Galaxy Z Fold 3 will likely feature a smaller battery than Galaxy Z Fold 2

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is shaping up to be quite an impressive foldable smartphone. The device will likely get a faster processor, better displays, improved cameras, an under-display front-facing camera, and a thinner and lighter build. However, it might be powered by a smaller battery when compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Fold 2.

It was reported last week that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 could feature a dual-battery system with a combined capacity of 4,380mAh, but that information was just based on TheElec’s own source. Today, the upcoming foldable phone’s dual-battery system passed through the 3C certification process in China. One of those batteries (EB-BF926ABY) has a rated capacity of 2,060mAh, while the other battery (EB-BF927ABY) has a rated capacity of 2,215mAh.

The combined battery capacity turns out to be 4,275mAh, and Samsung could market it as a 4,380mAh or a 4,400mAh battery. Although Samsung appears to be using a smaller capacity battery than the Galaxy Z Fold 2, its upcoming foldable phone could make up for it via more power-efficient internals such as its 5nm processor.

Galaxy Z Fold 3 expected features

We had exclusively revealed yesterday that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will have an official IP rating for dust and water resistance. The device could also feature thicker Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) protection over the foldable screen to withstand the S Pen. Speaking of S Pen, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will likely come with S Pen support, but it won’t have a dedicated silo to store the stylus.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is rumored to feature a 6.21-inch cover display and a 7.55-inch foldable display. We had exclusively revealed that the foldable phone will have 256GB internal storage, and that it will run Android 11 with One UI 3.5 out of the box. The device will be available in at least two colors: black and green. It will also be available in The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is rumored to be unveiled sometime in July 2021 alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 3.

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Upcoming SmartThings update lets you know if you’re being tracked

Samsung has announced two new exciting additions to its growing SmartThings platform, designed to enhance user safety and provide easier access to the SmartThings Find feature via Bixby. Indeed, Bixby Voice integration is soon coming to SmartThings, and the company has announced a neat new security features for the Galaxy SmartTag.

First of all, the upcoming SmartThings update will allow users to find their SmartTags hands-free using voice commands. Users will be able to ask ‘Hi Bixby, where is my bike‘ or whatever object your SmartTag is tracking, and Bixby will find and share your property’s exact location.

The second part of the upcoming update seems to address a potential security and privacy issue. It allows SmartThings users to prevent being tracked by unknown SmartTags. Essentially, SmartThings users will soon be able to scan for Galaxy SmartTags that aren’t their own but follow the same movement patterns as they do. In other words, the feature allows SmartThings users to detect whether they’re being tracked by someone else’s SmartTag.

According to Samsung, the SmartThings update will be released starting next week. Exact availability details are missing, so there’s a chance that the update will gradually reach more markets over time.

‘One of the fastest-growing location services in the world’

Along with the recent announcement, Samsung also revealed a few interesting tidbits of information surrounding its SmartThings platform, such as the fact that it’s become one of the fastest-growing services of its kind.

The SmartThings Find network is now home to more than 70 million devices that have been registered as of the platform’s debut. Samsung claims that, at present, there are more than 700 million Galaxy users who can participate in the SmartThings Find network.

The Samsung Galaxy SmartTag was released along with the Galaxy S21 series and you can learn all there is to know about it from our review linked below. Keep in mind that Samsung has also launched the UWB-enabled SmartTag+ in key markets including the USA and South Korea.

Samsung Galaxy SmartTag review

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Galaxy Tab S7 Lite just did a little turn on the catwalk

If you can’t tell that the tablet season is almost upon us, you haven’t been paying attention these past few days. But that’s alright, because it seems the best is yet to come, as far as leaks are concerned. Today, the spotlight turned to the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite, which has just been sighted doing a deliberate 360 on video.

That setup should sound pretty familiar to anyone with a loose interest in smartphone news. And with good reason, as this newest depiction of the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite comes directly from known industry insider Steve Hemmerstoffer, better known by his online handle @OnLeaks.

Will the Galaxy Tab S7 be able to take on the new iPad Mini?

As usual, this video rendering is implied to be based on the final factory specifications of the device. Speaking of which, the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite will reportedly measure in at 284.77 x 185.04 x 6.34 mm, per the same source.

After more than a quarter of non-stop rumblings about the device, we’re kind of ready for Samsung to get this over with. Not because the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite doesn’t seem intriguing, but because there’ll be no one left for it to cater to if it ends up being months behind the widely rumored iPad Mini 2021. Unfortunately, the latest info on that front is that the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite will only be launching in June, at least a month and likely two months behind Apple’s spring slates.

Oh, and let’s not forget the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite appears to be on the horizon, as well. In the meantime, Samsung wants you to know last year’s Galaxy Tab S7 flagships are still powerhouses. Because they are.

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The Galaxy M12 is officially headed for the UK and will arrive this month

It’s been roughly a couple of months since the Galaxy M12 was quietly introduced to Vietnam and India, but now the device is headed for its UK debut. Samsung confirmed today that the budget device will be available in the UK from April 30 exclusively through the company’s online store as well as through Amazon.

The Galaxy M12 is Samsung’s cheapest smartphone to date that boasts a high refresh rate of 90Hz, and as detailed in our review, it works surprisingly well. This leads to smoother animations throughout the UI, and a higher frame rate in certain mobile games. And although you shouldn’t expect flagship-grade performance from this budget phone, the Exynos 850 octa-core chipset punches well above the Galaxy M12’s weight.

Other hardware specs include 4GB of RAM, 64GB of built-in storage expandable by 1TB via microSD, and an Infinity-V display with a resolution of 1600 by 720 pixels. The phone has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and the components are powered by a 5,000mAh battery with 15W fast charging.

Prospective buyers in the UK are looking at a £159 price tag attached to the Galaxy M12. Once the device becomes available at the end of the month, customers will get to pick from three color options: black, light blue, and green.

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Samsung’s developed a wireless keyboard with DeX and it’s coming soon

Samsung has developed a wireless QWERTY keyboard called the Samsung Keyboard Trio 500, and what makes it special compared to any other wireless keyboards on the market is that the Trio 500 was designed to offer DeX compatibility. Or at the very least, this is what a handful of leaked press renders suggest, because the keyboard itself is not yet available for purchase.

The Samsung Keyboard Trio 500 should work in wired mode thanks to a USB port, but it also works wirelessly thanks to two AAA batteries. The keyboard not only has a dedicated DeX button but the layout also suggests that it should be compatible with Apple devices and Windows-powered PCs. The keyboard seemingly has a dedicated button for switching between connected devices, and the name itself implies that it should be able to carry three connections simultaneously.

The alleged price might tell us more about the keyboard’s capabilities

The renders below were lifted by WinFuture from an online third-party retailer’s website, so there’s no official information to go by regarding the product’s official launch date and price. However, the source suggests that the Samsung Keyboard Trio 500 will go on sale in Europe for around €45.

The price suggests that the Keyboard Trio 500 doesn’t have any smart ‘brains’ inside it, therefore it can’t work independently as a DeX-only machine. Instead, it will likely require the user to connect it to a Samsung smartphone or tablet that supports the DeX platform. Time will tell.

The Samsung Keyboard Trio 500 should hit the market in two color options — black and white — but the exact launch date remains unclear. Nevertheless, third-party retailers are already preparing the product for release so it shouldn’t take much longer. We’ll keep you posted.

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Samsung heir could be pardoned as semiconductor supply issues continue

The ongoing global shortage of semiconductors is causing supply problems across a wide variety of industries. Some car manufacturers have been forced to halt production due to parts unavailability, and with both the USA and China trying to become the world’s greatest semiconductor hub, Samsung Electronics is reportedly feeling pressure from both sides. The company is planning to make massive investments to increase its semiconductor manufacturing capacity, and according to the latest reports from industry sources, Samsung could end up following a dual-track approach in investments.

Last week, industry watchers said that Samsung has yet to make a decision as to whether it should pursue its semiconductor investment plans in the USA or South Korea, but a new report now suggests that Samsung is very close to revealing its plans for a two-pronged strategy. The company is expected to announce a 70 trillion won ($62.7 billion) investment. 20 trillion won ($17.9 billion) will reportedly be allocated to its expansion plans at its facility in Austin, Texas, and the remaining 50 trillion won ($44.8) will go towards expanding its P3 semiconductor line in Hwaseong, South Korea.

Business officials want Lee Jae-yong back at the helm

Even more interesting than the alleged two-pronged strategy is the fact that business officials believe that the next huge wave of investments should happen with Lee Jae-yong back at the helm. The planned investment is too large and important in their eyes, and because of this, they’ve asked president Moon Jae-in to pardon Lee Jae-yong and allow him to facilitate the investment.

Korea Enterprises Federation Chief Sohn Kyung-shik has reportedly suggested the idea of pardoning Lee during a meeting with the finance minister and heads of economic lobby groups, and apparently the other attendees remained quite positive on the idea.

Samsung’s Lee Jae-yong was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison on account of bribery at the beginning of the year, and the vice chairman has humbly accepted the court’s decision. He was barred from working at Samsung for five years once he’s released from jail, though the employment ban seemingly remains controversial.

It’s unclear whether Lee Jae-yong will or won’t be pardoned but more details could emerge soon, especially since Samsung’s investment plans could become clearer in a matter of weeks. An unnamed industry executive cited by The Korea Times expects these details to be revealed a few days before president Moon’s face-to-face meeting with Biden […] probably in early May.

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Exclusive: Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 2 will have an IP rating!

Durability remains a concern with foldable smartphones and Samsung is addressing it with each new generation. The Galaxy Z Flip featured Samsung’s first-ever Ultra-Thin Glass foldable display and a solid hinge.

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 also featured a UTG panel in addition to a more refined hinge. None of the foldables that Samsung has released so far have an IP rating. That’s about to change this year.

Samsung’s first foldable phones with an IP rating

An IP or Ingress Protection rating is awarded to the enclosure of an electrical item. It clearly indicates just how resistant the item is to debris and liquid ingress. For example, the IP67 rating found on most smartphones indicates that it offers full protection against dust and other foreign particles as well as protection against full immersion in water for up to 30 minutes at up to 1 meter.

We hear whispers from people in the know that both new foldables – the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 2 will feature an IP rating. The exact rating is unknown at this point in time. It may not be similar to the IP68 rating of the Galaxy S21 Ultra, for example, but at least it represents a major improvement in the durability department.

This will certainly be a welcome addition for customers who pay up to $2,000 for a foldable like the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Samsung’s foldables are also some of its most expensive smartphones. The more durable they can be the better it is for customers.

Samsung is due to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 2 later this year. A recent report has suggested that the devices may be launched in July. These are the only two foldable smartphones that Samsung will be launching this year. Rumors that claimed up to four new foldables might be launched are incorrect.

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