Samsung’s ‘most powerful Galaxy’ device will be unveiled on April 28

After conducting two Galaxy Unpacked virtual events—one for the Galaxy S21 and another for the Galaxy A 2021 series—this year, Samsung is getting ready for another. The company has announced a new Galaxy Unpacked event for April 28, 2021, and we expect the company to unveil its new range of laptops during the online-only event.

Samsung’s official invitation video for its April 28 Galaxy Unpacked event mentions that “the most powerful Galaxy is coming” and teases a shiny blue box. The teaser trailer published by Samsung shows a mysterious Galaxy device packed in a box and being shipped to a user. The video hints towards it being an extremely powerful device. While some might expect it to be a new high-end tablet or a flagship smartphone, we think that the company is talking about its upcoming laptops: Galaxy Book Go, Galaxy Book Pro, and the Galaxy Book Pro 360.

What to expect from the next Galaxy Book laptops?

The Galaxy Book Go is expected to be a Windows 10 laptop with a next-generation Snapdragon 8cx/7c processor and built-in LTE connectivity. It will feature a 14-inch Full HD display, 4GB/8GB RAM, 128GB/256GB internal storage, a microSD card slot, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, LTE, a backlit keyboard, a large trackpad, and a couple of USB Type-C ports with 34.5W charging.

The Galaxy Book Pro and the Galaxy Book Pro 360 are rumored to feature Intel’s 11th Gen. Core processors with Intel Iris Xe GPU, OLED touchscreens with a 90Hz refresh rate, an S Pen, and 4G/5G connectivity. They will be available in two screen sizes: 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch. They will also feature LPDDR4X RAM, SSD storage, Thunderbolt 4 ports, and Samsung-exclusive features such as Samsung Notes and SmartThings.

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Samsung’s next-gen foldables need better cameras and brighter displays

Samsung’s foldable mobile devices remain the best on the market and they’re about to get even better with the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 2 later this year. They’re bound to improve in several areas, from build quality to internal specifications, but we believe that Samsung’s top priority moving forward should be on upping the camera quality and increasing the brightness of its foldable displays.

Neither the Galaxy Z Fold 2 nor the Galaxy Z Flip offer the best mobile cameras Samsung has in store. Far from it. Take the 2x telephoto camera from the Galaxy Z Fold 2, for example. It’s been around since it debuted alongside the Galaxy Note 8 all the way back in 2017, and to some people, that’s just not good enough for a premium flagship that was released for around $2,000.

Now, that’s not to say that the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip cameras are bad. They’re decent and they get the job done, but the issue is that they don’t feel satisfactory for the price range.

Next-gen foldable panels need higher brightness levels

The second area that we think is in dire need of an upgrade is the display, or more specifically, display brightness. The foldable panels employed by the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and the Galaxy Z Flip top out at around 700 nits of brightness, and although this is plenty for most use cases, visibility takes a noticeable hit when using these foldables in bright, sunlit areas. For comparison, standard phones such as the Galaxy S21 Ultra can reach around 1,500 nits of peak brightness.

To be clear, we’re not saying that the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and the Galaxy Z Flip are lesser phones because of these shortcomings. They were, in fact, extremely ambitious at launch, and Samsung’s foldable screens have remained as magical as ever. But some compromises had to be made along the way for the first generations of foldable devices to become a reality, and perhaps that’s the reason why we got a sub-par camera system. However, we’re two years into the foldable era and Samsung is expected to have overcome certain technical limitations in the meantime.

The upcoming models will have to improve in a few areas if Samsung wishes to remain at the top of the foldable segment, and we believe that mobile photography and display brightness should be the top priority, realistically speaking. Of course, we can wish for in-display camera technology to debut later this year and hope that the foldable screens will soon be covered in glass. But if it’s too early for those types of advancements, we can at least ask for the existing technologies and solutions to be improved in meaningful ways.

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Samsung is rolling out a new weighty firmware update for the Galaxy F62

Samsung is rolling out another firmware update for the new Galaxy F62. It brings a newer security patch along with it, and the changelog mentions additional camera improvements, new and / or enhanced features, and further performance improvements. It sounds like the usual generic changelog, except the latest Galaxy F62 firmware update is too large to be stripped of any additional features.

The Galaxy F62 was released with Android 11 and One UI 3.1 out of the box, so it’s a bit of a mystery why the latest firmware update weighs more than 900MB. The package is identified by firmware number E625FDDU1AUD, which further confirms that this is more than just a routine security update. Nevertheless, the firmware is accompanied by the April 2021 security patch.

Feel free to join us in the comment section and let us know in case you’ve noticed any noteworthy changes and additions to One UI 3.1 following this recent release. And if you own the Galaxy F62 and you haven’t received the update notification yet, you can try to trigger it from the Software update menu inside the Settings app. You can also keep an eye on our firmware archive where you can find official Samsung firmware for download.

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How the Galaxy Z Flip 2 can be the ultimate phone for the ladies

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 and the Galaxy Z Flip are the world’s most popular foldable devices. They’re kind of like the yin and yang of the foldable smartphone segment. They’re very different from one another but they complement each other well. Their target audiences are not necessarily the same but they do overlap, and although Samsung seemingly has a greater focus on the Galaxy Z Fold lineup at the moment, perhaps the company should pay equal attention to the Galaxy Z Flip series and its fans.

Comparing the two devices, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is a mobile productivity powerhouse that doubles as a tablet, whereas the Galaxy Z Flip is a much more elegant, fashion-oriented device with a focus on design and portability.

When it was introduced at Unpacked 2020 by Rebecca Hirst, Head of UK Mobile Product Marketing, the Galaxy Z Flip was described as ‘a standout smartphone for people who want to stand out, and it all starts with a playful, premium design.’ 

The company didn’t outright-label the Galaxy Z Flip as a ‘phone for the ladies,’ for business reasons if nothing else (after all, Samsung wouldn’t want to alienate any potential customer), but the marketing material for the Galaxy Z Flip had a visible strong bias towards women. A fine strategy given that the Galaxy Z Flip’s compact form factor makes not carrying a purse a whole lot easier.

So, what’s next for the series? Well, Samsung is expected to release the unannounced Galaxy Z Flip 2 later this year, but we’re not sure if the company will maintain its fashion-oriented approach. Personally, I think the Galaxy Z Flip series should’ve been the face of Samsung’s foldable portfolio — especially since it’s cheaper than the Galaxy Z Fold and it has a familiar form factor.

In any case, we do have a few ideas of where the Galaxy Z Flip 2 should be headed next if the company decides to double-down on its fashion-oriented approach; Ideas inspired by user experiences that were shared by a few of our more fashionable friends and colleagues who have spent some time with the original Z Flip.

What does the Galaxy Z Flip 2 need to become a better phone for the ladies?

We posed this question to a few of our friends and colleagues who either own, have owned, or would like to own the Galaxy Z Flip, and what we got in return was a variety of answers that tell a similar story: The phone isn’t fashionable enough for a fashion-oriented device, and it’s not exactly fit for social media. Here are the details:

More cases and accessories

Samsung hasn’t released enough accessories for the Galaxy Z Flip; not unless you count the Galaxy Buds lineup. In fact, it barely released any. The Galaxy Z Flip has the Leather Cover in two different color options — black and silver — but that’s about it. No other fancy custom cases or official ways to customize the paint job.

Samsung did release a Special Edition Galaxy Z Flip with a case to match last year, but the product was reserved for a limited launch in Thailand and no other special edition variants were introduced since, in Thailand or elsewhere.

More special editions and/or color customization options

As a phone that was described by Samsung as having a fashion-forward design, the original Galaxy Z Flip certainly didn’t offer enough personalization / customization options. It was released in three Mirror colors — black, purple, and gold — and only two of them were widely available. Meanwhile, cheaper phones like the Galaxy S20 FE are getting a much wider color palette, so here’s hoping that the fashion-oriented Galaxy Z Flip 2 will do a better job.

Likewise, the Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition remains the only special edition variant endorsed by a fashion house. There were rumors that Samsung may be looking for similar tie-ups with other fashion brands but they never came to pass. And although the Thom Browne Edition looks fantastic, the plain look with the tricolored stripes isn’t for everyone.

Hopefully, the sequel will be backed by more fashion collabs later this year. If no additional special editions will be released for the Galaxy Z Flip 2 then Samsung should at least borrow a page from the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and give Flip fans more color customization options out of the gate. Samsung is offering hinge color options for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 in select markets but it has yet to make this service available for the Z Flip series.

Better cameras, especially on the selfie side

None of our friends who continue using the Galaxy Z Flip are happy with the selfie camera. It’s serviceable but it’s not good enough for a phone that costs more than $1,000. Needless to say, the camera system certainly isn’t one of the phone’s highlights, and the selfie sensor, in particular, leaves something to be desired.

An improved main camera system would be most welcomed, but Samsung’s priority should be on improving the selfie camera experience first — whether by upgrading the sensor or by partly rethinking the design, or both.

Additional editing tools and modes in the viewfinder would make for a more complete package, and the new Snapchat filter that was introduced with the Galaxy A52 / A72 would also make for a nice addition.

Improved battery life

One of the Galaxy Z Flip’s shortcomings lies in its relatively poor battery life. The 3,300mAh dual-battery with 15W charging isn’t good enough to deliver a full day of moderate-to-heavy usage on a single charge. Every one of our friends who have spent a decent amount of time on social media platforms and/or captured photos daily had to become more aware of their usage patterns in order to make it through the day.

And that’s not great for Samsung either, considering the fact that foldable phones in the wild are almost as rare as unicorns. It makes them great conversation starters, which also means that anyone who’s ever asked a Galaxy Z Flip owner about battery life has had their enthusiasm curbed.

The Galaxy Z Flip 2 probably won’t make a huge difference in this regard either. Not if one of the recent leaks turns out to be correct and the phone has a 3,300mAh dual-battery similar to the original model. Nevertheless, we’re hoping that Samsung will at least improve the sequel’s battery life through the adoption of a newer chipset and additional software optimizations.

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Samsung’s image sensors will be made using 28nm process by UMC

Even Samsung appears to be falling short of chips amid the global chip shortage. The company has reportedly signed a contract with Taiwan’s UMC (United Microelectronics Corporation) to manufacture ISOCELL image sensors and display drivers. These smartphone components will be fabricated using a 28nm fabrication process.

The South Korean tech giant will reportedly sell 400 units of fabrication equipment to UMC, and the latter will use them to manufacture camera sensors, display driver ICs, and other components for Samsung. UMC is planning to manufacture 27,000 wafers per month at its Nanke plant in Taiwan, and mass production will begin in 2023. UMC had earlier mentioned that it plans to invest $1.5 billion this year for its manufacturing facilities, but that likely excludes the 400 pieces of equipment it got from Samsung.

Samsung is currently seeing high demand for its camera sensors, particularly its 50MP, 64MP, and 108MP sensors. It is closing the gap with Sony in terms of smartphone camera sensor market share. The company will reportedly launch a 200MP sensor in the near future, and it has already said that it is working on a 600MP sensor that exceeds the capabilities of a human eye.

According to market research firm TrendForce, TSMC was the biggest semiconductor firm in the foundry sector with a 54.1% market share, while Samsung ranked second with a 15.9% market share. Global Foundries (7.7%), UMC (7.4%), and SMIC (4.5%) ranked third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.

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Samsung’s influence over the smartphone memory market keeps growing

Samsung remained the largest global smartphone memory manufacturer in 2020 and the company improved its DRAM and NAND market share by a couple of points, reveals new data from market research firm Strategy Analytics via The Korea Bizwire. The source claims that the global smartphone memory market grew by 4% on-year in 2020, topping $41 billion.

Last year, Samsung was reportedly able to secure 49% of the global smartphone memory market after it had improved its share by 2% year-on-year. In terms of market share, Samsung was followed by SK Hynix with 21% of the market. US-based chipmaker Micron Technology captured third place after it had secured a 13% market share.

Samsung was also able to improve its revenue share from 50.9% in 2019 up to 55% a year later. Meanwhile, the tech giant had a revenue share of 42% in the NAND flash market and was followed by rivals including Kioxia Holdings and SK Hynix.

According to previous data shared by market watchers, Samsung’s earnings from the DRAM and NAND sectors are likely to improve further in the first two quarters of 2021 as memory chip prices increase. DRAM costs are expected to rise by 13-18% in the following months. At the same time, NAND flash contract prices are also likely to increase by anywhere between 3-to-8% in Q2, 2021.

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Galaxy Quantum 2 with Snapdragon 855+ processor goes official in Korea

Samsung and SK Telecom have finally made the Galaxy Quantum 2 official. The smartphone features a high-end processor, a 120Hz display, and a dedicated quantum cryptography chipset for added security. The phone could be rebranded and launched as the Galaxy A82 in other markets worldwide, but we don’t yet have an official word on it. Pre-orders for the phone went live in South Korea today, and the phone will go on sale from April 23.

The Galaxy Quantum 2 features a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-O display with Full HD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and an in-display fingerprint reader. The phone runs Android 11 out of the box and comes equipped with the two-year-old Snapdragon 855+ processor, 6GB RAM, 128GB internal storage, and a microSD card slot. The phone has a 64MP triple-camera setup with OIS at the rear, featuring a 12MP ultrawide camera and a 5MP depth sensor.

Cryptography chip makes Galaxy Quantum 2 extremely hard to hack

Other features include GPS, 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, NFC, Samsung Pay (with MST), USB Type-C port, an IP67 rating, and 15W fast charging via its bundled charger. More importantly, it comes with an integrated 2.5×2.5mm QRNG (Quantum Random Number Generator) chip developed by ID Quantique. It generates random numbers by creating noise via an LED and capturing it via a CMOS sensor. The chip makes the phone extremely hard to hack unless someone gets extensive physical access to the device.

The quantum cryptographic chip works with Shinhan Bank and Standard Chartered Bank Korea apps as well as other services like 11Street, T World, SK Pay, PASS, and T Membership. In the future, the QRNG chip inside the Galaxy Quantum 2 will work with Samsung’s own credit card.

Han Myung-jin, Vice President and Head of Marketing Group of SKT, said, “With the Galaxy Quantum 2, we have successfully expanded the application of quantum security technologies to a wider variety of services including financial and security services. Our efforts will continue to keep expanding services that are safely and securely provided via the Galaxy Quantum 2.“

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