Galaxy A90 could arrive with Snapdragon 855, ‘exclusive tilt OIS’

The Galaxy A90 was expected to be the first mid-range Galaxy smartphone with 5G connectivity, but it looks like the A90’s specs could make it spill over into flagship territory, at least as far as the silicon under the hood is concerned. According to Twitter leakster OnLeaks, the Galaxy A90 will be powered by the Snapdragon 855 chipset, the same one that powers the Galaxy S10 in markets like the US and China. The Snapdragon 855 will apparently power both the LTE and 5G Galaxy A90 variants, and the 5G variant will feature an “exclusive Tilt OIS tech.”

Optical image stabilization finally returning to Galaxy A lineup?

It’s unclear what “tilt OIS” means, but it’s good to see that optical image stabilization will finally be making a comeback to Samsung’s mid-range phones. Well, the Galaxy A90 will be a flagship-like device, so we guess it is more accurate to say that OIS is making a comeback to the Galaxy A lineup. But until we get more details, it remains to be seen exactly what kind of OIS tech the Galaxy A90 will have.

Only the LTE model (SM-A905) is said to sport OIS, and it will reportedly have a triple rear camera with a 48MP primary sensor (not a 32MP one as had been rumored previously) flanked by 12MP and 5MP sensors (we’re assuming these will be ultra-wide and depth sensors respectively). The 5G variant (SM-A908) will apparently come with a 48MP+8MP+5MP setup. Like the A80, the A90 should have a sliding and rotating camera mechanism, allowing the use of the entire rear camera setup for selfies.

OnLeaks doesn’t say if a ToF (Time-of-Flight) sensor is included, though. The Galaxy A80 has one (see the pink light in the picture above) for bokeh in videos and for augmented reality applications, and a ToF camera can technically enable advanced Apple Face ID-like facial recognition as well. Samsung isn’t offering any on the Galaxy A80 or the Galaxy S10 5G, but hopefully it will do so on the Galaxy A90.

Other specs include a 6.7″ display with in-display fingerprint sensor

The Galaxy A90 is said to be equipped with a 6.7-inch display and an in-display fingerprint sensor, two more specs it will share with the Galaxy A80. But let’s talk about that Snapdragon 855 for a minute, shall we? Last year, we had heard a rumor that Samsung was preparing a Galaxy A series phone with the Snapdragon 845. But the highest-end chip on a Galaxy A series phone we’ve seen yet is the Snapdragon 730 inside the Galaxy A80, so it will be interesting to see if the Galaxy A90 really does come packing a Snapdragon 855.

And while you may be wondering why Samsung wouldn’t use the Exynos 9820 instead, it’s a good thing the company isn’t doing that. First off, the Exynos 9820 does not have 5G connectivity built-in. Furthermore, the Snapdragon 855 is made on a 7nm process while the Exynos 9820 uses an 8nm manufacturing process, and the former has been seen to be noticeably more power efficient on the Galaxy S10 lineup. The Snapdragon 855 also allows the Galaxy Fold to offer impressive battery life despite the rather humble battery capacity on Samsung’s foldable phone.

We just hope Samsung doesn’t delay the Galaxy A90 as much as it has delayed the Galaxy A80. The company needs to be quick with such experimental devices, and if it keeps the A90 in the oven too long, the only thing worth praising about the device when it comes out may be its ability to connect to 5G networks.

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T-Mobile Galaxy S10 5G release date has been confirmed

Many were looking forward to finding out the T-Mobile Galaxy S10 5G release date and the wait ends for them today. Magenta has formally confirmed when it will start selling Samsung’s first 5G smartphone on its network.

T-Mobile joins the likes of Verizon and Sprint in selling the Galaxy S10 5G. The handset was exclusive to Verizon initially but has since arrived on Sprint as well. AT&T is selling it too but only to developers and business customers.

T-Mobile Galaxy S10 5G release date

The Galaxy S10 5G is Samsung’s first 5G smartphone. It came out in South Korea initially and has done well there. Samsung has sold more than one million units of the 5G variant in under three months. The company is also working with carrier partners across the globe to bring it to more markets. The Galaxy S10 5G is gradually becoming available as carriers flip the switch on their mobile 5G networks. It’s being rolled out in places like Germany ahead of the networks going live.

As you’d expect, 5G network availability is limited on T-Mobile right now. It’s currently available in parts of Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York. The device will use T-Mobile’s LTE network when it can’t get a 5G signal there. T-Mobile has published a coverage map for each city so that residents can know where they’ll get a signal.

The carrier is going to sell the Galaxy S10 5G through select stores in the aforementioned cities. It’s going to cost $31.25 per month with $549.99 down for 24 months on T-Mobile’s equipment installment plan. The full retail price of the handset is $1,299. The Galaxy S10 5G will be available from T-Mobile starting June 28.

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Samsung should be quicker with unique devices like the Galaxy A80

Pop-up cameras are slowly but surely becoming the most common solution for truly bezel-less displays on smartphones. There are a handful of devices with pop-up cameras on the market at the moment, and devices like the Oppo Find X went a slightly different route by opting for a sliding mechanism that reveals the front-facing camera when you want to take a selfie and goes back in when you’re done.

A sliding mechanism is what Samsung chose as well, but the Korean firm went a step further and also opted for a rotating camera assembly on the Galaxy A80, its first smartphone with an Infinity display without notches or cutouts. A rotating camera mechanism was employed by Oppo years ago (with the Oppo N1), and it’s a pretty neat idea at the end of the day, as it allows you to use the high-quality rear camera setup for selfies.

However, I feel Samsung needs to move a lot faster than it is moving right now with these experimental devices. The Galaxy A80 was supposed to go on sale in late May, but as it turned out, Samsung revealed that the phone would go on sale in early July. The A80 is listed on Samsung’s website in plenty of countries, but the phone doesn’t seem to be actually available for purchase anywhere, and I have a feeling by the time it makes it to retail shelves, it will have been too late.

The competition is not waiting around for Samsung

Why do I think the Galaxy A80 should have gone on sale sooner? Well, it was the launch of the Zenfone 6, Taiwanese manufacturer Asus’ latest smartphone. Asus has discovered a new technique to give people an uninterrupted viewing experience: a rear camera assembly that flips 180 degrees to allow users to take a selfie. Where the Galaxy A80 first slides the entire top part up and then rotates the cameras, the Zenfone 6 does it in a simpler way, one that involves fewer moving parts.

It’s not the complexity that I’m complaining about, though. I just want to make a point that Samsung should be a bit worried, as other manufacturers aren’t sitting idle or running out of ideas. Chinese manufacturers have already proven they can put together a new device in a jiffy, and while we’re still waiting on the first no-notch Galaxy to hit the shelves, another player (Asus) has joined the party. The Zenfone 6 is already on sale, which means the A80 will have some serious competition to contend with from day one.

Now, Samsung may have taken the extra time to better test the Galaxy A80 before putting it on retail shelves. As we discovered when we went hands-on with it in Thailand, when the A80’s camera assembly slides up, it creates a sizable gap on both sides of the device, allowing dirt to get in. Seeing how the Galaxy Fold had to be delayed because of dirt lodging itself under the screen, is it possible Samsung needs more time to test how the Galaxy A80 is affected in the real world because of those gaps?

Even if that is the case, Samsung should have been quicker with bringing the Galaxy A80 into the hands of consumers. By the time it does go on sale, it may be too little too late. With the company feeling the heat in all segments, it simply cannot afford to dawdle any longer, even if one of its biggest competitors has run into some major roadblocks. Samsung needs to stop playing catch-up and take the lead or it may fall behind to a point where a comeback may not be possible.

What do you think? Have you been looking forward to the Galaxy A80 ever since it was officially announced?

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Galaxy Fit and Fit e fitness wearables launched in India

Samsung has launched the Galaxy Fit and Fit e (review) duo in India. Both new smart fitness wearables were announced back in February alongside the Galaxy S10 smartphones. The affordable bands come with improved fitness tracking features and lightweight designs.

Price and specifications

The Galaxy Fit sports a 0.95-inch full color AMOLED display and comes with 2MB RAM and 32MB storage. The device houses a 120 mAh battery with NFC wireless charging support. It supports notifications for new messages and voice calls from your phone and also has reply functionality. The band also syncs the Do Not Disturb setting of your phone.

The Galaxy Fit e, on the other hand, gets a smaller 0.74-inch PMOLED display and also packs a smaller 70 mAh battery. While the Fit e does support notifications from your phone, you cannot respond to them. Both devices have military-grade durability and are water resistant up to 50 meters.

The fitness bands can track activities such as walking, running, and biking using an array of sensors that include a gyroscope (only on the Galaxy Fit), accelerometer and a heart rate monitor. The Galaxy Fit tracks up to six activities using its Auto Workout Tracking feature, whereas the Fit e detects only three. However, both of them have Samsung Health support that enables tracking of more than 90 different activities. The devices also come with enhanced sleep analysis and smart stress management.

Galaxy Fit sales start today, Fit e from July 1

The Galaxy Fit and Fit e are priced at Rs. 9,990 and Rs. 2,590 respectively in India. The Galaxy Fit is available in silver and black colors, while the Galaxy Fit e comes in black, white and yellow colors. The former is available to buy starting today on Samsung e-Shop, Flipkart and Myntra, as well as Samsung Opera House in Bangalore. The Fit e, meanwhile, will be available for pre-order on Flipkart on July 1. General sales begin on July 5 on Flipkart, Myntra and Samsung e-Shop. It will also be available in select offline stores after July 19.

Galaxy Fit e

• Model: SM-R375
• Dimensions: 16.0 x 40.2 x 10.9mm
• Display: 0.74” (18.7mm)
• CPU: MCU Cortex M0
• Camera:

More specifications

Galaxy Fit

• Model: SM-R370
• Dimensions: 18.3 x 44.6 x 11.2mm
• Display: 0.95” (24.1mm)
• CPU: MCU Cortex M33F
• Camera:

More specifications

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Samsung may launch a 6.7-inch clamshell foldable smartphone next year

It was reported soon after the Galaxy Fold was unveiled that the company was working on other foldable smartphones as well. This made it clear that the Galaxy Fold wouldn’t be a one-off device. At least two new models are believed to be in the pipeline.

A report out of South Korea claims that one of them will have a clamshell-like form factor. It would mean that this would be a vertically foldable smartphone. This device is said to feature a 6.7-inch OLED display and may arrive at some point next year.

Samsung’s next foldable smartphone could be cheaper

An earlier report from Bloomberg had claimed that Samsung had created mock-ups of a vertically folding phone and was in the process of fine-tuning the design. The device was also said to have an extra screen on the outside.

Today’s report describes a device that’s quite similar to the one that was talked about previously. The 6.7-inch OLED panel will fold around a horizontal axis, much in the way that clamshell or flip phones do. When this device is folded, it will have a 1-inch display on the front to display simple information.

If Samsung does end up releasing such a device, it would be a more toned-down approach compared to the one it took with the Galaxy Fold. It’s essentially a smartphone/tablet hybrid with a 7.3-inch foldable display and a 4.6-inch cover display on the front. With a 6.7-inch display when folded out, the new device won’t be any bigger than a flagship smartphone in this day and age.

The 1-inch external display will present its own set of limitation, though. It will essentially be impossible to get anything real done without unfolding the phone. That was Samsung’s entire premise for the cover display on the Galaxy Fold. You can get a lot done on the external display and only open up the main display when you need it.

However, it’s possible that these changes will allow for a foldable smartphone that doesn’t cost $1,980 like the Galaxy Fold. It would thus go a long way in enabling more customers to get their hands on a foldable device. Of course, many would be happy to get their hands on the existing foldable smartphone, but Samsung is still yet to confirm when the Galaxy Fold will be released.

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Galaxy Watch Active launches in India today for INR 19,990

The stylish Samsung Galaxy Watch Active is now launching in India where the wearable can be acquired for the price of INR 19,990 ($288). Starting today, the smartwatch will be offered by various third-party retail stores, Samsung’s own e-shop, as well as the company’s “special outlet” in Bangalore, known as the Samsung Opera House. Starting with June 27, the wearable will also launch in the country through Amazon.

Samsung’s first high-end smartwatch in recent years to lack a rotating bezel is launching in four different colors, namely Silver, Black, Sea Green, and Rose Gold. The AMOLED screen has a resolution of 360 by 360 pixels and the panel is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. This is a very important detail considering the fact that the screen is much more exposed compared to the standard Galaxy Watch, whose screen is less prone to taking damage thanks to its protruding bezel.

The Galaxy Watch Active is capable of tracking dozens of activities and has dedicated GPS connectivity. It aggregates all of the fitness data into the Samsung Health app on your connected smartphone. You can get a more in-depth look at the capabilities of the smartwatch in our review before deciding whether or not it’s worth your time.

Galaxy Watch Active

• Model: SM-R500
• Dimensions: 39.5 x 39.5 x 10.5mm
• Display: 1.1” (28.1mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9110
• Camera:

More specifications

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Daily Deal: 38% off the Samsung Galaxy A20

The Samsung Galaxy A20 is a no-nonsense budget smartphone with specs that are perfectly suitable for normal use, with a beautiful AMOLED display for a vivid viewing experience, a 4,000 mAh battery for all-day power, and the latest Samsung software atop Android 9 Pie being three standouts. And if the value-for-money price tag wasn’t enough, you can now grab the Galaxy A20 at a 38% discount. Amazon is selling the A20 for $153.94 at the moment, a cool $96 off the regular price.

Use the Buy Now button below to grab a Galaxy A20 at the discounted price. Act quickly, as there’s no telling when the price will go up again or stock will run out.

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