International Galaxy S20 Ultra picks up FCC certification

Just a few days back, the Galaxy S20 5G and Galaxy S20+ 5G for the US market were approved by the FCC. Now, the international model of the Galaxy S20 Ultra has picked up FCC approval as well. The device carries model number SM-G988B, which will be launched in all markets outside the US and China and will be powered by the Exynos 990 chipset. The Snapdragon variant for the US will feature model number SM-G988U, and that model is also likely to get FCC certification in the near future.

Unlike the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+, the Galaxy S20 Ultra will come with 5G connectivity in every market. Even the Galaxy S20 5G and Galaxy S20+ 5G are expected to be more widely available than the Galaxy S10 5G was last year. Some markets will likely get just the LTE variant, but at this time there’s no way to be certain. The only thing that is certain for now is that the top-end Galaxy S20 model will have 5G support as standard no matter where you might purchase the device.

As you would expect for a phone that supports 5G connectivity and boasts of other high-end features like a 108MP camera, the Galaxy S20 Ultra won’t come cheap. The device is rumored to have a starting price tag of 1,349 euro, or around $1500 USD, which will make it the most expensive Galaxy S flagship ever by a substantial margin. One can only imagine how costly the variants with more storage will be, especially the highest-end variant that’s rumored to sport a whopping 16 GB of RAM.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Android 10 update rolling out in the US

The Android 10 and One UI 2.0 update for the Galaxy Note 9 first started rolling out at the beginning of the month. Now, nearly 30 days later, the update has been released for carrier-locked variants in the US. At the time of this writing, the update seems to be available for US Cellular, Xfinity Mobile, Spectrum Mobile, and Comcast users, but it should soon be making its way to devices on major carriers as well. Unlocked units will hopefully follow soon after.

The software version for the Android 10 update is N960USQU3DTA4, though this might change depending on your carrier. The January 2020 security patch is included in the update, and in terms of new features, you get Google’s navigation gestures, a native screen recorder, Link to Windows integration for Microsoft’s Your Phone Companion app, improved Digital Wellbeing with parental controls and Focus mode, the option to add an alternative look for facial recognition, and more. Plenty of user interface changes and enhancements are included as well.

If you own a Galaxy Note 9, you can download the Android 10 update over the air from the phone’s Settings » Software update menu. Alternatively, you can install the update by flashing Android 10 firmware on your phone using a Windows PC. You can download the latest firmware from our firmware archive here.

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Galaxy Z Flip screen bezel has bumpers for better protection

The next foldable phone from Samsung should technically be more resilient compared to the original Galaxy Fold. The company took the time following the Fold’s release to iron out some of the kinks in this new emerging display technology, and the Galaxy Z Flip is said to employ both ultra-thin glass and a plastic layer for better screen protection.

Samsung might not be stopping here, though. The display substrate seems to be only one aspect that may have been improved with the Galaxy Z Flip, and some changes appear to have been done to the bezel itself.

Shortly after the recent Galaxy Z Flip renders leaked, Twitter user @PhoneDesigner was quick to point out that the clamshell appears to have a couple of extra bumpers on top of its relatively thick bezel. They seem to keep the two halves of the phone at a distance of a few millimeters from each other whenever the device is folded shut.

These bumpers are not an entirely new development…

It’s important to point out that these bumpers are not entirely new. In fact, similar bumpers were added by Samsung’s Repair Centers to some existing Galaxy Fold units before they’ve sent them back to customers. These bumpers didn’t receive an explanation and they were simply attached to the phone’s bezel with adhesive, which made them very easy to remove.

The exact purpose of these bumpers is not entirely clear, or at least it’s never been explained by the OEM, but Samsung appears to have attached these bumpers to mitigate the physical shock that may be experienced by some components – particularly the fragile flexible screen – whenever the phone is forcefully folded shut.

The addition of these bumpers probably won’t change much in regards to how the public will perceive the Galaxy Z Flip once it will be unveiled at Unpacked on February 11, but if they’ll make the phone more resilient then it’s difficult to argue against them; even if they may be a bit of an eyesore on close inspection.

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Breaking: Biggest Galaxy Z Flip leak shows and confirms everything

While we didn’t get to see any press renders of the original Galaxy Fold before it was announced, that’s not going to be the case for the Galaxy Z Flip. The handset has been leaked in all its foldable glory today as a plethora of seemingly official press renders have been leaked online.

Samsung will be unveiling its new foldable smartphone on February 11. It has long been known that the device will have a clamshell form factor, so it will essentially look like a retro flip phone while being a completely modern smartphone. These leaked renders show us just what it’s going to look like.

This is the biggest Galaxy Z Flip leak yet

Folding along the horizontal axis, the Galaxy Z Flip has a 6.7-inch foldable Infinity-Flex display. The hinge is versatile enough to allow the device to be opened freely at an angle between 70 and 110 degrees, which will allow for a lot more usability. A physical fingerprint sensor is present on the side. The Galaxy Z Flip measures 87.4 x 73.6 x 15.4mm when folded and 167.9 x 74.6 x 6.9 when unfolded. It weighs 183 grams.

Winfuture also reports that the 22:9 aspect ratio display has a 2636×1080 pixel resolution and an Infinity-O punch hole in the display for the front camera. The rumored ultra thin glass covering for the display panel has also been confirmed, it should be more durable than the film on the Galaxy Fold’s display.

There’s also a tiny 1.06-inch display on the outside with Gorilla Glass 6. The 300×116 pixel resolution Super AMOLED display can show the time and notifications with the ability to be always-on. The Galaxy Z Flip will be powered by a Snapdragon 855+ processor coupled with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. There’s no microSD card slot, though, and the device also won’t get 5G support.

The camera setup consists of a 12-megapixel f/1.8 primary sensor and a 12-megapixel f/2.2 ultra wide angle camera with 123 degree field of view. The interesting thing about the Galaxy Z Flip’s 10-megapixel front-facing camera is that it supports autofocus. The Galaxy Z Flip has dual batteries like the Galaxy Fold. They provide it with a total capacity of 3,300mAh and support 15W fast charging and 9W wireless charging.

The report mentions that the Galaxy Z Flip will be released in Europe on February 14th. That’s also when it’s likely to be made available in the United States, at least. The price tag is said to be around 1,500 euro.

Do you like what you see? Is the Galaxy Z Flip something you’d be interested in? Let us know in the comments below.

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Samsung wants to ‘change the shape of the future’ at Galaxy Unpacked

It’s been a while since Samsung first confirmed the February 11 date for its next Galaxy Unpacked event, and now the company wants to get some excitement going through a new official teaser video. Samsung hasn’t revealed any particular details in its latest YouTube clip, but that’s to be expected given the title of an ‘Official Teaser.’ It’s meant to hype up the event and the unveiling of a new flagship smartphone series as well as the next clamshell device.

While neither one of these devices shows up in the video, their existence seems to be suggested all throughout. The two square elements pushing through the fabric in the video seem to hint at the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s rectangular camera assembly, as well as the Galaxy Z Flip‘s square footprint when folded shut.

In fact, the Galaxy Z Flip’s unveiling at Unpacked is strongly hinted at by the ‘change the shape of the future’ subtitle. Unlike the original Galaxy Fold, the Galaxy Z Flip is entirely a smartphone and not a hybrid. If there’s a device that could steer the industry away from the candy bar form factor, or ‘shape,’ if you will, it’s probably the Galaxy Z Flip. Or so Samsung believes, at the least.

In case you needed a quick refresh, Samsung could bring the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra onto store shelves as late as March following the unveiling at Unpacked. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Flip could become available for purchase much earlier than that, on February 14.

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HMD Odyssey+ price halved months ahead of Half-Life: Alyx release

Samsung has quietly phased out the Gear VR by not making the Galaxy Note 10 compatible with it, and the Galaxy S20 series is unlikely to change this. However, Samsung offers other VR solutions too, and its Windows Mixed Reality headset, the HMD Odyssey+, is now available at a hefty discount.

Samsung has slashed the HMD Odyssey+’ price tag almost in half. The device is now available for 54% off the original price, or just for $229, down from $499. This effectively makes the HMD Odyssey+ the cheapest VR solution on the market (not counting solutions that require a smartphone). It’s even cheaper than the PlayStation VR, which usually sells for around $299 and is generally considered to be one of the cheapest ways to get into VR.

HMD Odyssey+ is now the cheapest VR solution for Half-Life: Alyx

The Samsung HMD Odyssey+ is a Windows Mixed Reality headset, meaning that it has to be connected to a computer in order to function. For this reason, it can play Steam VR games, which means that it should also work with the upcoming Valve title, Half-Life: Alyx. It’s one of the most – if not the most- highly-anticipated VR titles and it will be coming in March.

It’s almost as if Samsung is aware of how big of a deal Half-Life: Alyx is for some gamers, and how big of a selling point it could become for VR headsets worldwide. Offering a great discount on the HMD Odyssey+ at this time could get a lot of VR newcomers on board with Samsung’s solution. They might stick around long after they’ll be done with the next Half-Life installment and they could continue supporting the platform through VIVEPORT subscriptions and other means.

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Safety Korea greenlights Galaxy A41 battery with 3,500mAh capacity

Samsung is seemingly preparing the Galaxy A41 for market release and the company has begun gathering approvals from various regulatory agencies. Recently, what appears to be the battery for the Galaxy A41 has been approved by Safety Korea. The component carries the model number EB-BA415ABY and it reportedly has a capacity of around 3,500mAh.

The photo below was pulled from the Safety Korea website and although the text is quite blurry, sources say that it confirms a 13.5 Wh capacity, which translates to 3,500mAh when divided by 3.85 volts.

It’s been a couple of months since we learned the first details surrounding the Galaxy A41, but the phone continues to elude the market and it hasn’t paid too many visits to the rumor mill.

But as per previous reports, scarce as they may be, the Galaxy A41 is likely to feature a single 64GB storage option. The device could hit the shelves in three color options namely black, white, and red, and it’s been tipped to sport a 48-megapixel main camera much like the Galaxy A51.

Speaking of which, the Galaxy A51 is already out in some markets and it will hit India this week, presumably along with the Galaxy A71. In theory, the Galaxy A41 shouldn’t be too far behind either. Then again, it could still be a couple of months away from its debut if we account for the fact that the A40 was released in April 2019. Until then, details – including the purported battery capacity – remain subject to change.

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