Did you get a free Galaxy Note 9 from AT&T yet? You could!

Who doesn’t like free stuff? If you’re an AT&T subscriber, you actually have a chance to get a free Galaxy Note 9 from the country’s second largest mobile carrier. Yes, AT&T is actually sending out free replacement devices, but there’s obviously a catch.

AT&T is trying to get people off its 3G network. The carrier has already confirmed that it will shut down the 3G network early next year. This is being done to support the further rollout of the carrier’s 5G network.

Galaxy Note 9s are showing up at customers’ doors unexpectedly

AT&T has been nudging customers with 3G devices to get new phones for a while now. The carrier has offered cheap and even free replacements but not all subscribers have taken the carrier up on its offer. Now, even those who didn’t put in a request are receiving free replacement devices from AT&T.

For the past few months, AT&T has been providing replacement phones on an identical platform basis. Subscribers with conventional flip phones got newer flip phones. Old iPhone owners are getting second-generation iPhone SE devices for free.

For Android users, AT&T offered cheap RADIANT CORES units upon request. Those who made the request did end up receiving that device. However, some AT&T subscribers who didn’t request a replacement phone have received one anyway.

Multiple posts on the r/ATT subreddit confirm that AT&T has sent out replacement phones to subscribers affected by its 3G network sunset. Many users have received the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 while some have even received the Galaxy S9. A few got the Galaxy A11 as well.

AT&T reassures all of the subscribers who got these unsolicited devices that they’re absolutely free and at no cost to them. All of the units it has sent are subject to automatic activation with the user’s existing phone number and service within 30 days of shipment.

It was a bit confusing to see the different variety of devices that the carrier was sending out. AT&T later confirmed to AndroidPolice in a statement that:

We have not changed our plans to replace 3G network-dependent devices. However, inventory constraints mean we sometimes must find substitutes for some devices.

Do you own a device that’s going obsolete on the carrier’s network? Might want to keep an eye out for a brand new Galaxy Note 9 coming your way!

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Galaxy phone users, Google’s clock app might not wake you up tomorrow

There is a huge number of Google apps on the Play Store that anyone can download and use. Naturally, there are the company’s main revenue drivers, such as Gmail, the Play Store, Google Drive, Google Assistant, and YouTube, most of which come preinstalled on most Android devices. And then there are apps like Gboard, Files by Google, and even Google Clock, which aren’t necessary if you own a Galaxy phone but are at your disposal if you want them.

However, one of those Google apps has a huge problem right now: The internet giant’s Clock app is failing to wake people up. 1-star Play Store reviews from as early as March this year and reports on Reddit reveal that a bug in the app is causing pre-set alarms to fail to activate. That has unsurprisingly led to quite the outrage from affected users. It seems the app is failing to play a sound or notification and, in some instances, only vibrating for a moment when the alarm is supposed to go off.

Having do not disturb mode enabled on the phone seems to be the main cause behind this issue, and Google says it is aware of it and is currently working on a fix. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like Samsung users are affected by this – it’s mostly Pixel owners and owners of devices from some Chinese OEMs such as Oppo and OnePlus who have been tearing their hair out.

However, that could change at any time, so if you’re a Galaxy smartphone owner and are using Google Clock instead of Samsung’s excellent preloaded app, you might want to switch back.  As the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure – missing alarms is just not something you want to experience, especially if your job depends on it.

Do you use Google’s Clock app on your Galaxy smartphone? Have you run into alarm issues?

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Got a One UI 4.0 features wishlist? Here’s ours!

One UI 3.1.1 did a decent job elevating the user experience of foldable Galaxy phones. However, One UI 4.0 is what every Samsung customer is looking forward to, as the upcoming Android 12-based firmware update will bring more changes and additions to a wider range of Galaxy smartphones and tablets.

The One UI 4.0 beta program is almost live for the Galaxy S21 series in a few regions, so we’ll soon get a chance to see what Samsung’s software engineers have been working on in recent months. We won’t know much about the final form of One UI 4.0 for a few more months, though, as we suspect that the first public build will debut with the Galaxy S22 series in January.

Until One UI 4.0 arrives, we can only dream of what it’s going to offer. For now, we compiled a wishlist of new features we’d like to see in the next major firmware update, hoping it will hit the mark.

DeX improvements

Samsung DeX is a pretty amazing tool that lets you connect your smartphone to an external monitor and turn it into a pocket computer. And while it’s great, we’d love to see a few more additions, such as 4K support, an easier way to add emojis, support for password manager apps, and an option to change the behavior of the Enter key.

A dedicated number pad in Samsung Keyboard

Similarly, Samsung Keyboard is fantastic out of the box, and it’s the first choice for many Android smartphone users. But what would make it even better is a dedicated number pad.

The number pad does show up in certain situations, as it should, but in some use cases, it would be really nice to have control over this basic feature.

Per-contact call background options

Custom ringtones have been a part of the user experience for mobile phone owners for more than a decade, and Samsung’s call background options add a visual layer to the concept, though in a very limited way. There’s only one call background option for all your contacts, with no room for further personalization.

But having the option to add per-contact call background options could be a lot of fun. For example, it would allow you to set a video of a friend waving at the camera as the call background for said friend in your Contacts list.

Samsung Pass two-factor code generator

Samsung Pass is a great password manager that’s built right into One UI for the majority of Galaxy smartphones and tablets. It can store passwords for websites, credit card info, and other authentication details in a secure way for easy access.

One thing that’s lacking from Samsung Pass is a two-factor code generator to act as an additional security layer during the login process. We’re hoping One UI 4.0 will address this, especially since the rival platform — iOS 15 — already offers this feature.

A high refresh rate quick toggle

A high refresh rate display can make a world of difference to the user experience. Thanks to the 90Hz/120Hz displays adopted by a wide variety of Samsung smartphones and tablets, One UI animations are smoother, and everything feels just a little bit more responsive.

What we’d like to see next in One UI 4.0 is a dedicated quick toggle to switch between 60Hz and the high refresh rate mode. Of course, users can already switch between these modes at will, but the process requires a few extra steps after opening the Settings app. A quick toggle would greatly simplify things.

An option to enable high refresh rate in Power Saving Mode

A high refresh rate will have a more noticeable impact on battery life on a single charge, which is why Samsung phones automatically switch to 60Hz when the Power Saving Mode is active.

It makes sense if you’re trying to save battery life, but it would be even better if One UI 4.0 allowed users to choose whether the Power Saving Mode should affect the refresh rate. In other words, let us enable 90Hz/120Hz even in Power Saving Mode.

There used to be a workaround for this involving Bixby Routines, but sadly, it no longer works.

“Protect battery” for more Galaxy smartphone models

“Protect battery” is a feature that exists mainly for tablets but was first added to smartphones with the release of One UI 3.1.1 for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3.

As the name suggests, this feature is meant to prolong the life of your phone’s battery. It does so by preventing the battery from charging beyond 85%. It might not make a huge difference, and for devices with small batteries, it might cause a significant drop in battery life on a single charge. But regardless, it can be a useful Device Care feature, especially if you want to hold on to your smartphone for more than a couple of years. It just wouldn’t hurt if it would be added to more phones with the release of One UI 4.0.

Astrophotography mode

Samsung’s flagship phones can capture good photos of the night sky if the right settings are used. However, a dedicated astrophotography mode for people who might not be familiar with manual camera settings could go a long way.

Not many casual photographers know this, but there’s a “500 Rule” that allows you to calculate the perfect shutter speed for your camera’s focal length to achieve the best results and prevent light trails when photographing the stars. A dedicated astrophotography mode in One UI 4.0 would automate some of these settings, allowing everyone to quickly capture beautiful night sky photos.

A cleaner Camera UI

The Camera UI in current versions of One UI is kind of a mess. There are way too many modes included in the scrolling list at the bottom (in portrait mode) of the viewfinder, and One UI 4.0 could clean things up by simply combining some of these modes.

For example, there are two Pro Modes — one for video and one for photos — when there could be a single Pro Mode with an option to switch between photos and videos. Similarly, the Camera UI offers a Slow Motion and a Super Slow-Mo option, when it could combine both in a single category containing different framerate settings.

Video and audio recording privacy indicator (similar to Android 12)

Android 12 introduces a neat little privacy feature — an indicator that lets you know when your phone is recording video or audio, even when the recording app is minimized to Recents or otherwise continues recording while running in the background.

Since One UI 4.0 is based on Android 12, we’re hoping Samsung will get inspired by this small feature and reimagine it within its own software.

Let us change the shape of app icons

This has become one of the most basic customization features for many smartphone brands, yet Samsung keeps shying away from it. The company removed custom app icon shapes from developer options with the release of Android 10, and we have yet to see signs of a comeback.

Nevertheless, since One UI 4.0 might bring major design improvements in line with Google’s Material You, we’re hoping that Samsung will finally let us customize the shape of app icons.

A redesigned Calendar app icon

Speaking of app icon designs, the Calendar app icon could be a bit more dynamic. Right now, it shows the current date, which is a nice touch, but it could be even better if it would provide additional information at a glance and inform users if they have an event scheduled for the present day.

Similarly, the Clock icon could also be more dynamic and change based on whether or not you have an upcoming alarm.

One UI 4.0 wishlist wrap-up

This concludes our One UI 4.0 wishlist — for now — but don’t be surprised if more items will be added to this list over time, so stay tuned. And if you have a One UI 4.0 wishlist of your own, feel free to share it in the comment section below.

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Once the One UI 4.0 beta arrives, which countries will get to participate?

Samsung has been running beta programs for new versions of Android for a few years now. Initially, these beta programs were restricted to less than a handful of countries, but Samsung eventually started to make them more widely available. For the Android 12 and One UI 4.0 beta for the Galaxy S21 series, the same thing is expected to happen, but is there an exact list of countries where users of Galaxy S21-series phones will get to participate?

Well, there isn’t one right now. At this time, Samsung has only confirmed that the beta will be available in the US and South Korea, two markets which are always first in line. But we can look to past One UI betas from Samsung to get an idea of where else One UI 4.0 will be available for testing before its stable worldwide release.

One UI 4.0 beta program could launch in seven markets

In addition to the US and Korea, expect the One UI 4.0 beta program to launch in the United Kingdom, Poland, Germany, China and India. Samsung could expand availability to other markets this year, but for now that’s impossible to confirm. Thankfully, Samsung says the One UI 4.0 beta will start sometime this month, and we should get an official list of countries whenever the beta goes live.

You may also be wondering if the beta will come to devices other the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra. That’s also something we can’t confirm right now, but the Android 11-based One UI 3.0 beta was made available for all of Samsung’s flagships for 2019 and 2020 (barring the original Galaxy Fold) and a few mid-range devices, so we can expect One UI 4.0 testing to happen on more than just the Galaxy S21 lineup, as well.

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Samsung to unveil its monstrous 200MP camera sensor tomorrow?

Samsung fans expect a couple of new ISOCELL camera sensors to be unveiled this year in anticipation of the Galaxy S22 series, and word on the street is that Samsung will be announcing them tomorrow. The company will apparently take the veil off the so-called ISOCELL HP1 and ISOCELL GN5 sensors, though detailed specifications are lacking at the moment.

The ISOCELL GN5 reportedly has a 50MP resolution, whereas the ISOCELL HP1 features a resolution of 200MP. These characteristics sound familiar to anyone who’s been following the news surrounding the Galaxy S22 series, as rumor has it that the base S22 and S22 Plus models should feature 50MP main cameras.

On the other hand, the 200MP sensor might not be planned for release along with a Samsung flagship. There were rumors of the Galaxy S22 Ultra model possibly featuring a 200MP, but this seems more and more unlikely as rumors pile up. If history is any indication, the 200MP ISOCELL sensor could debut with the help of a rival phone, possibly from China.

Of course, there’s also the possibility that the ISOCELL GN5 and ISOCELL HP1 will not be announced tomorrow. Nothing’s official until Samsung says it is, but we’ll find out soon enough. Assuming that the ISOCELL GN5 is coming soon, it will be interesting to hear Samsung’s explanation as to why it jumped from the “GN2” moniker straight to “GN5.” The naming scheme could indicate important upgrades, and we might be in for a pleasant surprise. Stay tuned.

Exclusive: tomorrow, Samsung ISOCELL will release 200MP HP1 and 50MP GN5. Please wait for the official news.

— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) September 1, 2021

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[Result] SamMobile Weekly Giveaway: Grab a pair of the Galaxy Buds Pro!

Looking for new earbuds? The latest SamMobile Weekly Giveaway presents you with a great opportunity to win a pair of the Galaxy Buds Pro.

These are the best earbuds that Samsung has launched so far. We highlighted in our Galaxy Buds Pro review that its features like ANC and 360-degree audio as well as incredible sound quality make it a great device.

SamMobile readers across the globe only need to follow the steps highlighted in the widget below to submit an entry. The winner will be announced on September 1, 2021.

Result: Congratulations to Bukoye Rasheed for winning the Galaxy Buds Pro. We’ll be in touch to get your prize out to you.

Galaxy Buds Pro international giveaway!

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Samsung Internet 16 beta is out, here are all the new features!

Samsung Internet keeps improving with every new update, as if it wasn’t already the browser of choice for countless smartphone and tablet users. But Samsung knows there’s always room for improvement, and the company has continued bettering its mobile browser with every iteration.

As usual, big changes arrive on the beta channels first, and surprise! Samsung Internet 16 beta is now available with a handful of new additions in tow. Let’s have a closer look at each one.

Improved search suggestions

To begin with, the search experience in Samsung Internet 16 beta is improved thanks to enhanced suggestion results. When typing inside the address bar, Samsung Internet 16 will show search suggestions based on the text you entered as well as your bookmarks and browsing history.

It’s very intuitive, and they work with certain web widgets. For example, it can show weather information directly in the search suggestions card when typing in “weather” followed by a location.

Page Zoom support and web engine rebase

Page zoom is a new accessibility feature in Samsung Internet 16 beta. It’s a general zoom slider that looks similar to the existing Text Size slider but works differently. It lets you make the text and the UI bigger across all websites, whether they support zooming or not. There are no options to save zoom levels per website, but this is a brand-new addition and it’s a good start.

With the release of Samsung Internet 16 Beta, the company also upgraded the web engine to Chromium M92, offering support for new Web features.

Image-based anti-tracking via Smart Protect

Smart Protect is part of Samsung Internet’s excellent anti-tracking functionality, and it can now block image-based malicious trackers on websites. Some tracking sites use small images that are almost invisible to maliciously track users across different domains, slowly building up a profile about the user. The improved Smart Protect feature in Samsung Internet 16 beta prevents this from happening.

Download the new beta now!

Naturally, all of these features will eventually be released for the stable version of the app. Until then, you can get a head start by downloading the latest beta version from the Galaxy Store or the Play Store and experiment with these new features ahead of time. And if you are wondering what’s so special about Samsung Internet and whether you should use it, check out our roundup of the browser’s best features.

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