Samsung Exynos 981 spotted, could be a new mid-range chipset

It’s that time of the year when we keep our eyes peeled for information about the new components that will be used for the next iteration of Samsung devices. As we await the high-end Exynos chipset that will be used for the Galaxy S21, there’s also excitement for a new mid-range processor.

Samsung offers some great mid-range smartphones as part of its Galaxy A series. The upcoming lineup will require a new chipset and perhaps it might be called the Exynos 981. This unannounced processor has been spotted on the Bluetooth SIG but little is known about it right now.

Exynos 981 could be used in Samsung’s new affordable 5G phones

We already know that Samsung has a new mid-range chipset in the pipeline. It’s called the Exynos 1080 and Samsung has confirmed that it will use ARM’s latest Cortex-A78 CPU cores. Many believe that this will be the successor to the Exynos 980.

The Exynos 980 was not used for the Galaxy A51. It was announced long after this device hit the market. It uses the Exynos 9611. Samsung only went with the Exynos 980 for the separate 5G variants of the Galaxy A51 and Galaxy A71.

So where does that leave the Exynos 981? If it is indeed the successor to the Exynos 980, then it may be used for 5G variants of the Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72. Samsung has also sold the Exynos 980 to other OEMs like Vivo so it may do that with this new chipset as well.

Does that mean the upcoming Exynos 1080 won’t have integrated 5G? It would also highlight the fact that Samsung will sell separate 4G and 5G variants of its most important mid-range phones. That would make sense. These models sell very well in markets where there’s no sign of 5G, so there’s no point in equipping those with a 5G-enabled chipset.

The Bluetooth SIG listing doesn’t reveal much about the Exynos 981 apart from its support for the Bluetooth 5.2 standard. This filing was made by the Samsung Cambridge Solution Centre which is a part of Samsung Electronics.

We’ll keep an eye out for this and see what we can find out about the Exynos 981. Expect Samsung to announce its new chipsets in the coming weeks.

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Weekly SamMobile Quiz 50 – Come test your Samsung knowledge!

Fancy yourself as a Samsung superfan? Take our quiz and see how many answers you can get right! This is a fun activity that we do with our readers every week to test their knowledge of the Korean giant. The quiz has a mix of easy and difficult questions that most fans should be able to answer without turning to Google.

We make a new quiz for you every weekend so we hope that you’ll participate and learn a thing or two about Samsung in the process! Don’t forget to share the results of the quiz with your friends and see if you can outscore them. A little competition never hurt anybody!

Remember, if the quiz isn’t loading properly, please access the non-AMP version of this webpage.

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Can Samsung phones FaceTime? No, but you should check this out

Many who are switching to a Galaxy smartphone for the first time often wonder can Samsung phones FaceTime? It might be that they’re switching over from an iPhone or just have a lot of people in their social circle that use Apple’s video calling app.

No other video calling service is as popular on iPhones as Apple’s own, so much so that it has become an adjective. Like “Googling” something is the same as telling someone to run a search on the internet, so is “FaceTiming” for iOS users who want to make a video call.

So one can understand why those considering a shift would be interested to know can you FaceTime on a Samsung phone. It’s all the more important in these pandemic times when most of us are relying mostly on video calling for both personal and professional needs.

Can Samsung phones FaceTime?

No, Samsung phones can’t FaceTime. Apple doesn’t make FaceTime available for Android devices. So no Android-powered smartphone, including the ones from Samsung, are able to run FaceTime. This is just one of the ways Apple keeps iOS users locked to its ecosystem. If they want to use FaceTime they will need to use a device made by Apple.

This isn’t the end of the world, though. Just because you can’t FaceTime on a Samsung phone doesn’t mean you can’t make a video call to a friend who uses an iPhone. There are plenty of third-party video calling services that work on both iOS and Android devices. You can use whichever one you like to make video calls to iOS devices.

FaceTime alternatives for Samsung phones

Now that you know it’s not possible to download FaceTime on a Samsung phone, it’s time to consider some FaceTime alternatives for Android. There are plenty of options to choose from. These days you can even make a video call on Instagram. Apps like Slack and Zoom that are used for communicating with colleagues offer this feature as well.

The best FaceTime alternatives for Android are those that are widely known services that many people already use. We have listed them as they’re the easiest for even the most novice of users to get started with.

Skype

Skype has exceptional brand recognition because it has been around for so long. It’s available for both iOS and Android devices in addition to Windows and Mac. You can make HD video calls between devices and also use its IM features for messaging. A whole host of other features make it a very useful app to have on your phone.

Download on Google Play Store | Download on iOS App Store

Facebook Messenger

Nothing bridges the video calling divide between iOS and Android devices quite like Facebook Messenger. Billions of people across the globe who use Facebook also use the standalone Messenger app for keeping in touch with friends and family. So even if you can’t FaceTime on your Samsung phone, you can fire up Messenger and make a video call to an iPhone. You’ll obviously need to be friends with that person on Facebook for this to work. Messenger also provides many features that enhance the video calling experience.

Download on Google Play Store | Download on iOS App Store

WhatsApp Messenger

WhatsApp may not be as ubiquitous in the US but billions of people in other parts of the world swear by it. In case you weren’t aware, WhatsApp is also owned by Facebook. Its video calling functionality is robust as it supports both individual and group video calls. WhatsApp is also a great instant messaging app so you can really get the best of both worlds with it.

Download on Google Play Store | Download on iOS App Store

Google Duo

Google Duo is the native video calling solution for Android devices that’s developed by Google itself. The app keeps things simple as it opens up the camera when the app is launched and shows the contacts lists so that you can easily get started. It’s highly regarded for its exceptional video call quality. If both you and your friend have a recent Samsung flagship, you can use advanced Duo features like auto framing and even make Full HD (1080p) video calls with up to 8 people. A Google Duo app is available for iOS devices, thus making it a great FaceTime alternative when you need to video call an iPhone user.

Download on Google Play Store | Download on iOS App Store

So even though you can’t download FaceTime on a Samsung phone, there are plenty of other options available. Seeing your friends who prefer to use the fruit company’s devices isn’t really that difficult. Just choose an app that works for the both of you and you’re off to the races.

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Samsung bets on festive deals to increase sales in India by nearly half

Samsung is winning over the Indian market with innovative reward programs, strong online sales and various discounts. In Q3 the company had shipped more smartphones in India than any other brand – at least according to Counterpoint Research. Canalys data suggests that the company is trailing behind Xiaomi on second place, but regardless, Samsung improved its market position in India over the first three quarters of 2020 and the company isn’t showing signs of backing down in Q4.

Samsung has launched an offensive in India against its Chinese rivals with Grand Diwali Fest: a week of discounts on a wide variety of products ranging from Galaxy S20 smartphones to Galaxy Watches, freezers, TVs, and more. Discounts can go as high as 60% and as of this writing, the Galaxy S20+ is available for 40% off and you can get a 4K QLED TV for 32% off.

Samsung aims for a 40% year-on-year sales increase

Samsung’s goal this festive season is to increase sales by 40% year-on-year, reason why the company is offering killer deals on a variety of great products. This goal was reportedly confirmed by two senior executives at Samsung cited by Business Standard, who added that this is the most exciting quarter of the year.

Armed with great deals, Samsung has actively improved its online retail business in India throughout the year, some say at the expense of other retailers, and has created various reward programs for loyal customers. Samsung’s Grand Diwali Fest began on October 28 and lasts until November 3.

• Check out the Grand Diwali Fest deals at Samsung India

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Samsung streamlines Galaxy Store UI with a slight focus on gaming

Samsung is revamping the Galaxy Store and bringing a couple of changes to the app’s UI. In the official announcement, which seemingly doubles as an ad for Fortnite and Xbox Game Pass, Samsung describes the streamlined Galaxy Store experience as the place for casual and hardcore gamers alike. The storefront now caters to both audiences with curated selections, and it has a cleaner home screen.

The updated Galaxy Store reorganizes the home screen tabs, replacing the Home, Games, For Galaxy, and Watch categories with just two tabs called Games and Apps. You could look at this from a different angle and say that the update has more to do with the other sections besides Games being reorganized, rather than it having a focus on mobile games. Either way, Samsung is clearly taking this opportunity to remind us that the Galaxy Store is the only mobile app store in the USA where users are able to download Fortnite.

In case you didn’t know, Epic Games started a war with Apple and Google when it snuck in an update that allowed Fortnite players to purchase in-game items directly from the developer without the marketplace owners taking a cut. Apple and Google responded by removing Fortnite from their app stores, and the Galaxy Store remains the only mobile app store in the USA where Fortnite is readily available for download.

The streamlined Galaxy Store UI isn’t available on any of our phones so the update is probably limited to the United States. It might be subjected to a staged rollout and it could cross the pond into Europe and other markets soon. We’ll keep you posted.

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Galaxy Xcover Pro and A2 Core are next for the November security patch

More Galaxy smartphones are getting the November 2020 security update after the patch debuted on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 yesterday. The latest security update is also included in the third One UI 3.0 beta for the Galaxy S20 series, and now Samsung is bringing the November 2020 security patch to two of its less popular smartphone models, namely the Galaxy Xcover Pro and the Galaxy A2 Core.

The latest firmware update for the Galaxy Xcover Pro is identified by firmware version G715FNXXS6ATJ2 and it’s rolling out across the European continent. Meanwhile, the new firmware for the Galaxy A2 Core carries version A260FXXS8ATJ1 and availability is much more limited. The update is rolling out in Saudi Arabia as we speak but it should reach more markets soon.

Samsung hasn’t disclosed the details of the November 2020 security patch but we’ll keep you up to speed as soon as we find out more. In the meantime, the new security update is bound to reach more Galaxy smartphone models in the coming days. If you happen to own the Galaxy Xcover Pro and/or the Galaxy A2 Core, you should be able to download the latest firmware in markets where it’s available by opening Settings, accessing Software update, and tapping Download and install.

As always, you can circumvent the procedure above by visiting our firmware section, downloading the right firmware for your Galaxy device model and region, and installing it on your smartphone using a Windows PC.

Galaxy Xcover Pro

• Model: SM-G715FN
• Dimensions: Bar: 159.9 x 76.7 x 9.9 mm
  
• Display: 6.3 inch / 160.02 mm TFT
• CPU: Exynos 9611
• Camera: 25MP

More specifications

Galaxy A2 Core

• Model: SM-A260F
• Dimensions: Bar: 141.6 x 71.0 x 9.1 mm
  
• Display: 5.0 inch / 127.00 mm PLS TFT LCD
• CPU: Exynos 7870
• Camera: 5MP

More specifications

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Galaxy W21 5G gets a release date, looking kind of familiar

Samsung today attached a release date to its latest foldable smartphone called the Galaxy W21 5G, a familiar-looking flagship headed to China. The release date, scheduled for next Wednesday, November 4th, will center around what is simply a rebranded version of the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Which wouldn’t be that curious, if not for the fact this same device already launched in the Far Eastern country a couple of weeks ago.

The Galaxy W21 5G doesn’t seem to be that much different from the original model, either, save for the fact it will sport a different-colored hinge and a slightly flashier back panel.

Don’t expect the Galaxy W21 5G to break any sales records

This is yet another one of Samsung’s attempts to claw itself into something resembling relevancy in China, the world’s largest smartphone market where it now holds less than a single percentage point of both sales and shipments.

Just to add to the futility of the situation, Samsung still appears to be selling both the Galaxy W20 5G and Galaxy Z Fold 2 (5G) in China, the latter of which goes for the equivalent of over $2,500. It remains to be seen what price this luxury version of the device will command.

Either way, Samsung can at least take some solace in the fact that it gets some bonus points from consumers in the world’s second-largest smartphone market, India, precisely because it’s obvious China isn’t too friendly toward it.

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