Tech News

Remember the vivo S1 that launched worldwide but is different than the vivo S1 in China? The one that is called vivo Y7s at its domestic scene? Well, it is arriving today in Russia with another new name - vivo V17 Neo. It will arrive with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage and will cost the equivalent of $315/€285. vivo V17 Neo promo images The phone comes with Helio P65 chipset, housing an octa-core CPU at 2 GHz. The screen is 6.38" Super AMOLED with an underdisplay fingerprint scanner, while the camera is in a waterdrop notch. There are three shooters on the back - an 8 MP...

Samsung is set to hold its Unpacked event next week in New York city where we are expecting to hear about the Samsung Galaxy Note10, Note10+, hopefully a 5G varirant, and a new Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 smartwatch. Just Wednesday, Samsung pulled the wraps off of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 with S-Pen remote, Snapdragon 855, and 8GB of RAM. Also on Wednesday, Android Headlines released a convincing render of the Galaxy Note10+ 5G, but it isn't like ones we've seen before. This one is a Verizon variant connected to 5G UWB+ and the date on the lockscreen says August 23. This is the same...

The Nvidia Shield TV, launched back in 2015 with Android 5.1 Lollipop, is receiving Android Pie with Software Experience Upgrade 8.0. The update is rolling out to the 2017 version of the Shield TV as well. This software upgrade brings a redesigned Settings menu and a streamlined setup for new users. It also brings Hulu Live TV to the Shield TV in addition to new apps and games. Besides, the update also enables surround sound for Netflix and 4K support for Prime Video. You can head over here to learn more about the new and upgraded apps and games, and check out the full changelog of...

Asus went all-in with the specs of the ROG Phone II, and it looks like a lot of people appreciate that - at least in China, where it's already logged more than 2.5 million reservations on JD.com, one of the main online stores over there. These aren't pre-orders, but you do need to reserve in order to be able to then buy a device in a flash sale. The first flash sale of the ROG Phone II happened today and the entire batch of 10,000 devices was gone in 73 seconds. Asus apologized to the people that weren't fast enough to snag one, and promised that its production line staff are working to...

Apple's iPhone 11 (or iPhone XI, or whatever else the company's going to call it) is apparently going to come with a rather surprising new feature. According to analysts at Citi Research, the next iPhone will have support for the Apple Pencil. Ever since the debut of the original Apple Pencil, the stylus has only worked with iPads. So this would mark a huge shift in Apple's philosophy, if it pans out. And that's a big "if". Citi analysts usually focus on the financials of any given company and don't predict its future products' features, so there's no track record here we can look back...

Samsung launched the first Galaxy phone, the Galaxy GT-I7500, ten years back on June 29, 2009. Since then, sales of Galaxy devices have grown at a rapid pace to make Samsung the world’s largest smartphone vendor. Its flagship devices, in particular, have been the default choice for Android customers for many years, thanks to the cutting-edge technology they incorporate. Celebrating this journey of Galaxy devices, Samsung has come up with the new infographic highlighting a decade of innovations they brought to the market.

AMOLED displays

The first smartphone to feature a Super AMOLED display was the Galaxy S from 2010. The rest is history. These displays have become a trademark feature of Galaxy devices since then. Eventually, even rivals — including Apple — started using AMOLED displays on their devices, which stands as a testament to Samsung’s technological prowess and vision. The company’s displays have been consistently rated as the best in the market by many experts.

The S Pen

Samsung introduced the S Pen in 2011 when it launched the first Galaxy Note smartphone. Though smartphone styluses existed before, Samsung’s creation was technologically superior and came paired with a large-screen smartphone, which made it an instant hit in the market. Even to this day, the S Pen remains as the most unique feature of the Galaxy Note lineup, with the company adding new features to it every year.

Samsung Knox

Android devices were for long believed to be insecure and unsuitable for enterprise deployment. Samsung tried to address this concern by launching Samsung Knox with the Galaxy Note 3 in 2013. It is a comprehensive security solution that provides a secure environment to store and manage sensitive data on Galaxy devices. The Korean company eventually brought Knox to its wearables, tablets, and select home appliances as well, and it was then partly adopted by Google for the Android OS itself.

Biometric Authentication

This one is a bit of PR speak from Samsung. Though the company incorporated a fingerprint scanner into the Galaxy S5 in 2014, it neither was the first nor did it perform well. The later iterations were much better and performed on par with the competition. It also introduced iris and facial recognition systems in subsequent years, but they are either a bit slow or insecure. However, Samsung did launch the first ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy S10, which is better than the optical solutions in the market.

IP68 Dust and Water Resistance

Again, Samsung was not the first to bring dust and water-resistant capabilities to smartphones, but it did make the feature go mainstream when it launched the Galaxy S5 with IP67 rating in 2014 and the Galaxy S7 with IP68 rating two years later. Every Galaxy S and Note flagship comes with IP68 certification as standard to this day.

Wireless Charging

The Galaxy S6, launched in 2015, was the first Samsung device to support wireless charging. Though Samsung didn’t invent this feature, it once again made it mainstream, forcing rivals to adopt the same. The Galaxy S10 lineup takes this feature one step ahead with the Wireless PowerShare feature that transforms Samsung’s latest flagship into a wireless power bank for wearables and other Qi-certified devices.

Samsung Pay

After AMOLED displays, Samsung Pay is probably the company’s biggest innovation to date. The company introduced Samsung Pay with the Galaxy S6 in 2015, and it instantly turned into a marque feature of Galaxy flagship devices. Unlike competing solutions that work only at NFC-equipped PoS terminals, Samsung Pay works at every outlet that can accept your debit or credit card, which makes it, perhaps, the best mobile payment solution on the market.

The Infinity Display

Displays were always the biggest strength of Samsung devices. So, it is unsurprising the company kickstarted the trend of bezel-less screens with its Infinity Display on the Galaxy S8 in 2017. Samsung wasn’t the first with the bezel-less concept, but the alternatives were niche devices that wouldn’t have turned that concept into the force it is today thanks to the Korean giant. It’s too bad the company continues to flip flop between the location for the circular front camera cutouts on its 2019 flagships, although none of those implementations are as obtrusive as an iPhone-like notch would be.

Bixby

It is difficult to understand why Samsung thinks Bixby is a major innovation, but the company does list it as one in the infographic. Bixby is Samsung’s AI platform that made its debut on the Galaxy S8 in 2017. Since then, the company has been playing catch-up with competing solutions such as Google Assistant and Apple Siri. Samsung plans to bring Bixby to all its devices in the future, which will hopefully make it better and more useful.

Pro-grade Camera (Dual Aperture)

For many years, iPhones were considered to have the best smartphone cameras in the market due to their simplicity and consistency. Samsung fought back by making its smartphone camera’s simple and powerful over the years. The company also introduced many new camera features in an attempt to leap ahead of the competition in smartphone photography. One such pro-grade camera feature is the Dual Aperture technology that was introduced with the Galaxy S9 in 2018. This tech helps smartphone cameras adjust to various lighting conditions and take great pictures in all environments. It is worth noting that, despite all these improvements, Samsung still doesn’t have the best smartphone cameras as far as still photography is concerned, although they are very close to the top performers out there.

Check out Samsung’s infographic below, then let us know what you think about Samsung’s list of top innovations down in the comments. Do you agree with them? Comment below with your own list that makes you buy a Galaxy smartphone.

The post Samsung highlights a decade of Galaxy innovations in a new infographic appeared first on SamMobile.

Samsung is making the Galaxy Watch Active 2 official on August 5, as teased yesterday. In the meantime, how about some newly leaked official-looking press renders of the upcoming wearable? The latest batch comes from two different sources no less. First off, let's take a look at what are said to be all the color versions of the watch - at least initially, upon launch. More options might become available in the future. So there's going to be a black/silver model, a pale blue/grey one, and a pink/gold/beige looking thing too. Next up, there's going to be a special Under Armour edition...

The wait is finally over for Samsung fans who had been waiting for the company’s new tablet. It has also confirmed the Galaxy Tab S6 price and availability details. This is a flagship tablet so it has a price tag to match.

Will Samsung find many takers for the device at this price point, though? The Galaxy Tab S6 does have a lot going for it. It comes with the latest Qualcomm chip, a gorgeous AMOLED display, a feature-packed S Pen and more.

Galaxy Tab S6 price and availability details

The Galaxy Tab S6 arrives merely six months after Samsung released the Galaxy Tab S5e. The question, then, for someone looking for a new Samsung tablet will be which one to get. This is where things get a bit tricky.

Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy Tab S6 price starts at 699 euro for the base model with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The 8GB RAM and 256GB storage variant costs 779 euro. You could also pay the same amount of money and get the LTE variant which is only offered with 128GB storage.

That is quite the premium over the Galaxy Tab S5e which starts at 419 euro for the Wi-Fi variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. If you’re only looking for a tablet to watch Netflix on, browse the web and get some light work done, the Galaxy Tab S5e will be a much better option. We actually found it to be quite the value proposition. You can find out more about it in our Galaxy Tab S5e review.

You can check out our Galaxy Tab S6 hands-on to get an idea of this tablet’s strengths and weaknesses. We’ll have a full review up in the next few weeks. The Galaxy Tab S6 will be available in Cloud Blue, Mountain Gray and Rose Blush colors. Samsung hasn’t confirmed the precise release date as yet but says that the tablet will be available starting late August.

The post Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 price and availability details appeared first on SamMobile.

After teasing a new product launch yesterday, Samsung today unveiled the Galaxy Tab S6. This is Samsung’s new flagship tablet for the year and the successor to the Galaxy Tab S4. Since the company already launched a Galaxy Tab S5e this year, it went straight to the Galaxy Tab S6 branding for the flagship.

Much had already been revealed about this device. We had actually leaked the very first live images of the Galaxy Tab S6. It’s exactly the same and many of those details have now been officially confirmed.

Galaxy Tab S6 specs and features

The Galaxy Tab S6 features a 10.5-inch WQXGA Super AMOLED display and indeed features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor under the hood. This is a welcome addition since customers will now get the latest chip for the flagship, something that Samsung should have done with the Galaxy Tab S4 as well. The base model will have 6GB of RAM with 128GB of storage. Those who want to spend a bit extra can get the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant. The microSD card slot supports external expansion up to 1TB.

This is Samsung’s first tablet with a dual camera at the back. There’s a primary 13-megapixel sensor coupled with a 5-megapixel ultra-wide camera with a 123-degree field of view. If this will ever go beyond remaining a novelty on the tablet remains to be seen. It’s not like people use their tablet as their primary mobile camera.

Galaxy Tab S6 S Pen learns new tricks

The Galaxy Tab S6 S Pen brings significant improvements. There’s a groove at the back where the stylus attaches magnetically and charges itself. It can deliver up to ten hours of battery life for the S Pen after just ten minutes of charging. The S Pen has integrated Bluetooth remote control features, much like the Galaxy Note 9’s S Pen, so you can use it as a shutter button for the camera or as a clicker for presentations. There’s also a new gesture feature called S Pen Air actions which will let you control the multimedia content on the tablet even when it’s not in your hands.

The S Pen also makes taking notes a breeze. Handwritten Samsung Notes can easily be converted into digital text and exported to formats such as Microsoft Word with just one tap. Quick notes or sketches can also be jotted down when watching a video, for example, by using Samsung Notes’ window transparency.

An improved version of Samsung DeX is shipping with the Galaxy Tab S6. Samsung has also added a DeX function key to the Book Cover Keyboard for this tablet so that DeX can be launched and closed with a single tap of the key. The keyboard itself has been improved for better functionality and has a touchpad.

The 244.5 x 159.5 × 5.7mm metal slate weighs 420g and comes with a 7,040mAh battery with 15W fast charging. There are AKG-tuned quad speakers with Dolby Atmos support as well. The Galaxy Tab S6 doesn’t come with a 3.5mm headphone jack; the Galaxy Tab S5e didn’t either, so this doesn’t really come as a surprise. What it does have, though, is an optical in-display fingerprint sensor.

The Galaxy Tab S6 will be available in Cloud Blue, Mountain Gray and Rose Blush colors starting late August.

Galaxy Tab S6 (Wi-Fi)

• Model: SM-T860
• Dimensions:
• Display: 10.5" (266.7) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
• Camera:

More specifications

Galaxy Tab S6 (LTE)

• Model: SM-T865
• Dimensions:
• Display: 10.5" (266.7) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
• Camera:

More specifications

The post Galaxy Tab S6 launched with SD855, dual camera and new S Pen features appeared first on SamMobile.

The Redmi K20 and K20 Pro have received a price cut in China. The 6GB/128GB variant of the K20 is now down to CNY1,999 ($290/€260) from CNY2,099 ($305/€275), whereas the Pro version with the same memory configuration is now down from CNY2,599 ($380/€340) to CNY2,299 ($335/€300). The 8GB/128GB model of the K20 Pro has also received a price drop and it now costs CNY2,499 ($365/€325). Redmi K20 Additionally, Redmi has also slashed the prices of the Redmi 7, Redmi 7A, Redmi Note 7, and the Redmi Note 7 Pro. You can check out the table below for more details. Phone ...

Car chargers are useful when you need to charge up your devices on the road. They are often used to power phones, tablets, navigation systems and some can even charge laptops. This car charger offers both USB-C as well as USB-A (regular USB) so most of your charging cables should fit. It’s currently discounted by 33% making this an excellent choice if you’re looking for a new car charger.

Use the Buy Now button below to grab one while it’s still on sale!

The post Daily Deal: 33% off this USB-C Car Charger with USB-C/A Ports appeared first on SamMobile.

When Samsung first shipped its Galaxy A70 back in April it was missing a dedicated Night Mode resulting in sub-par low-light shots compared to other midrange devices. Now the company has begun pushing the latest firmware fix for the phone which brings the long-awaited Night mode and also adds the July security update. The A705GMDDU3ASG6 update comes in at 367 MB and is already live in India. It should make its way to other countries in the coming weeks. In addition to the Night mode function, Samsung has also added a dedicated QR scanner in the camera interface. Other points of focus...

Yesterday we reported Honor 9X sold in 100,000 units in the first two minutes and today the Huawei sub-brand came out with new information, revealing it managed to ship over 300,000 units in the first day of the sale. The phone is readily available for purchase at all major online retailers in China, which leads us to the assumption the 100,000 initial phones were part of some pre-order deal and the customers who requested the phone went through with the payment in the first two minutes. The Honor 8X set multiple records for the brand, including the fastest reach of 10 million sold...

After publishing the India-specific report last week, Strategy Analytics has now released the global smartphone shipment data for Q2 2019. According to the report, Samsung shipped 76.3 million smartphones worldwide in Q2 2019, jumping 6.7% annually from 71.5 million units in Q2 2018. Global smartphone shipments, however, fell by 2.6% to 341.4 million units from 350.4 million units a year earlier.

Extends the gap at the top

Samsung’s overall Q2 2019 business may not look good, but its smartphone business is faring better, at least in terms of shipments. The company closed the gap with Xiaomi as the largest smartphone vendor in India. The surge was driven by strong sales of its new Galaxy A and M series smartphones. And this has reflected on the company’s global smartphone business as well.

Samsung led the global smartphone shipments in Q2 2019 with a 22.3% market share, extending the gap from the second-placed Huawei. The Chinese company held 17.2% of the market during the period. Samsung’s market share increased by 1.9% annually against Huawei’s 1.7% . Apple, Xiaomi, and Oppo make up the top five smartphone vendors with 11.1%, 9.4%, and 8.7% market share respectively.

Despite selling more handsets, Samsung’s profit margin has declined in Q2 2019 due to aggressive pricing. Whether Samsung improves on that in the second half of the year remains to be seen. The company has several budget and mid-range phones, as well as two flagships – the Galaxy Note 10 and the Galaxy Fold – in the pipeline for Q3 2019 release.

The post Samsung extends the gap as the world’s largest smartphone vendor appeared first on SamMobile.

The Asus ZenFone Max Pro (M1) is receiving a new software update which brings along the Digital Wellbeing feature that lets you keep a track of how much time you spend using an app and help cut down on your phone usage. Additionally, this firmware also fixes an issue related to the dark theme and bumps up the Android security patch level on the smartphone to June 2019. This new update carries version number 16.2017.1906.056 and is rolling out over the air for the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) units having model number ZB601KL. The update should reach your phone in a week or two, but if...

The Galaxy A80, Samsung’s most feature-packed Galaxy A series phone in 2019 yet, has been making its way to different markets in the last couple of weeks, after what seemed like a long wait between the phone’s retail launch and its official unveiling in Thailand back in early April. But the wait’s come to an end and we now have our Galaxy A80 video review ready for your viewing pleasure. As always, our text review goes into more detail about the device, while our video review quickly takes you over the main highlights and pain points, including a visual demonstration of the drop test we did to check the device’s safety mechanism for the cool but complex rotating and sliding camera system.

Go ahead and check out our video review below, and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel (don’t forget to press the bell icon after you subscribe so you can get notified every time we publish a new video) for more videos on all things Samsung.

The post Our Galaxy A80 video review is up, come check it out! appeared first on SamMobile.

Strategy Analytics and Counterpoint came out with some interesting data for Q2 2019 regarding global smartphone shipments, which to no one's surprise fell year-over-year. And despite the decline, Samsung and Huawei are seeing a modest increase in shipments and market share for that matter. According to Strategy Analytics, global shipments fell 2.6% while Samsung recorded 1.9% increase, Huawei gained 1.7% and Apple lost 0.7% year-over-year. Those figures translate into 76.3 million units sold by Samsung, 58.7 million devices by Huawei and 38 million iPhones. Xiaomi and Oppo follow...

Samsung's earnings report for the April-June period is in and much like the guidance report which came out at the beginning of the month predicted, the company is facing some significant struggles. Most notably Samsung's operating profit fell by 56% year over year to KRW 6.6 trillion ($5.56 billion). For comparison, in Q2 2018 the company saw KRW 14.87 trillion ($13.3 billion) in profits. In addition, the mobile business saw a 42% decrease in profit due to slow sales in the flagship sector despite an increase in total smartphone shipments. Revenue is up 8% thanks to solid sales from...

Samsung launched the Galaxy XCover 4s rugged smartphone last month, and it seems the South Korean tech giant will soon add one more rugged smartphone to its portfolio as an official-looking press render of what's said to be the Samsung Galaxy Active has surfaced. The Galaxy Active is the same phone that was spotted at MWC in February this year and believed to be a ruggedized version of the regular Galaxy S9. It's said to come with an Exynos 9810 SoC and 4GB RAM like the S9. It will also retain the S9's camera setup but will ship with a smaller screen (5.2") and a larger battery (4,500...

Samsung had warned investors in its earnings guidance for Q2 2019 that there will be a significant decline in profit for the period ending June 2019 compared to a year ago. It warned that the profit would decline by 56 percent as revenue slid by 4 percent compared to Q2 2018.

The company has posted its full earnings result for the second quarter of the year today. The numbers are only marginally better than what Samsung had forecasted but they still paint a gloomy picture. Its profit is down by 55.61 percent as consolidated sales have suffered due to slow chip and flagship phone sales.

Samsung’s Q2 2019 profit has slumped by more than half

Samsung has posted 56.13 trillion won in consolidated revenue for the quarter ending June 2019. That’s just under $48 billion. It made 6.6 trillion won or just about $5.6 billion in operating profit. Samsung had made $13.3 billion in operating profit this time last year. It had warned of significant challenges ahead which would drag down earnings.

One of the main reasons why Samsung’s profitability has declined is because of the supply glut of DRAM and NAND flash memory chips. Supply is greater than demand which is pushing down prices. Samsung had benefitted greatly when supplies were tight and its chips could command higher prices. That’s what led the company to post record profits last year.

Memory chip sales account for two-thirds of Samsung’s entire sales so this is evidently responsible for the decline in profitability. The company notes in its release that it saw demand for NAND and DRAM slightly increase during the quarter as its datacenter customers resumed purchasing. It now expects demand to grow in the second half of this year but warns of volatility because of external uncertainties.

Galaxy S10 fails to maintain sales momentum

Samsung continues to face challenges in the mobile market. While revenue was up by 8 percent at its mobile division, the profit came down by 42 percent compared to Q2 2018. Samsung points out that the overall market demand for smartphones declined during the quarter due to seasonal weakness. However, Samsung’s shipments have increased quarter-over-quarter due to strong sales of the new Galaxy A series, including the Galaxy A50 and Galaxy A70. It also mentions that sales of flagship models fell QoQ because of “weak sales momentum” for the Galaxy S10 and stagnant demand for premium devices.

Samsung says that the overall mobile market is expected to remain under pressure in the second half of this year. It reiterates that the company will strengthen its flagship lineup and also increase sales of new mass market models. It’s going to focus on successful launches of the Galaxy Note 10 and the Galaxy Fold in the third quarter of this year and will also enhance the 5G smartphone lineup.

It’s not going to be smooth sailing for the company. Samsung also warns investors of the challenges it faces due to external uncertainties, a possible reference to the business implications of various ongoing trade disputes between economic giants. South Korea and Japan’s dispute could have serious implications for Samsung’s business, particularly its chip division.

The post Samsung’s profit falls by 56% due to slow chip and flagship phone sales appeared first on SamMobile.

Huawei often launches Honor smartphones under the brand of the parent company and now we have another example of rebranding. The globally available Honor 20 that sports a model number YAL-L21 was just certified in Thailand under the moniker Huawei nova 5T, which would also be the first nova 5 smartphone appearing outside of China. Huawei nova 5T certification at NBTC The Honor 20 was initially announced with four cameras on the back and a punch-hole design for the selfie shooter. It is slightly different than the Honor 20 Pro, but still comes with the high-end Kirin 980...

The Xiaomi Mi A3 has made its way to Malaysia. It's priced at RM899 ($220/€195) for the 4GB/64GB model and you will have to shell out RM100 ($25/€20) more for double storage. The Mi A3 will go on sale in Malaysia from August 3 through online retailers Lazada and Shopee, as well as through Mi Stores. Xiaomi Mi A3 Alongside the Mi A3, Xiaomi also launched the Mi Band 4 under the moniker of Mi Smart Band 4 in Malaysia. It's priced at RM149 ($35/€30) and is immediately available for purchase through Lazada, Shopee, and Mi Stores in the country. Source 1 | Source 2

Mediatek released yesterday its gaming chipset, called Helio G90 and Helio G90T. One of the people who attended the launch was Lu Weibing, the brand director of Redmi. Later, he went on Weibo and confirmed the Xiaomi sub-brand will come with the Helio G90T and it will be available globally. Lu Weibing, Redmi Brand Manager While we know practically nothing about the device, we can extrapolate some specs, looking at the chipset itself. The device will have a performance CPU cluster of two Cortex-A76 units and six Cortex-A55 cores to complete the package. They will be coupled by the...

An unknown nubia device bearing model number NX627J, said to be the upcoming Z20, has appeared on TENAA with its full specs. The smartphone is powered by an octa-core processor clocked at 2.95 GHz which is likely the recently announced Snapdragon 855+ SoC. It will come in three RAM options - 6GB, 8GB, and 12GB - while storage will be 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. That said, the most interesting bit about the Z20 is that it will sport two OLED displays - one each on the front and back with a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels. The main screen on the front will measure 6.42" diagonally, while the...

On Tuesday, Apple released its Q3 earnings report with a quarterly revenue of $53.8 billion, just a 1% hike over the same quarter of 2018. This has been Apple's most successful June quarter yet, as per the company. While services revenue has reached an all-time high, a significant boost of wearables revenue also factored into this quarter's success. Although overall sales have increased in the US to $25.1 billion (up from $24.5b in Q3 2018), Apple has seen revenues drop in China ($9.2b vs. $9.6b in Q3 2018) and Europe ($11.9b vs. $12.1b in Q3 2018) as a result of increased competition....

Samsung has cut a few of its lines of mid-range smartphones this year, leaving just the A and M families, but the company just can't stop launching phone after phone, which is resulting in the A series becoming more and more crowded. A Galaxy A30s is coming soon as a slightly improved version of the A30 that has only been on the market since March. Unlike that model, which has a dual rear camera system, with a 16 MP primary sensor and a 5 MP ultra-wide snapper, the A30s is said to employ triple rear cameras. Samsung Galaxy A30 Today's rumor doesn't detail what the third camera is...

Sony has proudly announced that it sold 3.2 million PS4 consoles in the quarter that ended on June 30. That means that, by the end of June 2019, the company has sold 100 million PS4 devices in total. The console has been out for five years and seven months before it hit the 100 million mark, being the fastest home game console to reach that milestone, according to Daniel Ahmad, Senior Analyst at Niko Partners. It's managed to outdo the PS2 and the Nintendo Wii in achieving that goal. 50 million of those 100 million units sold have been purchased in the last three years. Sales of the...

Samsung's Galaxy Fold has been long delayed since April and last week, Samsung finally gave word of the changes that Samsung made to improve the Fold's design. In addition, Samsung confirmed that it will be releasing the Galaxy Fold sometime in September. Although we still don't have a specific date, a report from Korean outlet The Investor claims the Galaxy Fold will be released in South Korea on September 18, 19, or 20 according to Korean telecom communications with Samsung. This launch event does fall right in the middle of the span that Apple would normally have between the...

Today, Google released a blog post outlining a bunch of new changes coming to vehicles with official Android Auto support. To start, there's a new app launcher. It is streamlined with more apps are visible at once. The most frequently used apps can be found at the top row. In addition, new Google Assistant badges will give you pertinent information on your calendar or news, for instance, without having to take your eyes off the road. Once connected to Android Auto, your device could now automatically resume whichever song or podcast was being played earlier. The app must...

Samsung seems to be on a quest to endlessly diversify its mid-range Galaxy A and Galaxy M series of smartphones, adding derivative models left and right. The next one in this regard might be the M20, which is reportedly soon getting an M20s sibling. The Galaxy M20s is rumored to come with a huge 5,830 mAh battery, which dwarfs even the M20's already impressive 5,000 mAh cell. The M20s' model number is allegedly SM-M207, and the gigantic battery it packs will have the product code EB-BM207ABY. If the 5,830 mAh value is the 'rated' capacity, then the 'typical' capacity could actually be as...

Another quarter, another disappointing result for the mobile business at LG Electronics. The company posted its financial report for the past three months and the Mobile Communications Company said sales were down 21.3%, compared with the same period last year. At least they went up 6.8% on a quarterly basis, but the reason for the poor results are the competitors from China and their "aggressive pricing". Speaking in numbers, the Q2 2019 sales were KRW1.61 trillion ($1.38 billion), while the operating loss was KRW313 billion ($268.4 million) due to the higher marketing investment...

Samsung today released a teaser for the Galaxy Tab S6 and the Galaxy Watch Active 2. We have known for quite some time now that these new products are in the pipeline. The company is finally giving us a glimpse of the new tablet and wearable device.

We have already leaked the live images of the Galaxy Tab S6 and the Galaxy Watch Active 2. There won’t be any surprises on the design front. Much has already been revealed about the new features of these devices as well.

Galaxy Tab S6 and Galaxy Watch Active 2 launch date confirmed

The Galaxy Tab S6 is Samsung’s latest flagship tablet. We have previously reported that it will be Samsung’s first tablet with a dual camera at the back. It also comes with a Bluetooth-enabled S Pen which will bring new functionality to the device. Samsung has gone with the latest Snapdragon 855 chip for this tablet so it’s going to be quite the powerhouse.

The Galaxy Watch Active 2 will significantly improve Samsung’s smartwatch game. It’s the company’s first smartwatch with a Touch Bezel which will let you breeze through the UI by just swiping your finger on the bezel. It will also bring several new health and wellness features. They include the ability to taken an ECG, Afib notifications, Fall Detection and more.

Samsung is merely teasing these products right now but it goes to show that the official launch may not be that far off. The company says that both devices will be unveiled online on the Galaxy website.

The teaser suggests that the Galaxy Tab S6 will be unveiled on July 31 and the Galaxy Watch Active 2 on August 5. No word as yet on the actual pricing and release information for the Galaxy Tab S6 and the Galaxy Watch Active 2.

Are you interested in any of these new products?

The post Samsung confirms Galaxy Tab S6 and Galaxy Watch Active 2 launch date appeared first on SamMobile.

Last month vivo sub-brand iQOO said that it will launch its 5G smartphone in Q3 2019, meaning anytime between July and September. And now, the company has announced that its 5G smartphone - dubbed iQOO Pro - will arrive in August. vivo hasn't divulged much about this 5G smartphone but has shared a poster on Chinese social network Weibo showing the back of the phone. The image is quite dark but reveals a design similar to the original iQOO launched back in March. Increasing the exposure of the poster also confirms the triple rear camera on the iQOO Pro. Notice the triple camera...

Over the past week, the Galaxy Tab S6 has been leaked nearly as much as the Galaxy Note 10. It’s not surprising that the upcoming tablet has now been spotted in a new series of leaked renders once again, so if you’re eagerly anticipating the tablet’s release then these new unadulterated pictures might satiate you for a short while.

The new renders depict the tablet from a few new angles but they don’t reveal any hardware details of which we weren’t already aware. The image gallery only showcases the tablet in rose/pink, which should complement the pink Galaxy Note 10 quite nicely. The device is also expected to launch in gray and blue.

Spec-wise, the renders give a clear look at the same rear-facing dual camera which broke cover in real photos a few weeks ago. Then there’s the color-matched S Pen that magnetically attaches to the back of the tablet in a special groove, as well as a couple of stereo speakers on the bottom edge flanking the USB Type-C port. These fresh renders also offer a slightly more legible view of the secondary sensor accompanying the front-facing camera. Its purpose is not yet entirely known but, presumably, the sensor will be used for authentication purposes.

You can check one of our more recent reports if you wish to take a more in-depth look at what the Galaxy Tab S6 might have to offer in terms of internals specifications. But, in short, the tablet is expected to feature a slightly smaller battery than the Galaxy Tab S4 while employing a newer, more power-efficient Snapdragon chipset which should even things out. Despite, or perhaps thanks to the numerous improvements over the previous generation, the Galaxy Tab S6 is also expected to lose a bit of weight and girth.

The post New renders offer a closer look at the pink Galaxy Tab S6 appeared first on SamMobile.

Vivo dipped its toe into the water with the vivo NEX Dual Display last year and it looks like the company is ready for another take on the dual-display design. LetsGoDigital unearthed a patent that was filed in September 2018 and is now approved by the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office). The patent contains 37 sketches of two smartphone designs. Both smartphones are depicted with two displays with small differences in the design. Model A has an O-ring LED on its back similar to the original vivo NEX Dual Display, but it's off-centered this time around. The LED ring serves as a...

The Black Shark 2 was released back in March and is one of the best gaming phones you could buy but now the brand is coming out with a revised version dubbed the Black Shark 2 Pro. It's a minor upgrade over its predecessor and aims to offer the latest Snapdragon 855+ and UFS 3.0 storage alongside a slightly refined design with improved grip and two additional RGB lights on the back. Up front, we have a similar 6.39-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and stereo speakers. Black Shark claims it managed to reduce touch latency down to 34.7ms compared to 43.5ms on the Black Shark 2....

As we move closer to the launch of the Galaxy Note 10, new leaks are flooding the market at a frantic pace, revealing almost everything about the upcoming device. The leaks are not just about the device itself but include launch deals from carriers and retailers as well. Case in point is the latest tweet from Evleaks, which contains Samsung’s marketing material for Note 10 deals from major US carriers.

According to these images, it appears that Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile will be offering BOGO (Buy One Get One) deals on Galaxy Note 10 pre-orders (The leaked images don’t mention the flagship model by name, but uses the word DaVinci, which is Samsung’s codename for the Note 10, as a placeholder). We have already come across evidence about Verizon’s BOGO offer before, but this leak suggests the same deal may be available on AT&T and T-Mobile as well. As of now, there is no indication of Sprint offering a similar promotion.

There are still many details that are unclear about this tempting deal. For starters, we don’t know if customers will get one more unit of the same Note 10 version that is purchased or that they will receive a base model for free when they buy a higher-end variant. Of course, it goes without saying that these BOGO deals will require customers to opt for select monthly plans from carriers.

The leaked pictures also contain images of Wireless Charging Duo Pad, Galaxy Buds, and a Galaxy Watch Active 2. While there is no evidence yet, it’s not uncommon for Samsung and carriers to offer discounts on accessories and wearables on purchase of a newly-launched flagship. Hopefully, all these promotions will add up to soften the blow of a $1,000+ price tag for the Note 10.

The post All the major US carriers may offer BOGO deals on Galaxy Note 10 appeared first on SamMobile.

As expected, MediaTek officially announced its new gaming-centric SoCs - the Helio G90 and G90T. The new platforms utilize an octa-core combination of two Arm Cortex-A76 cores and six Cortex-A55s alongside the Mali-G76 GPU. Both the G90 and G90T are built on TSMC's 12 nm FinFET process and can be clocked up to 2.05GHz. In addition, the new SoCs support up to 10GB LPDDR4X RAM. A major highlight of the new chipsets is the HyperEngine game technology which brings support for an array of functions that should improve the overall gameplay experience. Chief among them is a networking engine...

Samsung has several “s” variants of its new Galaxy A phones in the pipeline. Devices such as the Galaxy A30s and the Galaxy A50s were spotted on benchmarking websites earlier this month revealing some key details. More details about the A30s, which should be an iterative upgrade to the Galaxy A30, have now surfaced online today.

Triple rear cameras and more

Samsung’s upcoming “s” variant of the Galaxy A30 will sport a triple camera setup at the back, 91mobiles reports. The handset will also feature an Infinity-V display, the portal added. The regular A30 packs dual rear cameras and a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-U display.

The rest of specs of the Galaxy A30s remain a mystery as of now. However, the Geekbench listing had revealed that it’ll pack an octa-core chipset with 3GB of RAM. It may not be accurate though, as the A30 offers 4GB RAM and “s” iterations are usually meant to at least match the specs of the regular variants, if not better them.

The Galaxy A30’s dual rear cameras include a 16MP primary shooter and a 5MP ultra-wide lens. The A30s is expected to better on these megapixel counts while adding a third depth-sensing camera. In the battery department, the A30 packs a 4,000mAh battery with 15W fast charging support. There’s also a fingerprint scanner on the back panel of the Galaxy A30, which runs on Android Pie-based One UI 1.1.

Samsung has reportedly begun mass producing the Galaxy A30s in India. It could launch in the country by the end of the next month. More details about the handset should pop-up over the next few weeks as we inch closer to the release.

The post Galaxy A30s specs: Triple rear cameras and more appeared first on SamMobile.

Honor 9X arrived with an elevating selfie camera and Kirin 810 chipset and today the first flash sale of the phone wrapped up. All 100,000 units of the phone and its Pro sibling were sold in 2 minutes and Honor reported it was twice as fast as the Honor 8X initial market launch back in September 2018. The Honor 9X and Honor 9X Pro share a footprint and a chipset, but they have different memory and number of cameras. While the regular one comes with 4/6 GB RAM and 64/128 gigs of storage, the Pro variant can be purchased with 8/256 GB memory. It also has one extra camera - an 8 MP...

Samsung has added several new features to the Galaxy S10’s camera over the last few months. Features such as Night mode and QR scanner were pushed out along with the monthly security patches starting in April. And although we’re at the end of July, many Galaxy S10 users in the US are yet to taste these new features.

Customers of AT&T and Verizon were treated with the improvements along with the June security patch earlier this month. And finally, it has arrived for Sprint customers as well. T-Mobile’s June update, meanwhile, came sans the Night mode and QR scanner features.

Sprint Galaxy S10 gets Night mode

Sprint is rolling out a new software update for the Galaxy S10 series. The update introduces the June 2019 security patch and also includes the new Night mode and the QR scanner feature. The update for the Galaxy S10+ weighs in at 510MB and carries the firmware version G975USQU2ASG8. The Galaxy S10 and S10e are also getting a similar-sized update. Interestingly, the non-US Galaxy S10 units are already receiving the July 2019 security patch. The US units are behind schedule on that too.

Galaxy S10 users on Sprint should get a notification to download the latest update over the air. You can also manually trigger the download from the Settings » Software update menu on your phone. If there’s no update available, it’s best to wait a day or two until it arrives. But if you can’t wait any longer, you can download the compatible firmware for the update from our database (Galaxy S10e | S10 | S10+) and flash it on your phone.

Galaxy S10e

• Model: SM-G970U
• Dimensions: 69.9 x 142.2 x 7.9mm
• Display: 5.8” (146.5mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
• Camera: 12 MP, CMOS F1.5/F2.4 (77°) & 16MP, CMOS F2.2 (123°)Ultra Wide

More specifications

Galaxy S10

• Model: SM-G973U
• Dimensions: 70.4 x 149.9 x 7.8mm
• Display: 6.1"(157.5mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 9820 Octa
• Camera: 12 MP.CMOS F2.4 45° Telephoto & 12MP F1.5 77° & 16MP F2.2 123° Ultra-wide

More specifications

Galaxy S10 Plus

• Model: SM-G975U
• Dimensions: 74.1 x 157.6 x 7.8mm
• Display: 6.4"(162.5mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
• Camera: 12 MP.CMOS F2.4 45° Telephoto & 12MP F1.5/F2.4 77° & 16MP F2.2 123° Ultra-wide

More specifications

The post Sprint Galaxy S10 finally gets camera Night mode with new update appeared first on SamMobile.

For the longest time, the only way to charge your phone in your car was to use a USB charger that plugs in to the 12V socket, but with wireless charging gaining popularity in recent years, several wireless chargers have been developed for cars as well. And there’s currently a 29% discount available on the Polmxs wireless charging pad. This charger is Qi-certified, so it’s compatible with a wide range of smartphones out there, and the non-slip silicone material ensures neither the pad nor the phone move around while your car is moving. The charger can provide up to 10 watts of power, enabling fast wireless charging on devices that support it.

Grab one of these wireless charging pads for yourself by hitting the Buy Now button below while the deal lasts. With a small extra fee, you can get the device delivered to countries outside the US.

The post Daily Deal: 29% off this Wireless Charging Pad for your car appeared first on SamMobile.

Honor's 20 series was announced back in May and seems to be well received by the Chinese public as it managed to surpass 1 million sales just 2 weeks after its launch. Now the phone is getting a new paint job dubbed Icelandic Illusion which is essentially a white back with pink and blue hues. The Icelandic Illusion Honor 20 Pro is listed on Huawei mall for CNY 3,199 ($464) in its 8GB RAM and 128GB storage version while the 8/256GB variant will set buyers back CNY 3,499 ($508). We recently got the chance to review the Honor 20 Pro and its Honor 20 sibling. Both devices come with...

After yesterday's analysis of the Indian market during Q2, today Canalys revealed its data about China, the biggest smartphone market today. While the market has been in the red for ninth consecutive quarter, Huawei has managed to increase its share up to 38.2%, which is an annual growth of 31% in terms of sales. The Top 5 is completed by Oppo, vivo, Xiaomi, and Apple, the only non-Chinese manufacturer. The Canalys Analyst Mo Jia said that Huawei's global mix shifted back towards China, with 64% of its total shipments in Q2 accounting for the domestic scene, which is the highest...

Samsung has retained Kpop megaband Blackpink to promote the Galaxy A80. They were present during the launch event and have also featured in commercials for the device. The company has even been offering a Galaxy A80 Blackpink Edition in some markets. It’s now offering the same in Singapore as well.

Samsung will be releasing the Blackpink edition of this device in Singapore on August 1. Customers will be able to purchase it from Samsung Experience Stores and the official Samsung store on Lazada.

Galaxy A80 Blackpink Edition launched in Singapore

There’s nothing internally different about the Galaxy A80 Blackpink Edition. It only offers cosmetic changes. The color is black with a pink frame and matching accents. Samsung is actually offering this as part of a bundle which includes a pair of Galaxy Buds and a Galaxy Watch Active. They’re also decked out in the band’s color scheme.

This is somewhat different from the Blackpink edition released in other markets. That one just came in a different retail box with a Blackpink charging stand and a special case. Samsung has actually switched up the color scheme here which will certainly appeal to the band’s fans. No to mention the fact that they will actually get matching accessories to go with it.

Samsung says that customers will also get access to exclusive Blackpink content on this device. There’s a Blackpink boot animation which comes up when the device is powered on. This boot animation will also be present on the Galaxy Watch Active. There are also curated themes and icons, a personalized home screen photo carousel, and a set of Blackpink character stickers. Customers in Singapore will be able to purchase the Galaxy A80 Blackpink Edition bundle starting August 1 for S$1,198 (US$875).

The post Galaxy A80 Blackpink Edition will be available in Singapore from August 1 appeared first on SamMobile.

While T-Mobile has given up on the Galaxy Fold in the US, its parent organization, Deutsche Telekom, seems to have different ideas for Germany. The telecom giant very much plans to offer the foldable Samsung smartphone to its customers once it becomes available. The Galaxy Fold will go on sale in September this year.

Deutsche Telekom to carry Galaxy Fold

Deutsche Telekom has confirmed to Notebookcheck that it will offer the new Galaxy Fold to its customers in Germany. Unfortunately, the largest European telecommunications company didn’t share any details about the actual release date and pricing, though the latter has been known for a while now. The original Fold was priced at a whopping 2,000 euros.

The Galaxy Fold’s new release date isn’t actually confirmed yet. The device is in its final testing stage after Samsung made some changes to its design to better tackle the issues that delayed its launch back in April. And even when it arrives in September, it may be limited to select markets initially. Germany is among those few markets where the latest firmware for the Galaxy Fold is currently being tested.

While the Galaxy Fold is finally returning, prospective customers will now approach the device with caution. However, it’s still a niche device and there are plenty of reasons why you should consider buying one. And of course, there are reasons to consider skipping it as well. Which side are you on? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below, or take this poll.

The post Deutsche Telekom will offer the Galaxy Fold in Germany appeared first on SamMobile.

The Flame Red, Glacier Blue, and Carbon Fiber color variants of the Redmi K20 Pro are now joined by a fourth option - Summer Honey. The new variant comes in three memory versions - 6GB/128GB priced at CNY2,599 ($380/€340), 8GB/128GB priced at CNY2,799 ($405/€365), and the top-end 8GB/256GB model which costs CNY2,999 ($435/€390). It will be available for purchase in China from August 1 through the company's online store, but its availability in other markets is currently unknown. The Redmi K20 Pro is a flagship powered by the Snapdragon 855 SoC. It flaunts a 6.39" FHD+ Super AMOLED...

Samsung has only confirmed that the Galaxy Fold release will take place in September. The company hasn’t revealed a precise date at this point in time. If reports out of Korea are to be believed, Samsung may release its much-awaited foldable smartphone in the third week of next month.

The Galaxy Fold will likely be made available in select markets initially. Even though the device was supposed to be released globally, Samsung might be more cautious with the roll out of its foldable smartphone.

Galaxy Fold release may bet set for the third week of September

Korean news outlets are reporting that Samsung is initially producing between 20,000 to 30,000 units of the Galaxy Fold for its home market. It’s also said to be finalizing the release strategy with local carriers. Samsung is expected to release the Galaxy Fold in South Korea between September 18-20.

The United States and South Korea will likely be the two markets that get this device first. It will eventually be released in markets across Europe and even India as well, where the device has already been spotted twice in the wild.

It’s said that Samsung will release 100,000 units of the Galaxy Fold in the Korean market. This will account for a tenth of the entire production run planned for this device. Samsung has previously said that it will produce a million units of the Galaxy Fold. It’s unclear, though, if the company is going to stick with the same figure now after delaying the initial release and making some big changes.

Samsung has said that it will provide more information about the Galaxy Fold release in September. It also remains to be seen if all carrier and retail partners that previously agreed to carry it will do so again. T-Mobile has already backed out in the United States.

The post Galaxy Fold release might take place in the third week of September appeared first on SamMobile.