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The iQOO Z1x sporting model code V2012A was spotted on TENAA yesterday with a 6.57" screen and a 4,880 mAh battery. The listing didn't include any other specs of the smartphone but a separate listing on the Chinese certifying authority's website has revealed the full specs and design of the iQOO Z1x. The iQOO Z1x has a design similar to the Z1, but at 9.06mm it's 0.16mm thicker than the Z1. The 6.57" TFT screen, rumored to have a 120Hz refresh rate, has a resolution of 2408x1080 pixels and in the top-right corner is a punch hole for the 16MP selfie camera. The back of the Z1x is home to...

Samsung launched the cheapest Galaxy M series smartphone ever, the Galaxy M01, in India last month. Now, the company is working on more entry-level smartphones in the Galaxy A and the Galaxy M lineups. We had exclusively revealed last month that Samsung will launch the Galaxy M01s with 32GB of internal storage. Now, specifications of the upcoming phone have surfaced.

Information acquired from the Galaxy M01s’ Google Play Console listing reveals that the phone runs Android 10 and uses the MediaTek Helio P22 processor (MT6762). The phone also features 3GB RAM and an HD display (1520×720 pixels) with a V-shaped notch. The phone also features 2.4GHz Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth. Two days ago, it was revealed that a 4,000mAh battery will power the Galaxy M01s.

It’s a relief to see that Samsung has updated the Android version on the phone, and now it runs Android 10 rather than Android 9. Interestingly, the listing also mentions the Galaxy A10s. Specifications of both the phones are similar, so the Galaxy M01s could be a rebranded version of the Galaxy A10s. If that’s the case, we should expect a 13MP+2MP dual-camera setup on the rear and an 8MP selfie camera.

We expect Samsung to launch the Galaxy M01s in the next few weeks as the phone has passed almost all certification processes and has received regulatory approvals by authorities. The company is also working on two more affordable smartphones, the Galaxy A01 Core and the Galaxy M01 Core.

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The One UI 2.1 update started rolling out to the Galaxy Note 9 a few weeks back, and more and more countries have received it since then. One UI 2.1 has also reached Note 9 owners in the US, where T-Mobile became the first carrier to release the coveted update for its customers. Now, Sprint is following suit.

Sprint’s Galaxy Note 9 is being updated to One UI 2.1, with firmware version N960USQU4ETF3 rolling out to the device. The update includes the June 2020 security patch and is a 1GB download over the air. If you own a Note 9 on Sprint, you can grab the update by going into the phone’s Settings app, selecting Software update, and tapping Download and install. The One UI 2.1 firmware can also be downloaded from our firmware archive.

The Galaxy Note 9 gets many of the same new features that Galaxy S20 owners have access to with One UI 2.1. The list includes many camera features, such as Single Take mode, My Filters, and Pro video mode, along with improved AR Emoji. Other new functionality includes Quick Share, Music Share, multilingual translation support in Samsung Keyboard, and automatic grouping of images and videos in the Gallery app.

One UI 2.1 is possibly the last major update for the Galaxy Note 9

The Galaxy Note 9 will likely stop getting major updates going forward – Android 11 is only expected to be available for the Galaxy Note 10 and, of course, the upcoming Galaxy Note 20. Even One UI 2.1 was not always guaranteed for the nearly two-year old flagship, but thankfully, the Note 9 (and the Galaxy S9 and S9+) will go out on a high note. The device will continue to get security updates with some regularity for at least two more years.

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Samsung is preparing to launch a new version of the Galaxy Z Flip with 5G on August 5, when the Galaxy Note20 is also expected to arrive. The new phone is rumored to have a Snapdragon 865+ chipset and a different set of cameras, but today’s new photos on TENAA reveal practically no changes in the overall design. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G While the camera one on the inside will retain the 12MP sensor, on the outside the setup will be 12 MP + 10 MP, compared to 12 MP + 12 MP combo in the first Galaxy Z Flip. The big foldable display is 6.7” AMOLED with 1080p resolution, while...

Samsung is expected to unveil a 5G variant of the Galaxy Z Flip sometime next month. The foldable phone was rumored to come with the same design as that of its LTE sibling. Its specifications were leaked through various means, and we had exclusively reported that it will have 256GB base storage. Now, images of the Galaxy Z Flip 5G have been leaked on the internet.

We are getting to see the design of the Galaxy Z Flip 5G (SM-F7070) ahead of its official announcement, thanks to its TENAA certification. The phone can be seen in grey in these images, and it is clear that the phone will continue using the design of the Galaxy Z Flip. There’s a small display at the outside, beside the dual-camera setup and an LED flash.

On the inside, the foldable AMOLED screen has a punch hole-shaped cutout towards the top to accommodate the selfie camera. There appears to be a capacitive fingerprint reader and the volume rocker on the right, while the left side of the phone has a SIM card slot. Images also showcase the USB Type-C port at the bottom.

Certification documents also reveal that the phone has a 6.7-inch Full HD+ primary display and a 1.05-inch secondary display (300×112 pixels). The phone runs Android 10 and uses a 3.09GHz octa-core processor (possibly the Snapdragon 865+), 8GB RAM, and 256GB storage.

It has a 12MP+12MP dual-camera setup on the outside and a 10MP selfie camera. Connectivity features include 5G (SA+NSA), LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, and a USB Type-C port. The phone measures 167.3×73.6×7.2mm when it’s opened, and it weighs 183g. The certification agency also confirms that the phone will come in a grey-colored variant.

The phone was also spotted on FCC’s website, revealing the model number of the phone is SM-F707B and that it supports 15W fast charging. The phone also supports dual-band Wi-Fi 6, which is a step up from the Galaxy Z Flip’s Wi-Fi 5 (also known as Wi-Fi ac) connectivity. Supporting documents on FCC’s website also reveal that the Galaxy Z Flip 5G has two batteries: EB-BF707ABY (primary) and EB-BF708ABY (secondary).

The phone was tested using the EP-TA200 charging adapter, and it supports a maximum of 15W power output (9V 1.67A). That’s a lot of information even before the phone has officially been unveiled, and we expect to know more about the device, including its price, during its launch next month.

The post Galaxy Z Flip 5G leaked images show a familiar design appeared first on SamMobile.

Honor’s official Weibo handle confirmed that the Honor 30 Lite, expected to be announced on Thursday, will support a 90Hz display along with a 180Hz touch sample rate digitizer. Equipped with these two features, the Honor 30 Lite should be a great option for gaming on a budget, and it will support 5G out of the box. Another Weibo user posted images of the Honor 30 Lite in four different colors. We anticipate the “summer rainbow” color will be the most popular. The reflective effect begins at the lower left corner of the phone’s back cover and blooms towards the other corner. As per...

Apple has had one of the easiest methods of sharing large media files or documents over the air called AirDrop. Android used to have an NFC-based handshake method called Android Beam, but it was completely depreciated with Android 10. It used NFC to initiate a connection for file transfers, but it used Bluetooth, which was painfully slow. Android Police have reported that the new Nearby Sharing feature is now in Beta testing. Those who are Beta testers of the Google Play Services app. The Beta is now rolling out to these users, who will now see an option to share something “Nearby” in the...

Samsung has launched its lifestyle TV, The Serif, in India along with premium 8K QLED TVs from its 2020 lineup. The company had first showcased these TVs during the CES 2020 expo earlier this year. The Serif will initially be only available from Amazon.in, Samsung’s online store, and select Samsung Smart Plaza retail stores. The 8K QLED TV range will be available through Samsung’s online store and all Samsung Smart Plazas across India.

The Serif TV will be available in India in three sizes: 43-inch, 49-inch, and 55-inch. The 43-inch version is priced at INR 83,900, while the 49-inch and 55-inch versions are priced at INR 1,16,900 and INR 1,48,900, respectively. The Serif will be available at special prices via Amazon.in for the first ten days, from July 8 to July 17, 2020.

Samsung’s new range of 8K QLED TVs starts at INR 4,99,000 for the 65-inch version and goes as high as INR 15,79,000 for the 85-inch version. The 75-inch and 82-inch versions are priced at INR 9,99,000 and INR 14,29,000, respectively. The company’s 2020 4K QLED TVs are available from 43-inch to 75-inch screen sizes.

Customers who pre-book any new 8K QLED TV between July 1 and July 10 will be eligible to receive two Galaxy S20+ smartphones for free. Buyers can also avail cashback of INR 15,000 on buying 8K QLED TVs using HDFC or ICICI Bank credit and debit cards. Customers also get a 50% discount on Eros Now, Sony LIV, ZEE5, and other video streaming services. A three-month subscription to Apple Music, a one-year subscription to Gaana Plus, and a free subscription to Microsoft 365 with 5GB cloud storage will also be offered.

The Serif and 4K QLED TVs come with a 10-year no screen burn warranty, a one-year standard warranty, and a one-year additional warranty on the screen panel. The company’s new 8K QLED TVs come with a one-year comprehensive warranty and a one-year additional warranty on the screen panel.

The Serif TV Features

The Serif uses a 4K QLED screen panel that is fitted into a beautiful-looking frame. The TV looks so chic and premium that it won the IF Design Award 2020. It can be hung up on a wall, set up on a table or a shelf, or mounted on a stand. Designed by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, who are known for their modern art and design, helped craft The Serif and exclusive images for the TV’s Ambient Mode. It looks great from the rear, too, and comes with a detachable floor stand.

Thanks to the QLED panel, you can enjoy 100% color volume, deep blacks, high brightness, and high contrast ratio. It has HDR10+ and Quantum Processor 4K that can upscale content to 4K. It runs Tizen and comes with all the media streaming apps, including Apple TV+, Hotstar, Netflix, Prime Video, and YouTube. It features NFC, too, so that you can tap your smartphone on the TV’s frame to cast content. Other features include AirPlay 2, Alexa, Bixby, Google Assistant, and Multi View.

The Serif also features Adaptive Picture that adjusts screen brightness as per ambient light. It also comes with the Active Voice Amplifier feature that adjusts volume and clarity in real-time. Other features of The Serif TV include One Remote, Auto Hotspot, Content Guide, Home Cloud, and Music Player. The TV displays useful information such as news headlines, outside temperature, and weather.

8K QLED TV 2020 Features

Samsung’s new 8K QLED TVs come with a striking design that has close to no bezels. The TV’s six-speaker setup is embedded into its edges. The TVs use 8K QLED screen panels that can display 100% color volume and images have high contrast and brightness. Viewing angles are claimed to be wide and blacks are deep. The TVs also come with HDR10+ for extremely high peak brightness.

Other features of Samsung’s 8K QLED TVs include Adaptive Picture, Active Voice Amplifier, Object Tracking Sound+, Q Symphony, Multi View, One Remote, and One Invisible Connection Cable. The TV’s Quantum Processor 8K can not only play 8K content but also upscale non-8K content into 8K resolution for sharper visuals. These TVs also feature Direct Full Array backlight for improved picture quality.

• Buy The Serif TV from Samsung India
• Buy 2020 8K QLED TV from Samsung India

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The Pixel 4a saga continues. This affordable smartphone was initially rumored to make an appearance at the Google I/O conference in May, but then that got canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So we heard the launch was pushed to July, but apparently that's not happening anymore, with the handset inexplicably now being expected to see the light of day in October. That's weird, considering how much it's already leaked, but it's far from the weirdest thing Google's ever done. Regardless of when the Pixel 4a will actually become available, it's continuing its certification march. It was...

Today Qualcomm took the wraps off its next wearable chipset family, the Snapdragon Wear 4100 and 4100+. Based on the model numbers of the contained chips, these seem to be based off of the Snapdragon 429 mobile SoC. The Snapdragon Wear 4100+ includes the main SoC, the Always-On (AON) co-processor for low power states, along with companion chips including PMIC, RF for modem/GPS and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, and RFFE. The Snapdragon Wear 4100 (sans "+") does not have the AON co-processor. Otherwise, the two are identical. The Wear 4100+ is built on a 12nm process and has a 1.7 GHz quad-core...

The highly sought-after Galaxy S20+ BTS Edition is launching in yet another market, Vietnam, where the special edition Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy Buds+ will be available for purchase from July 9. The release will be preceded by a pre-order period from July 1 to July 8, and those who pre-order the Galaxy S20+ BTS Edition over the next week will benefit from a 50% discount on the Galaxy Buds+ BTS Edition.

Samsung Vietnam has prepared other incentives for prospective buyers, such as a voucher worth VND 5,000,000 ($214) for those who pre-order the phone. Furthermore, customers who will buy the Galaxy S20+ BTS Edition from a Samsung brick & mortar store will be getting an Onyx Studio 6 speaker worth VND 4,990,000 ($214) for free.

Planned to go live via Samsung and retail partner CellphoneS

Pre-orders for the Galaxy S20+ BTS Edition will start in Vietnam later today in a few hours from the time of writing, so make sure to consult this dedicated Samsung page for the BTS campaign to check the phone’s availability at any given time. The device will also go on sale in Vietnam through partner retail channel CellphoneS.

As for the product itself, the Galaxy S20+ BTS Edition doesn’t differ from the regular Galaxy S20+ in any way except for the exterior color and retail packaging. It’s a special edition device designed specifically for ARMY, i.e., fans of the popular K-pop group BTS, so it’s been adorned with a purple finish, hearts, and BTS logos.

The Galaxy S20+ BTS Edition will launch in vietnam for the suggested retail price of VND 24,990,000 ($1,072), but it’s unclear how much the Galaxy Buds+ BTS Edition cost when purchased separately.

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MediaTek unveiled the Helio G35 and G25 chipsets, which are aimed at gaming smartphones though more specifically gaming phones that cost $100 or less. With that budget in mind, here's what the two chips offer. Actually, it's more like different bins of the same chip. The Helio G35 is a 12nm chip with an octa-core processor - but it's all Cortex-A53 cores (not even the faster A55, let alone A7x cores). They run at 2.3GHz and can be connected to up to 6GB of RAM of the 1,600MHz LPDDR4x variety (the cheaper LPDDR3 is also supported up to 4GB). For storage, eMMC 5.1 is the only option. The...

SamMobile exclusively reported last month that Samsung is now working on the Galaxy M51. Subsequent reports have suggested that the company has decided to kill the Galaxy M41 and just launch the Galaxy M51 instead. The Galaxy M51 was expected to be its first device to feature an OLED panel not supplied by Samsung Display.

It was later reported that the panels were being sourced from Samsung Display. That’s because the Chinese supplier Samsung had been considering couldn’t meet quality requirements. Word on the street now is that those issues have been resolved and Samsung will use a Chinese OLED panel for this device.

Galaxy M51 might be Samsung’s first non-Samsung OLED display phone

This information comes from Ross Young who is the founder and CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants. He says that the Galaxy M51 will indeed use OLED panels from China Star Optoelectronics Technology. The Chinese company has apparently overcome all technical issues and has been able to satisfy Samsung. If this is indeed true, the Galaxy M51 would then become Samsung’s first smartphone to feature an OLED display not supplied by its sister company.

Samsung sources the majority of the components that go inside its smartphones from sister companies. It makes perfect sense from a business perspective. Not only is Samsung Display part of the conglomerate, it basically has a veritable monopoly on the mobile OLED market. No other display manufacturer can make OLED panels at the same scale and volume.

That means Samsung Display can ask for top dollar from its customers. Young also points out that Samsung Display has the highest OLED prices. So even if Samsung Electronics were able to get a sweet deal on the panels, a Samsung Display competitor would undoubtedly undercut the price just to win those orders.

This would enable Samsung to offer the Galaxy M51 at an even more attractive price. Given the segment of the market that this device would be competing in, it would go a long way in ensuring the handset’s success.

We won’t actually know which company supplied the OLED panels for the Galaxy M51 until the device comes out. This isn’t something that Samsung will confirm on its own. Even if it does decide to source OLED panels from an outside company, it’s unlikely that Samsung would do the same for its flagship devices.

The post Looks like the Galaxy M51 might ditch Samsung’s OLED panels after all appeared first on SamMobile.

For the longest time, Galaxy smartphones have offered a feature-packed camera app. A slew of different modes, excellent Pro mode controls, and many small but useful functions and settings means the camera app on Galaxy phones — especially flagships — is highly versatile. Every new flagship also brings along neat new features, some of which trickle down to older devices.

The Galaxy S20 series, for example, added the ability to shoot 8K videos and the fantastic and thoughtful Single Take shooting mode. But nothing is perfect, and there’s always room for improvement. And there are a few features and functions that I think Samsung needs to add to its camera app to make it even better.

Pro mode for ultra-wide and zoom cameras

Triple camera setups are more or less the norm nowadays unless you’re buying something in the budget segment. Galaxy flagships made the move to triple cameras last year with the Galaxy S10: You get the main camera, and you also get an ultra-wide camera and a zoom camera. But what you don’t get is the ability to shoot with those cameras in Pro mode.

The Galaxy S20 smartphones come with excellent zoom cameras, but when you switch to Pro mode, you can only use the main camera. It feels particularly limiting on the Galaxy S20 Ultra, which can offer amazing photos at up to 15x zoom with its periscope zoom lens but suffers in low light because of the camera’s narrow (F3.5) aperture.

The ultra-wide camera, on the other hand, is usually of poorer quality compared to the main and zoom cameras no matter which flagship you may pick up. Having the ability to control the shutter speed and other parameters of the zoom and ultra-wide cameras would allow the user to get better results instead of restricting them to the automatic shooting mode.

60 fps video recording for main, ultra-wide, and zoom cameras

This is another feature that would be probably be exclusive to high-end devices and flagship phones, but it would be great if Samsung could add the ability to shoot 60 fps videos with all the rear cameras on its phones. Right now, only the main camera supports 60 fps recording, whether you shoot at Full HD or 4K resolution. The iPhone 11 Pro can shoot 60 fps videos with all its cameras, and there is no reason Galaxy flagships couldn’t do it as well. It all depends on whether or not Samsung wants to offer the option to its customers, and I really think it should.

Setting a default camera mode/making it open in last used mode

Making the camera app always open in the last used camera mode is a feature that was introduced to Galaxy devices with the Android Pie and One UI 1.0 update, but it has since been removed. Samsung was probably looking to simplify things — for example, the One UI 2.0 camera app hides all extra shooting modes in a ‘More’ tab.

But while having the camera reset to Photo mode every time might make simplify the user experience, it’s not great for those who might use other modes — like Video or Pro mode — more often. Not to mention that the option to set the camera to default to the last used mode was hidden in the camera settings, so it wouldn’t have gotten in the way of those who want to keep things simple anyway. I really hope Samsung brings the option back in a future version of One UI.

Set selfie camera to shoot in wide-angle by default

It was with the Galaxy S10 series that Samsung changed the way the selfie camera on its phones works. By default, the front camera will take selfies with a cropped field-of-view (which also extends to some third-party apps), and you have to manually switch to the full field-of-view. It’s quite smart: When you take selfies alone, you want yourself to be front and center, and the cropped view helps you achieve that.

What isn’t smart is making the camera app always default to the cropped view and not giving users the option to set the front camera to use the full field-of-view every time the app is launched. Samsung did add a feature in One UI 2.1 that automatically switches to wide-angle mode when it detects more than one person in the frame, but that’s not enough.

What features and functionality would you like to see in Samsung’s camera app? Let me know down in the comments!

The post Features I want to see in the camera app on Galaxy smartphones appeared first on SamMobile.

We've already got some glances of Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Watch3, but this new leak shows it from every possible angle. @evleaks gave us a 360-degree video of 45mm black version of the watch. Meanwhile another leakster - Max Weinbach - got a hold of the firmware which revealed some of the new feature of the smartwatch. For starters, Samsung has a bunch of new watch faces in store for us and some of them are more informative as well. There's also a new Informative Digital Edge that can be customized to show stats of your choice and you can also change color....

Being an environmentally conscious business remains one of Samsung’s key goals in 2020 and beyond, with the company claiming its flagship Android smartphone lineup is an apt illustration of that ambition. Following that same train of thought, the designers responsible for Galaxy S20 series packaging recently went on record to explain how Samsung intends to continue growing its smartphone operations in a more sustainable manner moving forward. A significant portion of those efforts comes down to eliminating plastic waste, which is precisely why the Galaxy S20 accessories are wrapped in paper.

The Galaxy S family has been gradually adopting increasingly green practices since its inception – ten years and counting to date. From petroleum-free soy ink to biodegradable vinyl, these smartphones and their packagings are becoming more sustainable with every new product generation. The last Galaxy S generation somewhat reliant on plastic packaging was the Galaxy S9 released in early 2018, according to Samsung Design Team’s Mokwon Son.

Eco-friendly design is all about ‘trial and error’

Samsung designers already spoke of the many challenges of eco-friendly design in the past, though the Galaxy S lineup is in many ways meant to be represent the culmination of their sustainability efforts. That’s in no small part due to how much trial and error going green requires in practice, particularly when it comes to premium products like the Galaxy S20 series, Son claims. The Korean chaebol is hence keen on partnering with like-minded companies capable of pushing its sustainability project to the next level; it most recently found one such ally in Danish Kvadrat, with whom it released a range of unique, eco-friendly Galaxy S20 cases.

The actual R&D required for those cases to be commercialized was also heavily reliant on trial and error, as confirmed by Kvadrat’s designer Yoonyoung Kim, who was tasked with leading the project. Still, this is just another eco-friendly aspect of the Galaxy S20 series which perhaps hints at another potential Samsung-Kvadrat collaboration in the near future. After all, the Galaxy Note 20 launch is just around the corner.

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There was a rumor going around that Huawei's upcoming Mate 40-series will feature the first under-display front-facing camera on the market developed by Visionox but that has now been refuted by popular tipster Digital Chat Station. He claims that he has seen in person and has held an engineering sample of the Mate 40. And unfortunately, there's no under-display selfie camera as we hoped. He didn't give any specifics on whether the phone will use a regular notch or a punch-hole camera design instead. It was always a slim chance seeing how Visionox' solution came a bit too late in...

Motorola is about to add another member to its Moto G line and it's going to be the first one with 5G connectivity. The latest leak from Evan Blass gives us our first look at the Moto G 5G. The phone features a tall and narrow display with dual punch-hole cutouts with actual space between the two selfie cams, which will likely be masked through software to display a black bar. We can also spot a side-mounted fingerprint scanner below the volume rocker on the right side while the back features a quad camera setup with a 48MP primary camera. The cameras are housed in a rectangular cutout...

The Internationale Funkausstellung or IFA is the biggest consumer electronics trade show in Europe. Samsung has been a regular fixture at the event for many years. It even used to launch new Galaxy Note models there several years ago. While it no longer does that, Samsung does have a big presence there every year.

That’s not going to be the case in 2020, though. Samsung has reportedly decided that it’s going to skip IFA 2020. The ongoing pandemic is the reason why the company has decided not to attend Europe’s biggest electronics trade show.

Samsung is avoiding large events for now

Local media reports from South Korea say that Samsung has confirmed it’s not going to attend IFA 2020 which takes place September 4-9 in Berlin, Germany. The pandemic has been cited as the reason for not attending a show where Samsung has been a regular exhibitor since 1991.

Samsung was present at IFA 2019. It unveiled the Galaxy A90 5G there, it was Samsung’s first non-flagship phone with 5G support. The company also showcased many home appliances and consumer electronics products at the show.

Limiting employee travel to mission-critical journeys is one of the ways Samsung has been fighting against the pandemic. The risk of sending hundreds of its executives to Germany might far outweigh the potential reward of attending the trade show.

It seems that Samsung will stay away from large events for the time being. The company is already planning a virtual Unpacked event on August 5 to unveil the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Fold 2. If there were any devices that warranted a full-scale launch event, it’s these, but the pandemic has forced Samsung to move the event online.

The annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is another major event that Samsung regularly attends. CES 2021 will be held in person but it remains to be seen if Samsung will attend.

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Realme today announced a new budget smartphone, dubbed Realme C11. It is powered by the Helio G35 SoC, just like the Redmi 9C, which also debuted today. The C11 boots Android 10 with Realme UI on top and has 2GB RAM and 32GB of storage onboard. The smartphone also has a dedicated slot for a microSD card, which allows storage expansion by up to 256GB. The C11 sports a 6.5" HD+ display with a waterdrop notch up top for the 5MP selfie camera. The back of the smartphone has a Geometric Art Design which is new for Realme smartphones and the panel also appears to have a texture that...

Samsung is rumored to launch multiple high-end smartphones, including the Galaxy Fold 2 and the Galaxy Note 20 series, in August. Some features of these smartphones have been leaked already. Now, a new report coming out of South Korea states that Samsung is going to focus on offering 5G versions of its high-end smartphones across the world.

The new report states that Samsung will only launch 5G variants of the Galaxy Note 20 and the Galaxy Fold 2 around the world. However, we’ve found the existence of LTE variants of the Galaxy Note 20, and the company is already developing firmware for those devices. We haven’t been able to spot any information regarding an LTE variant of the Galaxy Fold 2, though, so it is possible that the next-generation Galaxy Fold could only launch in a 5G version.

Samsung reportedly wants to remain the number one 5G smartphone brand so that it can retain its top position in the current global smartphone segment. The South Korean tech giant has been the world’s biggest smartphone brand since 2011. This year, smartphone shipments are expected to contract. However, sales of 5G smartphones are expected to grow 20% to reach a total of 200 million units.

Samsung sold 8.3 million 5G smartphones in Q1 2020, while Huawei managed to sell around 8 million units of 5G smartphones. However, a bigger threat looms towards the end of 2020 as Apple is expected to launch four iPhone 12 models, and all of them are rumored to feature 5G connectivity. It remains to be seen how Samsung counters Apple’s upcoming smartphones. The South Korean firm will also launch the Galaxy Z Flip 5G in August.

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The Honor X10 Max is an upcoming smartphone with huge screen, and is scheduled to go official on July 2. The phone was already teased and some specs leaked here and there, but now the full sheet appeared on China Telecom's website, along with memory options, prices, and proper renders. Honor X10 Max As previously revealed by TENAA the X10 Max has a 7.09" LCD on the front, dual cameras on the back, and a big 5,000 mAh battery on the inside. The chipset will be Mediatek Dimensity 800, coupled with 6/8 GB RAM and 64/128 GB storage in three combinations - 6 GB + 64 GB, 6 GB +...

Ahead of the official announcement of Galaxy Watch 3 next month, we had exclusively leaked its specifications. Its design was leaked through press renders last week. We’ve been waiting just for its pricing and new software features that Samsung is expected to bring with the newer version of Tizen OS. Now, a whole host of software information about the upcoming smartwatch has been leaked online.

According to Max Weinbach, who got his hands on the Galaxy Watch 3 firmware, Samsung will offer new watch faces with the smartwatch. The company will reportedly offer improved customizability of watch faces through ‘Informative Digital Edge.’ The new feature lets users add information such as date, day, heart rate, steps, weather, and more towards the edges of a watch face. He has shared images of new watch faces on Twitter.

The new version of Tizen will also bring a new weather app that shows matching backgrounds to display weather conditions. For example, if it’s cloudy or raining, the background of the weather app will display images of clouds or raindrops. Samsung will also bring a weekly view to the Calendar app and menstruation cycle tracking to the Samsung Health app. The Samsung Health Monitor could come pre-installed on the smartwatch in South Korea.

A few other software features include richer notification icons, built-in Outlook and Spotify apps (at least in the US), and 8GB of internal storage. The Galaxy Watch 3 could have 5.3GB of free space out of the box. The watch reportedly lacks MST (sorry, Samsung Pay lovers) and relies solely on NFC for mobile payments. There will be Wi-Fi-only and LTE variants of the Galaxy Watch 3, and they both feature a loudspeaker.

Max expects Samsung to unveil the upcoming smartwatch as soon as July 8. As usual, the new smartwatch is expected to feature Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, heart-rate monitor, ECG, sleep tracking, blood pressure monitoring, and activity tracking. It will have a 1.2-inch or 1.4-inch screen, depending on the variant, and have Gorilla Glass DX protection.

It will come in stainless steel and titanium versions, and both will feature IP68 certification with 5 ATM water resistance. The 41mm and 45mm versions of the Galaxy Watch are expected to feature 247mAh and 340mAh batteries, and both feature Qi wireless charging.

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The Android 10 and One UI 2.0 update is rolling out to the Galaxy J6 — and its online-only variant, the Galaxy On6 — in India. The Galaxy J6’s Android 10 update debuted a few months back, but its Indian release was delayed because of the local Samsung arm’s decision to halt updates in the country owing to the coronavirus lockdown. However, the wait for Galaxy J6 owners in India is finally over.

Galaxy J6 getting its last major update in India

The Galaxy J6 launched with Android Oreo, so Android 10 is its last major update. Also, being a budget device, the J6 is only getting the bare minimum of One UI 2.0 features. The update includes an improved Dark mode, smoother animations, clearer apps, icons, and colors, better accessibility features, smarter facial recognition, updated camera app with an improved layout, new navigation gestures, and added functionality in many of Samsung’s official apps, such as Calendar, Contacts, and My Files.

The Android 10 update for the Galaxy J6 and On6 includes the June 2020 security patch. It’s rolling out now and can be downloaded over the air from the phone’s Settings » Software update menu using the Download and install option. We also have the Android 10 firmware for the two phones available in our archive; you can use the firmware to manually upgrade to the latest software with a Windows PC.

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A Google employee has just confirmed that the Google Photos app will disable automatic backup & syncing of media from messaging apps. As many people are sharing much more over messaging apps during much of the world's time-off of work and school amidst COVID-19, Google wishes to save its bandwidth resources that are strained, likely backing up memes, videos, and photos that are shared over messaging apps. It will begin notifying users of the change on the Google Photos app the next time they open the app. Due to COVID-19, people are sharing more photos and videos. To save internet...

The Indian Government has announced that it has banned 59 mobile applications, including TikTok, WeChat, and Mi Community. The reason is, as stated in a press release, the Ministry of Information Technology "has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about the misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users' data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India". There were multiple reports from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, the Ministry of...

The Galaxy S10 series has started getting an update with the July 2020 security patch. The update has hit the ground running and is rolling out in more than 20 countries in Europe already, and its availability should further expand in the next couple of days. The July update for the Galaxy S10 lineup carries firmware version G97xFXXS7CTF3. 

The Galaxy S10 series’ July security update comes after the new security patch was released for the Galaxy S20 series, the Galaxy A50, and the Galaxy Z Flip, and we will no doubt see more devices joining the party in the coming days. The update only has security fixes to offer – there are no new features, improvements, or changes included in this release. And, with July yet to begin, Samsung has yet to publish any information on what vulnerabilities are fixed in next month’s security patch, though it shouldn’t be too long before that changes.

If the July update for the Galaxy S10e, S10, and S10+ has been released in your country, you will receive a notification informing you of the same. You can also manually check whether the update is available for your phone by going into its settings, selecting Software update, and hitting the Download and install option. The latest firmware for the Galaxy S10 series is available in our firmware archive as well.

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Xiaomi offshoot Redmi unveiled the Redmi 9 earlier this month and today the company added two more members to the lineup - Redmi 9A and Redmi 9C. The company hasn't shared the detailed specs sheet of either of these phones at the time of writing this, but it did reveal their key specs through a post on Facebook. The Redmi 9A has a Helio G25 SoC at the helm with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage. It sports a 6.53" waterdrop drop notch display of 720p resolution and packs a 5,000 mAh battery. The Redmi 9A comes with a single 13MP camera on the back and a 5MP selfie shooter on the...

Samsung started the rollout of Android 10 to its current-generation flagship tablet, the Galaxy Tab S6, three months ago. One month later, Verizon released the Android 10 update to the Galaxy Tab S6 on its network. Now, T-Mobile has released the Android 10 software update to the tablet on its network in the US.

The new software update with firmware version T867USQU2BTE1 brings Android 10 to the LTE variant of the Galaxy Tab S6 (SM-T867U). It also features One UI 2.1 and the May 2020 Android security patch. The file size of the update is over 2.1GB, so we would advise you to use a Wi-Fi connection to download the new software.

Although T-Mobile’s changelog doesn’t mention new features, the Android 10 update brings smoother animations and transitions, Google’s gesture-based UI navigation, improved Dark Mode, tweaked color scheme and icons, and more. Then there’s an improved camera app and a refreshed design inside the Device Care section. Thanks to One UI 2.1, you also get features like Music Share and Quick Share.

If you own an LTE version of the Galaxy Tab S6 on T-Mobile’s network, you will automatically be notified about the new software update. Alternatively, you can check for the update manually by navigating to Settings » Software update and tapping Download and install.

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We had exclusively reported earlier this month that Samsung could launch the Galaxy Watch 3 and the bean-shaped Galaxy Buds Live in July, ahead of the launch of the Galaxy Note 20 and the Galaxy Fold 2 in August. We also exclusively leaked the specifications of the company’s upcoming smartwatch. Over the past week, press renders of the Galaxy Watch 3 have been leaked, teasing the launch date of the wearable.

The leaked press render image of the Galaxy Watch 3 teases ’22’ and ‘Wed’ on its watch face. In fact, July 22 is indeed on a Wednesday, leading us to believe that the smartwatch will officially debut on July 22. Samsung might not hold a press conference for the announcement of the Galaxy Watch 3 and the Galaxy Buds Live due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation.

The Galaxy Watch 3 will come in two sizes (41mm and 45mm), two case options (stainless steel and titanium), and three colors (black, bronze, and silver). The 41mm version of the smartwatch will have a 1.2-inch screen, while the 45mm version will sport a 1.4-inch display. The smartwatch will have a circular Super AMOLED screen with Gorilla Glass DX protection, two physical buttons on the right side, and standard-sized replaceable watch straps.

The upcoming smartwatch succeeds the Galaxy Watch and features a rotating bezel and an IP67 certification with 5 ATM water resistance. It will be equipped with 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. The Galaxy Watch 3 will also feature GPS, heart-rate monitor, blood pressure monitoring, ECG, and sleep tracking. The 41mm version will be powered by a 247mAh battery, while the 45mm version will have a 340mAh battery.

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Samsung has been the number one TV brand in the world for 14 consecutive years, and that’s no small feat. To celebrate this special milestone, the company has announced that it is holding a QLED TV sales exhibition in South Korea where customers can bag benefits worth KRW 1 million (around $835).

The special sales exhibition will start from tomorrow (July 1, 2020) and end on September 30, 2020. Customers will have to return their old TVs and buy a QT80 series or higher-end QLED TV from Samsung to be eligible for receiving benefits. There’s no restriction on the old TV’s brand, model, size, or the year of its make.

During this sales period, customers can buy a 40-inch QLED TV at the same price that they could buy a 40-inch Full HD TV 10 years ago. Samsung’s 4K QLED TVs bring much higher resolution, color volume, contrast ratio, audio quality, HDR10+, and more modern software in comparison.

Samsung is also offering a special 80% discount on its soundbars when customers buy a Q series soundbar with a QLED TV. Using the company’s QLED TV with a Q series soundbar lets users receive audio output from both the devices at once through the Q Symphony feature, resulting in fuller and richer audio.

The South Korean TV giant is also offering a 6-month unlimited pass of TVING, a popular online video streaming app in the country, for free to all customers who purchase a compatible QLED TV during the sales exhibition. The exhibition is being held on Samsung.com, Open Market, Samsung Digital Place, Hi-Mart, and E-Land.

Jeong Ho-Jin, Managing Director of Samsung Electronics South Korea, said, “We celebrated the world’s top TV sales for 14 years in a row and thanked customers for this event. We look forward to experiencing the benefits.” Yesterday, Samsung also launched its new QLED TV lineup with South Korea’s highest energy efficiency rating.

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Another upcoming Google product that isn't the Pixel 4a has been leaking a lot lately, and that is the upcoming Android TV-powered new Chromecast dongle, codenamed Sabrina. Unlike past Chromecasts, this will run Android TV and thus have that OS' full interface. Not only that, but it will have a smart remote with Google Assistant - which brings us to the fact that the search giant is holding a Smart Home Summit online on July 8. The company hasn't explicitly mentioned that it wants to unveil new hardware on that occassion, but it would be weird if this was just a coincidence. The new...

Xiaomi is very busy with updates to the new MIUI 12 at this point, but the company is also still working on bringing some of its older phones up to Android 10. The latest model to receive an update with this version of the OS is the Redmi 8, launched last October with Android 9 Pie. The update to Android 10 doesn't take the Redmi 8 up to MIUI 12, there's probably going to be a subsequent release for that. So it's still on MIUI 11, version 11.0.1.0 QCNCNXM to be precise. Aside from the Android version bump, this update brings with it the June 2020 security patches, as well as the...

Samsung is already selling the Galaxy Fold and its 5G sibling, but the company could launch a Lite variant in early 2021. Sources from South Korea report the phone is going to have less impressive specs but a far more manageable price - the new phone will go for around KRW1.32 million, which is about $1,100 or €975. Samsung Galaxy Fold Lite render A recently leaked render showcased the device will keep its ratio but will have a single punch-hole camera on the front/inside, while there will be two shooters on the outside. Leaksters also say the bezels of the new Fold phone will be...

Samsung Display maintained the lead in the smartphone display market throughout Q1 2020, reveals a new report from Strategy Analytics. Global revenues have increased by 3% year-over-year, with the entire smartphone display market registered total revenues of $9 billion over the previous quarter.

The trend in Q1 2020 was a higher demand for OLED solutions and an oversupply of LCD panels due to falling demand. Global revenues got bumped up slightly only thanks to the increase in popularity for OLED panels, and because Samsung Display is the leading OLED distributor in the world, the company was able to capitalize on this higher demand and managed to cover 52% of the global smartphone display market by the end of Q1 2020. Samsung Display was followed by BOE Technology and Tianma Microelectronics.

Flexible OLED technology also proves to be a success

LCD technology seems to be on its way out, not only in regards to smartphones but also larger panels. Samsung already decided to end production of all LCD panels by the end of the year. Meanwhile, the company is focusing its efforts on OLED panel production as well as the manufacturing of flexible OLED solutions. Samsung is the primary flexible OLED maker in the world and this also contributed to its success in Q1 2020.

As for the near future, Strategy Analytics estimates that the global smartphone display market will likely feel the negative effects left in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in the coming months. The output will reportedly experience a slowdown due to the disruption in supply chains of customers.

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The wait lasted for nearly a month, but American owners of the Galaxy Note 9 who also happen to be T-Mobile customers are finally receiving One UI 2.1. The update that adds a wide variety of new functionalities to Samsung’s 2018 flagship began rolling out several hours back, as confirmed by several users as of this writing. While Sprint and T-Mobile are now one and the same, that wasn’t the case when the Galaxy Note 9 was first released, meaning Sprint customers are still waiting for their carrier to begin deploying the latest update.

Galaxy Note 9 owners on T-Mobile’s network can attempt triggering a manual update by launching their Settings app, selecting, Software update, and tapping the Update and install option on the following screen. As always, full system images will be available for download from SamMobile’s firmware archive shortly following their official debuts.

Galaxy Note 9 feeling fresher than ever

Save for Bixby Routines, this firmware version is largely on par with newer Samsung flagships in terms of software features. More camera modes, better sharing integrations, improved Bluetooth performance, AR Emoji that aren’t absolutely horrible, and automatic grouping of photos and videos inside the Gallery app are just some of the new functionalities bundled with the One UI 2.1 update.

Overall, the Galaxy Note 9 should be feeling fresher than ever following its jump to the latest One UI version. That’s nothing to scoff at seeing how this smartphone series is turning two in just over a month, with Samsung’s Galaxy Note 20 reveal reportedly being scheduled for early August.

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Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is considering removing the included earbuds from the iPhone 12 retail package back in May. Analysts at Barclays said the same a few days ago and hinted that even the power brick may be dropped, Kuo agrees in his latest research note. Apple will introduce a 20W charger with USB Power Delivery, says Kuo, which will be sold separately. He didn't forecast a price but the current 18W charger goes for $30. The company will stop production of the current 5W and 18W models. Apple will likely position this as an eco-friendly move that would result in...

The July 2020 security update for the Galaxy S20 series is now rolling in more markets including Germany and the UAE. However, it turns out that the latest update doesn’t have the same changelog in these regions as it does in South Korea, and instead, it carries a slightly older one.

The new firmware version G98xFXXU3ATFG for the Exynos-powered international Galaxy S20 models arrives with the July 2020 security patch but it doesn’t bring improved video stabilization, higher quality zoomed-in photos, or the ability to use a Bluetooth microphone when recording audio with the Voice Recording app.

Instead, the latest update that’s being rolled out for the international Galaxy S20 has the same changelog as the previous G98xxXXU2ATE6 update. It changes the way close-up zoom functions but that’s about all there is to it. Nevertheless, we suspect that the more recent changes that were introduced in South Korea last week will eventually become more widely-available, presumably alongside other monthly security updates bound to be released in the coming weeks.

To grab the latest firmware and the July 2020 security update for the Exynos-powered Galaxy S20 series you can check our firmware archive and browse for your particular model and region. You can also wait for the update to arrive on your device, or go to Settings, Software update, and tap Download and install to attempt to trigger the update process manually.

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