Here’s the pricing for Samsung’s new A-series, Q-series soundbars

Samsung had unveiled its new soundbar lineup for 2021 in January alongside its Neo QLED TVs. However, the company had not revealed the pricing and availability of the new soundbars. Now, Samsung has revealed the prices of most of its new soundbars, and they start at just $200 in the US.

The HW-Q800A and the HW-Q700A are priced at $900 and $700, respectively, and are available for pre-orders. Both are 3.1.2-channel soundbars with eight speakers, Dolby Atmos, AirPlay 2, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, SpaceFit Sound, and Q-Symphony. The HW-Q800A and the HW-Q700A are feature DTS:X, HDMI eARC port, and Game Mode Pro. The SpaceFit Sound feature uses microphones built into the subwoofer and the soundbar to calibrate audio according to your room’s layout.

The Game Mode Pro tries to make sound from gaming consoles more immersive, while the Q-Symphony feature works in tandem with Samsung’s QLED TVs to offer more immersive and powerful audio. The HW-Q800A features Alexa and AVA (Active Voice Amplifier), but the HW-Q700A has limited support for Alexa and lacks the AVA feature completely. Both soundbars feature Tap Sound, Adaptive Sound, SmartThings, and One Remote. The Adaptive Sound feature automatically tunes audio according to the type of content you’re watching or listening to.

The HW-A450 is an affordable 300W 2.1-channel soundbar that costs just $200. If you are buying it right now, it will arrive at your doorstep by April 8. This soundbar features a trimmed-down version of Adaptive Sound technology called Adaptive Sound Lite. It also features Bluetooth and Game Mode. Samsung is yet to reveal the pricing and availability of its 11.1.4-channel HW-Q950A soundbar that features upward-firing and side-firing speakers for a full Dolby Atmos experience.

• Buy HW-Q800A soundbar from Samsung
• Buy HW-Q700A soundbar from Samsung
• Buy HW-A450 soundbar from Samsung

The post Here’s the pricing for Samsung’s new A-series, Q-series soundbars appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/3vQpaFw
via IFTTT

Apple rumored to use Samsung’s 120Hz LTPO OLED panel in iPhone 13

While Samsung started using high-refresh-rate displays in its smartphones last year, Apple is yet to implement the technology in its iPhones. The company was rumored to use a 120Hz refresh rate display in the iPhone 12 series, but it never materialized due to battery life concerns. It is now being reported that the Cupertino-based brand has decided to use Samsung’s LTPO OLED panels in the iPhone 13 series.

According to a report from The Elec, Apple will use Samsung Display’s LTPO OLED panels with support for variable 120Hz refresh rate in the iPhone 13 series. The company seems to have already placed the orders for new display panels. Samsung will upgrade its Apple-dedicated OLED panel manufacturing line to use the LTPO technology and start delivering those panels later this year.

LTPO (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) OLED panels consume lower energy when compared to regular OLED panels because they can change the screen’s refresh rate. For example, when scrolling and navigating around the UI, the refresh rate can be automatically switch to 120Hz, while it can go as low as 30Hz or 60Hz while watching videos. When nothing is happening on the screen, the refresh rate can go as low as 1Hz, thereby saving power.

Samsung has reportedly guaranteed 30,000 LTPO OLED display substrates per month to Apple, but once the complete transition is done, the South Korean firm can start supplying up to 70,000 LTPO OLED substrates. Apple is rumored to bring variable 120Hz refresh rate screens to the iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro Max, while the iPhone 13 Mini and the iPhone 13 are expected to stick to 60Hz OLED displays.

The post Apple rumored to use Samsung’s 120Hz LTPO OLED panel in iPhone 13 appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/3lFBvYp
via IFTTT

New Galaxy Fit 2 firmware update brings additional watch faces

It’s been quite some time since we last spoke of a firmware update for the Galaxy Fit 2 but Samsung has now reminded us that the wearable still exists and it keeps getting better. News has now arrived from South Korea (via @Kuma_Seepy) about Samsung rolling out a new firmware update for the Galaxy Fit 2.

Along with the usual system and security improvements mentioned in the somewhat generic changelog, the latest update also brings a handful of new watch faces to the Galaxy Fit 2. Or rather, as seen below, there are two new watch faces and a few variations for each.

The update is available through the Galaxy Wearable app on the connected smartphone, though for the time being it remains unclear if the latest firmware is available elsewhere besides South Korea. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we find out more. Until then, you can refer to your Galaxy Wearable app in case you’ve been notified about the latest release and tap the Band software update option. The package weighs a little under 3MB.

The Galaxy Fit 2 was released in September with fewer watch faces pre-loaded, and so far it has received a handful of firmware updates that have improved the experience in other ways. Shortly after its debut, the wearable was updated with improved features and a few bug fixes, one of which was affecting the behavior of the clock screen.

The post New Galaxy Fit 2 firmware update brings additional watch faces appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/3934U9M
via IFTTT

Samsung has only become more independent following Japan’s trade ban

The Japanese government’s trade ban on key materials for semiconductor manufacturing seems to have had the unintended opposite effect on local suppliers. The Japanese media now reports that the trade ban has affected local suppliers who continue to suffer massive losses.

Meanwhile, the trade ban has helped South Korean suppliers grow their businesses and become competitive to the point where they can now supply the nation’s leading semiconductor manufacturers without external help. According to data from the Korean International Trade Association, the value of hydrogen fluorite imports came to $9.38 million in 2020, down a whopping 74.2% year-on-year.

The exact reasons behind the trade ban have been explained in detail before, but in short, South Korea’s Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that Japanese companies have to compensate individual South Koreans for forced labor during Japan’s occupation of the country between 1910 and 1945.

The Japanese government replied by issuing a trade ban on key materials needed for semiconductor manufacturing, and of course, South Korean semiconductor giants such as Samsung have since tried to secure other supply channels for hydrogen fluoride, fluorinate polyimide, and photoresists.

Samsung has become less dependent on Japan

Since the trade ban was issued, South Korean suppliers have enjoyed tremendous success and they’ve reportedly matched the level of quality that was previously guaranteed by Japan’s main suppliers. As a result, companies like Samsung Electronics are no longer as dependent on a single supplier from Japan.

According to unnamed officials from major South Korean chipmakers cited by The Korea Times, the decision to stick with local suppliers has nothing to do with the history of these nations or the nationality of vendors. Instead, these events have simply shown that a multi-vendor system is the best choice for South Korean semiconductor companies. The trade ban has also persuaded local suppliers to up their game and match the quality level of the world’s best suppliers, and of course, this benefits the entire country and not just Samsung Electronics.

An unnamed official representing one of South Korea’s biggest semiconductor players noted that local manufacturers wouldn’t source from Korean suppliers just because they are Korean. If there are competitive local vendors in certain materials we would choose to source from them, but if not, we would seek overseas-based suppliers.

Samsung used to source silicon wafers from Japan’s Sumco but that’s no longer the case. These components are now being supplied by SK Siltron. Similarly, Samsung used to rely on Dongwoo Fine-chem — a subsidiary of Japan’s Sumitomo — for hydrogen fluoride, but the company is now acquiring the substance from Soulbrain.

The post Samsung has only become more independent following Japan’s trade ban appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/3sbfnaX
via IFTTT

Samsung secures NTT DOCOMO as its latest 5G network equipment client

Samsung Electronics has secured another key 5G client in Japan. As a result, the company will be responsible for providing 5G network solutions to NTT DOCOMO, the latter of which offers wireless network services to roughly 82 million users across Japan.

Samsung will empower NTT DOCOMO’s infrastructure with innovative 5G technologies and solutions compliant with O-RAN (Open Radio Access Network). NTT DOCOMO General Manager of RAN Development Department Sadayuki Abeta said that Samsung will be the key to the next phase of 5G Open RAN and the faster expansion of its Lightning Speed 5G coverage nationwide.

Once again, Samsung establishes itself as a major 5G RAN supplier

Market research firm Dell’Oro chimed in and Vice President Stefan Pongratz said believes that the agreement between NTT DOCOMO and Samsung is significant because the Japanese network operator has a history of being at the forefront with new and innovative technologies.

Therefore, Samsung has now established itself as an even bigger 5G supplier in Japan after it entered the market in late 2019 in collaboration with network operator KDDI. Samsung’s partnership with KDDI was strengthened on the enterprise front by another agreement last year.

NTT DOCOMO is a founding member of the O-RAN Alliance that was founded earlier this year in partnership with 12 other companies for the purpose of accelerating global O-RAN adoption.

The post Samsung secures NTT DOCOMO as its latest 5G network equipment client appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/3cY5jvk
via IFTTT

Android 11, the last major update for the Galaxy A40 is out now in Europe

We have great news for Galaxy A40 owners who have been anticipating the launch of One UI 3, as Samsung is now rolling out the Android 11-based firmware update for the Galaxy A40 in Europe. More specifically, the firmware began rolling out for the Galaxy A40 (SM-A405FN) at Vodafone Germany over the weekend, and it brings the March 2021 security patch along.

The highlight of the update is, of course, One UI 3 and the new visual / UI changes it introduces, though Galaxy A40 owners shouldn’t expect every One UI 3 feature to be included. Similar to the Android 11 update for the Galaxy A50, the firmware is expected to improve camera autofocus, add more lock screen and AoD options, additional Bixby Routines and more.

The latest update for the Galaxy A40 bears firmware version A405FNXXU3CUC2. As of this writing, the update is available only for the Galaxy A40 offered by Vodafone Germany, though its release indicates that it could soon be rolled out for the Galaxy A40 in other countries, at least where the device was sold by Vodafone.

If you happen to own the Galaxy A40, you can verify if the update is available for you to download by opening the Settings app and tapping Download and install in the Software update section. SamMobile readers can also download the firmware from our archive with no strings attached and install the firmware to their phones using a Windows PC and Odin.

The post Android 11, the last major update for the Galaxy A40 is out now in Europe appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/3tPDRa9
via IFTTT

Samsung’s latest secret project is a double-folding phone due this year

Samsung has gone all-in on foldable smartphones. No other smartphone manufacturer has been able to match its pace of innovation yet. The company is in no mood to slow down. A new report reveals that Samsung plans to aggressively increase production of its foldable smartphones.

It also mentions that Samsung’s latest secret project is an entirely new double-folding phone that may be launched as early as by the end of this year. The company is already due to unveil new models of the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold in the second half of 2021.

A new double-folding phone is on its way

Citing three sources, Nikkei Asia reports that Samsung is working on a new double-folding phone. Many of you will be well aware that the company already has countless patents covering foldable phones that can be folded twice. It even has patents for tri-folding phones.

One person with direct knowledge of Samsung plans tells the scribe that the company has now set a very ambitious goal for itself. It wants to bring total sales of foldable smartphones to a level similar to that of its popular Galaxy Note series. The phablets typically sell more than 10 million units per year.

This may explain why there have been so many rumors about the Galaxy Note series being killed off. Samsung has already said there won’t be a new Galaxy Note handset in 2021. It understandably wants to bet on the foldable phones that carry higher margins.

With the increasing similarities between the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series, the company didn’t have much to differentiate the two lineups. Foldables offer a clear distinction and if Samsung can find a way to accommodate the S Pen lovers between them, it really has no reason to keep the Galaxy Note series around.

Sources say that Samsung is still in the process of finalizing the finer details of its double-folding phone. It wants the handset to have a more app-friendly design. The idea is to have the unfolded screen aspect ratio be in line with the mainstream 16:9 or 18:9 ratio. This would enable apps and games to be more visually appealing on the device with better resolutions. For context, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a rather unique screen aspect ratio of 25:9.

No further details are available about Samsung’s latest secret project right now. We’ll keep our ear to the ground and let you know as soon as we hear more.

The post Samsung’s latest secret project is a double-folding phone due this year appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile https://ift.tt/31cg6MR
via IFTTT