’t still be a relatively high-end device. As we revealed exclusively today, the P30 will come in a 128GB storage flavor, pretty much like the new Galaxy A7. It will also have gradient color options. Samsung has already dipped its toes into the world of gradient colors with the Galaxy A9 Star, and offering the Galaxy P30 in similarly beautiful paint jobs should make it more visually attractive to consumers in China, where the P30 and P30+ are expected to debut.

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Samsung may soon launch ‘Gradation Covers’ for its new smartphones

Samsung has significantly improved the competitiveness of its budget smartphones this year with Infinity displays and thoughtful software features. This has helped the company to regain some of the lost market share in countries like India. The company is also changing its strategy for the midrange smartphones and has already launched the Galaxy A7 (2018) as part of it.

Apart from the devices themselves, it appears Samsung is focusing on launching attractive accessories as well. A report in GalaxyClub says the company will soon unveil ‘Gradation Covers’ for the recently launched Galaxy A7 (2018), Galaxy J4+, and Galaxy J6+. No official images are available yet, but the reported details are enough to give us an idea.

Gradation covers ‘add’ new colors to the smartphone

As the name implies, these covers add a gradient effect to the smartphone. The report says these are probably partially transparent silicone covers with a color gradient that ‘changes’ the color of the smartphone depending on the angle you look at it.

The concept is similar to the gradient color options of the Huawei P20 Pro, but, unlike Huawei, Samsung is doing it through a cover for the aforementioned devices. Samsung has embraced gradient colors for one handset in China. We have also reported exclusively today that Samsung’s first smartphone with an in-display fingerprint sensor is going to be offered with four gradient color options.

We don’t know when Samsung is planning to bring them to the market, but the October 11 Galaxy event in Malaysia, where the company is rumored to unveil the new Galaxy A9 with a four-camera setup on the back, seems like a good venue for announcing them.

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Exclusive: Galaxy P30 storage and color options revealed

Samsung is working on a new handset with an in-display fingerprint sensor which will be launched as part of a new Galaxy P series. This device is expected to arrive before the end of this year. The Galaxy S10 will thus not be Samsung’s first smartphone with an in-display fingerprint sensor. That title will go to the Galaxy P30.

It has been reiterated in recent rumors that the Galaxy P30 will be Samsung’s first in-display fingerprint sensor phone. The device is said to feature an LCD display with an optical display-based fingerprint sensor.

Galaxy P30 storage and color options

We can now exclusively reveal some information about Samsung’s first in-display fingerprint sensor phone which bears model number SM-G6200. The Galaxy P30 moniker isn’t confirmed yet, by the way, but it’s possible that this is what Samsung might use for the device.

The Galaxy P30 will be available with 64GB and 128GB of storage. That’s pretty standard for a decent mid-range smartphone in 2018. The handset will be available in Blue, Pink, Black and Red colors. Samsung recent shift to gradient colors isn’t a one-off event. All four color options for the Galaxy P30 will be gradient and these will be the base colors.

It’s expected that Samsung may launch this handset in China first. A Galaxy P30+ is also believed on the agenda which may feature a display-based fingerprint sensor. Both are likely going to be released before the end of this year.

Optical in-display fingerprint sensors can already be found in devices from the likes of Huawei and Vivo. They’re cheaper but less accurate compared to their ultrasonic counterparts. The Galaxy S10 will feature an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor, the best that Qualcomm has to offer.

Samsung is likely pushing out this device later this year as it’s now aggressively taking on its Chinese rivals. That strategy has already resulted in the new Galaxy A7 being launched as Samsung’s first smartphone with a triple rear camera.

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New Galaxy A7 price and release date in India confirmed

Samsung today confirmed the new Galaxy A7 price and release date in India. The Galaxy A7 is Samsung’s first smartphone with three rear-facing cameras. India is one of the first markets to get this device. The new handset brings a premium design, a triple-camera system at back and promises of superior performance.

Samsung says that it developed the Galaxy A7 based on consumer insight which shows that nearly half of Indian millennials use their smartphone cameras daily. They happen to use the rear camera twice as much as the front camera.

New Galaxy A7 price and release date in India

The new Galaxy A7 has three rear-facing cameras. There’s the primary 24-megapixel sensor coupled with an 8-megapixel 120-degree Ultra Wide sensor. It also has a 5-megapixel depth sensor at the back. There’s a 24-megapixel front camera as well.

With Pixel Binning, the device can detect low light conditions automatically and combine four pixels into one “Super Pixel.” This results in clear shots in the dark. The depth sensor enables Live Focus which lets users control the depth of field or bokeh effects during and after taking a photo.

Samsung’s Scene Optimizer feature is present on this device as well. It can automatically detect up to 19 different scenarios such as food, sunset etc and then optimize each shot for the perfect picture. The AR Emoji feature is present as well but it’s the same watered down implementation as the Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S8.

The Galaxy A7 features a 6-inch 1080×2220 pixel resolution AMOLED display. It’s powered by the Exynos 7885 processor with 4GB/6GB and 64GB/128GB RAM and storage variants. It supports microSD cards of up to 512GB. There’s a 3,300mAh battery, LTE Cat.6, Samsung Pay mini and Android 8.0 Oreo as well.

Samsung is selling the Galaxy A7 in blue, black and gold colors. The 4GB/64GB variant is priced at INR 23,990 (~$330) and the 6GB/128GB costs INR 28,990 (~$400). Customers are eligible for a cash back worth INR 2,000 when they pay through HDFC bank credit and debit cards.

It will be available for a special preview sale on Flipkart, Samsung e-shop and at the Samsung Opera House in Bengaluru on September 27 and September 28. The Galaxy A7 will also be available from the company’s countrywide retail network by the end of this month.

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Galaxy Note 9 is Consumer Reports’ highest-rated smartphone

Incremental changes in a new smartphone may not sound very appealing on paper but may result in a great device that is a joy to use and easy to recommend. It seems to be the case with the Galaxy Note 9 as well if we go by all the praise the device is receiving in the recent weeks.

At the time of the announcement, not many people were excited with the Galaxy Note 9 due to its incremental upgrades, but the narrative seems to have changed quite a bit once the reviews started pouring in. Most of the reviews, including our very own, presented the Galaxy Note 9 as an uncompromising device which excels in almost all the critical aspects of a smartphone.

Consumer Reports (CR) is also now joining the chorus with a glowing review for Samsung’s latest flagship. The Note 9 excelled in CR’s extensive tests to climb to the top of their smartphone ratings. CR attributes Galaxy Note 9’s score to its long-lasting battery, improved durability, great cameras, and innovative features like the S Pen.

Galaxy Note 9 is CR’s highest-rated smartphone

Samsung’s phablet lasted an impressive 29 hours in CR’s battery test that simulates real-world use with a robotic finger programmed to make calls, browse the internet, snap pictures, and use GPS navigation on the test device. In the durability test which involves dropping the device from a height of 2.5 feet into a tumbling machine, the Note 9 reportedly survived all the 100 test drops without any damages to the glass.

CR also, unsurprisingly, praises the Galaxy Note 9 for its beautiful OLED display, cameras that take great pictures, and S Pen features. The report points to few obvious shortcomings as well – size, weight, and price. With the new iPhones about to hit the market, we have to wait and see if the Note 9 will be able to hold on to the top rank for long.

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