Tech News

Yesterday Google introduced two new phones, Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G, both falling short of the term “true flagship” with the lack of top-notch chipset, telephoto camera and an UD fingerprint scanner. Apparently, the Mountain View company doesn't expect the phones to be particularly hot with customers as indicated by the conservative orders placed with suppliers - 800,000 Pixel 5 units by the end of the year, as reported by Nikkei Asia. The total production for the 2020 Google lineup across its three members - the Pixel 5, Pixel 4a 5G, and the Pixel 4a - will be 3 million units....

Most smartphones these days come with bloatware in some form or the other, and users can’t uninstall those apps and services. Such apps not only take up additional storage space, but they are also used for marketing activities and push unnecessary notifications. However, smartphone OEMs might have to offer users an option to uninstall bloatware.

According to a report from the Financial Times, the European Union is planning to pass an act that forces smartphone OEMs to allow users to uninstall the bloatware that comes pre-loaded on the devices. The Digital Services Act, which aims to tackle big technology companies like Amazon, Apple, and Google, is expected to be passed by the end of this year. Some measures prescribed in the draft version of the act include stopping brands from using data collected on their platforms for their own commercial activities unless they make it “accessible to business users active in the same commercial activities.”

The act also talks about prohibiting gatekeeper platforms (Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store) from using advertising data they collect from other businesses on the platform for any purpose other than advertising services. Moreover, the act also stops big tech companies from giving preferential treatment to their own services. If this act is passed, it could affect brands like Samsung, Xiaomi, and others who pre-load their own app stores and alternative apps. For example, apart from Google’s and its own apps, Samsung also pre-loads apps from Microsoft and Facebook.

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Yesterday Google announced the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5, but neither of them is coming to India for the time being. Yet Google subsequently confirmed that the Pixel 4a, which came out in August will be hitting the country on October 17. Google's official account revealed the release date and confirmed that the Pixel 4a will be sold through Flipkart. Its price wasn't confirmed, so we'll have to wait until October 17 for that. The Google Pixel 4a is powered by the Snapdragon 730G and packs a 5.81" OLED display of FullHD+ resolution. The smartphone boots to Android 10 and comes in a...

Samsung has announced that it is launching its new, all-in-one outdoor LED signage display lineup for small and medium-sized businesses in the US. The company calls its XPR-B lineup of outdoor LED signages ‘LED in a Box,’ which means that it includes the display and a web-based content management system.

The XPR-B lineup includes models that come in two sizes: 1m x 2m and 1.5m x 3m. Each of these sizes is offered in single and double face designs, and in 8mm, 10mm, and 12mm pitch. Similar to the XPR-E lineup, the signage displays in the XPR-B lineup are designed for those businesses which do not need prolonged periods of max brightness. They offer exceptional picture quality, extremely high brightness (up to 7,500 nits) in all conditions, multiple operational safeguards to prevent errors, and a more power-efficient power supply with a built-in backup.

These signages can be used by hospitality chains, local entertainment complexes, medical campuses, restauranteurs, retailers, schools, quick-serve restaurants (QSRs), and more. These products also offer seasonal and time-specific advertising features, hassle-free installation of unibody cabinet structure, a low-profile design, a 5.9″ depth for more aesthetically pleasing display, and front ventilation. You can view the entire lineup here.

Mark Quiroz, Vice President, Display Division, Samsung Electronics America, said, “The XPR-B was developed to help small and medium-sized business owners stay nimble by providing a platform for seasonal and time-specific advertising, wayfinding and provide an additional method of direct communication with customers.”

The post Samsung launches all-in-one outdoor LED signage displays for small businesses appeared first on SamMobile.

Google’s Pixel 5 doesn’t bring any major changes the to the camera hardware. The 2X telephoto camera from the Pixel 4 has been replaced with a new 16MP ultra wide camera with f/2.2 aperture and 1µn pixels. Meanwhile, the main camera remains unchanged from the Pixel 4. It’s a 12.2MP 1/2.55” sensor with f/1.7 aperture, Dual Pixel AF, and OIS. We don’t yet know how much the image quality can improved solely based on software advancements as we don’t yet have the device. Until then, let’s go over the camera features that are debuting with the Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G (they have...

With the announcement of Google’s new Chromecast device today, “Google TV” is debuting with the new hardware. “Google TV” was Google’s first smart TV platform that was co-developed with Sony, Qualcomm, Google, and Logitech that first launched back in 2010. It was an OS for TVs that offered support for streaming apps, and as a core TV operating system. The platform would eventually be succeeded by “Android TV” until this day. The new Google TV is still based on Android TV, but it’s a UI skin that’s unique to the new Google Chromecast for now, though Google did say that it would be adding...

Realme unveiled the Narzo 20 family with three members - Narzo 20A, Narzo 20 and Narzo 20 Pro. The aggressively priced trio has resonated well with the customers according to the numbers from the first flash sales - the entire stock of over 230,000 units was taken in minues. The achievement was announced on Twitter by Madhav Sheth, CEO of Realme India and Europe. He revealed that the middle child Narzo 20 sold over 130,000 units, while the Narzo 20A was second with 51,000+ and the Narzo 20 Pro sitting in third with 50,000+ devices. The trio covers a reasonably wide price range...

At the start of the month, Realme unveiled its 7 series phones in India. Now, we have confirmation that both phones will make their way to Europe next Wednesday. The launch keynote is scheduled for 10:30AM CEST (8:30AM UTC) on October 7. Europe, get ready for #FAS7ER charging and performance! Tune in at 10:30AM CEST on October 7th for the #realme7series European livestream launch.RT if you're reading this from Europe! pic.twitter.com/XUMc6Jx6xD— Madhav Faster7 (@MadhavSheth1) September 30, 2020 The key difference is that the European version of the Realme 7 will come with a downgraded...

The Xiaomi Mi Watch is coming to Europe. This is a Wear OS watch with MIUI customizations and long battery life. A big, bright display • 6 wrist straps You get a large circular AMOLED display, measuring 1.39” in diameter, so you can easily read notifications and there’s plenty of room for at-a-glance info. Speaking of, the watch can track your heart rate and blood-oxygen saturation (SpO2) as well as the ambient air pressure. The watch has 117 exercise modes and (unlike the Mi Band) there is a built-in GPS receiver, so it doesn’t need to be connected to your phone when you...

The Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite is the budget-friendly model in the T-series, even so it maintains some of the best features. This includes the 6.67” LCD with adaptive refresh rate – it goes up to 120Hz (the other two do 144Hz, but it's not a huge difference) and has multiple intermediate steps down to 30Hz. Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite The HDR10-certified display has 1080p+ resolution (20:9) and promises 84% NTSC color coverage and 450 nits of brightness. The phone is also armed with dual speakers and a Hi-Res Audio certification. Like the Mi 10T, the Lite has a 64MP main camera on the back,...

Samsung only recently realized that longer software support for Galaxy phones has been one of the biggest demands of its fans. At long last, Samsung announced that it will offer three generations of Android updates to its flagships along with some mid-range devices. However, as long-time users of Galaxy smartwatches will know, the updated, er, update policy for Galaxy phones and tablets still doesn’t match what Samsung’s smartwatches have already been enjoying for a few years.

Where new features for Samsung’s smartphones and tablets stop coming in after two years on the market (at least until that new policy goes into effect), Galaxy and Gear smartwatches receive new features for far longer after they hit retail shelves. Case in point: Just five months ago, Samsung updated the Gear S3, a smartwatch launched in late 2016, with some features from the Galaxy Watch 2.

Samsung also tends to quickly bring features from its latest smartwatch to existing ones. For example, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 gained a slew of Galaxy Watch 3 features just a couple of weeks after the latter went on sale around the world. Samsung hasn’t said anything about those features coming to the Galaxy Watch Active or the Galaxy Watch, but if history is any guide, those older watches will be invited to the party eventually.

Now, while I love how Samsung’s smartwatch support has been so solid for the longest time, there is something that infuriates me about it: The time it takes for those smartwatch updates to make their way across the globe after the initial rollout.

The global rollout for these updates takes too long to complete

Samsung first announced that the Galaxy Watch Active 2 will be getting Galaxy Watch 3 features on September 10th, and the related update was pushed out in select markets soon after. But, in the US, that update didn’t start showing up for users until almost two weeks later, and for markets like India, the update only started rolling out today, almost three weeks after the initial announcement.

Software updates for Galaxy smartphones have always been staggered. And considering the carrier and country-specific customization on those phones, staggered rollouts do make sense. Not rolling out updates everywhere at once also helps make sure that any serious bugs that may have slipped through testing don’t create too much havoc. However, despite all the intricacies involved in the process, Samsung has done an increasingly good job in the last year or two at rolling out smartphone updates to a wide audience as quickly as possible.

The same doesn’t hold true for the company’s smartwatches, but I hope that changes soon and Samsung can find a way to speed things up. Despite not being an avid smartwatch user, I find myself getting annoyed by how long I have to wait before a new update — both major and minor — arrives for my watch, so I can only imagine how frustrating it must feel to those who actively use their smartwatches.

What about you? Do you think updates for your Galaxy/Gear smartwatch should come out sooner after they are announced, or are you fine with waiting however long it takes for them to arrive?

The post This is the most infuriating thing about Samsung’s smartwatch updates appeared first on SamMobile.

The Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro are the first Xiaomi phones with 144Hz displays. Better yet, the flat LCDs have an adaptive refresh rate and can go as low as 30Hz to fit the content. There are intermediate modes too, like 48Hz for movies, 60Hz for regular video, 90Hz and 120Hz too. Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro The displays measure 6.67” in diagonal and have 1080p+ resolution (20:9). They are HDR10-certified and put out up to 650 nits at full blast. The front is protected by Gorilla Glass 5, another GG5 sheet covers the back. The frames are made of aluminum alloy and there are fingerprint readers...

The US Department of Justice will file a lawsuit against Google next week, reports Reuters citing three inside sources. This suit will accuse the company of trying to undermine rival search engines (Microsoft’s Bing and others). By limiting their access to data about users and their preferences, Google is preventing its rivals from improving their search and advertising platforms. The search giant has denied these accusations. The DoJ is also looking into Google’s ad business that sells space for ads under search results as well as the tools to run such ads. State attorneys...

At $1,299, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra isn’t a cheap phone by any stretch of the imagination. If you’re one of the many who bought it then perhaps you’d like to protect your investment. It would be a good idea to look at these best Galaxy Note 20 Ultra cases and pick one that appeals to you the most.

There are some good Galaxy Note 20 Ultra cases that Samsung itself sells but you’re not just limited to first-party options. There are countless other case manufacturers who offer similar products for the 2020 phablet. There’s a lot of variety, too. You can have a case that doubles as a wallet, has a built-in kickstand, or is just a simple clear case that lets you show off the device’s brilliant color.

Best Galaxy Note 20 Ultra case in 2020

Your opinion about the best cases for Galaxy Note 20 Ultra might differ from other people. You might have more use for a kickstand while someone else would want a case that can double as a wallet. There are some great rugged Galaxy Note 20 Ultra cases for those who want to add a touch of durability as well. Let’s jump into the list and see if we can find you one that you’d like to purchase.

1. Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G Clear Standing Cover

Want a case that can show off that beautiful Mystic Bronze color of your Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and also give you a kickstand to prop up the phone? Made by Samsung, this case has a solid polycarbonate back and a TPU bumper to provide shock and drop protection. The detachable kickstand is a great way to prop the phone at an optimized viewing angle for hands-free streaming or video calls.

Buy for $29.99 at Amazon

2. OtterBox Commuter Series case for Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

Otterbox products are trusted by many for their durability. Its Commuter Series offers one of the best Galaxy Note 20 Ultra cases for those looking to add robust protection for their device. It has soft inner and hard outer layers to absorb and deflect impact. The case also has a lasting antimicrobial coating to protect the exterior against many common bacteria.

Buy for $39.99 at Amazon

3. Ghostek Exec Magnetic wallet case

If you are looking for the best Galaxy Note 20 Ultra case to carry credit cards, look no further than this option from Ghostek. It can easily hold up to four credit cards and even has a built-in magnet that lets you attach the phone to any magnetic cellphone mount. Since the card holder is detachable, you can easily take it off when you want to wirelessly charge the phone or use Wireless PowerShare. The case itself has a military-grade shockproof design with elevated corners for added shock absorption.

Buy for $29.98 at Amazon

4. Arkour Slim Leather case

Most leather cases tend to double as wallets but what if you want the luxurious feeling of leather without that added bulk? Arkour makes a great Galaxy Note 20 Ultra leather case. The case itself is made from soft TPU and has a shock-absorbing layer for protection. There’s high-grade leather on the back in a gorgeous finish to provide a touch of luxury. It’s available in a variety of colors including Saddle Brown and Red.

Buy for $15.99 at Amazon

5. Spigen Rugged Armor case for Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

Spigen knows a thing or two about making robust cases for smartphones. The Rugger Armor series case for the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra provides resilient shock absorption and has a carbon fiber design for a touch of class. The flexible TPU case has a raised lip around the screen and camera to protect both vital areas. Wireless PowerShare and wireless charging can both be used without having to take the case off.

Buy for $11.99 at Amazon

6. Vapesoon waterproof case

While the device itself is IP68-rated for water and dust resistant, if you’d prefer buying a waterproof case for the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, this is a good option. It offers full protection for the device that exceeds MIL-810G-516 durability standards and has a built-in screen protector to further safeguard the display.

Buy for $16.99 at Amazon

7. Caseology Parallax case

Want a good Galaxy Note 20 Ultra case that also spruces up the design? The Parallax case from Caseology has a functional 3D design for enhanced ergonomics and visual appeal. Its dual-layered bumpers offer military-grade drop and shock protection. It’s wireless charging and screen protector compatible so the case really won’t get in the way of how you like to use your phone.

Buy for $15.99 at Amazon

How to pick the best Galaxy Note 20 Ultra case

Base your purchase decision on what you expect to get out of the case. For example, the leather case might not be for everyone and would also require some extra care to ensure that the finish stays pristine. A credit card case for the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra case may not be of much use to you if you primarily pay with a mobile service like Samsung Pay.

Since most of these manufacturers offer cases for both the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, just be sure to double-check that you’ve bought the right case for your device. Due to the size difference between these devices, one is not going to fit the other.

Cases are a simple way of switching up the look and feel of your device. So buy a few and rotate among them to express yourself, all while having the peace of mind that your $1,299 handset is sufficiently protected. Haven’t bought it yet? Check out our Galaxy Note 20 Ultra review and let us help you make that decision.

The post Best Galaxy Note 20 Ultra cases to protect your investment appeared first on SamMobile.

With the Kirin 1000 chip shortage that Huawei is experiencing, there were speculations the Huawei Mate X2 won't come around until next year. But the new Wi-Fi certification from the Wi-Fi Alliance is indicating otherwise. Screenshot from the Wi-Fi Alliance certification The fact that Mate X2 had passed the certification process clearly indicates that its launch is around the corner. Other than the fact that it would support Wi-Fi 6 and run EMUI 11, there's nothing else that could be of any interest in the actual listing. In other Huawei foldable phone news, the Mate Xs has...

Xiaomi is about to unveil its Mi 10T series, and we expect two flagships on stage - the Mi 10T and the Mi 10T Pro. A Mi 10T Lite might be joining them too - we've heard less about that one, but that's likely down to its mid-range nature. The event is scheduled for 12 noon UTC and will be streamed live for all fans to enjoy. We’ve embedded the video below so you can tune in from the comfort of your home or office. The Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro are expected to be pretty similar with the camera being the key difference. While the vanilla version will bring a 64MP main shooter, the Pro...

It certainly took a while, but Samsung finally brought the Galaxy M11 to Europe, with the smartphone officially arriving to the Old Continent earlier today. This release is a significant boost to Samsung’s entry-level portfolio in the region as the Galaxy M11 does a pretty decent job of punching well above its modest price tag. Speaking of which, the smartphone will retail at €159 in the Netherlands and most other EU state members.

Minor pricing fluctuations are only a possibility due to VAT differences across the European Economic Area. The Galaxy M11 will start appearing on the digital and physical store shelves in Europe from tomorrow, Samsung confirmed.

Stellar battery life meets affordability

While it’s been four months since its debut in India (and three from release), the Galaxy M11 is still one of the most well-rounded Android smartphones money can buy in the lower end of the price bracket. It features a sizable 6.4-inch TFT display supporting resolutions up to 1,560 x 720, an 8-megapixel selfie camera, and a triple-sensor, 13-megapixel mobile photography setup on the back.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 450 is the brains of the operation, backed by 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable flash storage. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear Europe will be getting the better-specced, 4GB/64GB variant of the Galaxy M11 that previously launched in India. On the bright side, we’re still looking at a device with an impressive 5,000mAh battery and support for respectably fast 15W charging speeds.

Prospective Galaxy M11 buyers in Europe will get a choice between black and metallic blue color options. Meanwhile, the violet version of the smartphone doesn’t appear to be leaving Asia for the time being.

The post Samsung Galaxy M11 hits Europe, raising the entry-level quality bar appeared first on SamMobile.

As you may know Google takes 30% from in-app purchases on most apps in the Play Store and the company has now declared that it plans on enforcing it more strictly starting September 30, 2021. Google said that about 97% of the apps in Play Store already use the store's system for in-app purchases and are compliant with the policies. Still major apps like Spotify and Netflix, for example, ask for your credit/debit card directly, circumventing the Google system and the commission that comes with it. Recently, Epic Games found itself in hot water with both Google and Apple after refusing...

The vivo V20 lineup was introduced last week in Thailand, but today the midrangers are finally going on sale, hitting Southeast Asia and becoming the first phones in the world to ship with Android 11, out of the box. The family includes three phones - vivo V20 SE, vivo V20 Pro, and vivo V20. The initial announcements brought us all the specs of the first two, but the middle option is only now getting detailed. The vanilla vivo V20 is powered by the Snapdragon 720G, coupled with an 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, the latter expandable via a dedicated micro SD slot. At the front, we...

The battery capacity of the Galaxy S21 Ultra seems to be as good as confirmed, as suggested by yet another highly credible leak on the matter. Well, an early product certificate, to be more precise; one coming out of China, i.e. Chinese telecom authority 3C. The documentation concerns a battery carrying model number EB-BG998ABY. Which is a pretty unambiguous reference to the SM-998, previously identified as the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

According to this particular source, the Galaxy S21 Ultra will feature a non-removable battery with a rated capacity of 4,885mAh, amounting to a typical capacity in the ballpark of 5,000mAh. If all of that at least sounds vaguely familiar, that’s because we already heard pretty much the same story in mid-September.

Equal battery capacity doesn’t guarantee identical (or similar) battery life

It should also go without saying that a battery capacity identical to that of the Galaxy S20 Ultra hardly promises comparable screen-on time. Chip performance and user habits are both major factors that could tip the scales in either direction – and to any degree – once Samsung actually releases its next premium smartphone range.

As a reminder, the Galaxy S21 is just a tentative name for the series. It’s still unclear how close Samsung actually is to greenlighting the moniker for marketing purposes. Recently, there’s been no shortage of speculation about the Galaxy S30 brand, as well. Whatever the case may be, Samsung is expected to officially unveil its upcoming range of Android flagships early next year. February, to be more specific.

The post Galaxy S21 Ultra battery capacity pretty much confirmed in second leak appeared first on SamMobile.

Earlier this month, we saw a report about the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra’s battery and now we have more proof that it will indeed launch with a 4,855mAh cell. A recent certification from China’s 3C agency reveals the next Ultra flagship in Samsung’s lineup will carry a battery with the EB-BG998ABY model number which features a rated capacity of 4,855mAh. This will likely translate to a typical capacity of about 5,000 mAh. Galaxy S21 Ultra battery listing The G998 digits in the listing reveal we’re indeed talking about the S21 Ultra here. Like the recent S21+ battery listing, the S21...

vivo just delivered a new midrange smartphone for the Taiwanese market dubbed vivo X50e 5G. With quad cameras, 33W charging, and a Snapdragon 765G chipset, the vivo X50e is the cheapest 5G-enabled member of the X50 lineup. There’s a 6.44-inch AMOLED screen complete with an in-display fingerprint scanner. The panel covers 103% of the NTSC color space, while its waterdrop notch houses a 32MP selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture. Around back is the diamond shaped quad camera setup, consisting of a 48MP main camera with f/1.79 aperture, a 13MP telephoto camera, an 8MP ultrawide shooter,...

Realme’s China is going to introduce a new phone from its Q family, speculated to be called Realme Q2. While the original Realme Q was merely a rebranded Realme 5 Pro, this one is likely to be an entirely new handset with an OLED screen and 65W fast charging. The phone with model number RMX2173 has appeared on AnTuTu, scoring nearly 520,000 points, equaling flagship-tier phones' results like the Galaxy S20 or Honor 30 Pro+. A previously published TENAA listing of the phone said it comes with 2.4GHz CPU, which matches the Snapdragon 765, but the score doesn't align. Either the...

Samsung had unveiled its lineup of 4K Ultra Short Throw (UST) laser projectors, The Premiere, earlier this month. However, the company had not announced the official pricing for the US. Now, the South Korean firm has announced the prices and shipping dates of its new projectors.

The Premiere currently consists of two models: LSP7T and LSP9T. The 130-inch LSP9T is the world’s first 4K HDR10+ laser projector, and it costs $6,499 in the US. The LSP7T is a 120-inch laser projector, and it costs $3,499.99. They are currently available for purchase through Samsung’s online store, and both models will start shipping on October 16. The LSP7T and the LSP9T are also listed on Best Buy’s website, but they can’t be added to the cart yet, so we assume that they will be available in the near future.

The LSP9T has a triple-laser light source, and it can reach a peak brightness of 2,800 ANSI lumens. It covers 106% of Rec. BT.2020 and 147% of DCI-P3 color gamuts. The LSP9T even has a Filmmaker Mode that lets you consume content as the director intended to. It also has a built-in 4.2-channel 40W speaker setup with Acoustic Beam technology so that you don’t necessarily need to have separate speakers. The LSP7T can reach a peak brightness of 2,200 ANSI lumens and covers 83% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. It has a 2.2-channel 30W speaker setup.

Both projectors use Samsung’s latest Tizen operating system, so it is compatible with all the audio and video streaming apps. They also feature Alexa and Bixby voice assistants. Other features include hassle-free installation, screen mirroring, easy cable management, and Game Enhancer.

• Buy The Premiere LSP7T (120-inch) from Samsung US
• Buy The Premiere LSP9T (130-inch) from Samsung US

The post Samsung announces US pricing for The Premiere 4K projectors appeared first on SamMobile.

A dark theme is making its way to Google Maps as some users are reporting. Google is rolling out an app-wide dark mode to Google Maps as of version 10.51.1 running on Android 11. It seems the change is gradually rolling out on the server side as updating to the latest version of Google Maps is not enough to see the option appear in the app’s settings menu. The appearance setting in the app will let you force the dark theme indefinitely or match the Android phone’s universal system theme setting. Source: Reddit u/BrokenF*ckenArm There has always been an automatic night-mode that...

Samsung has dropped the prices of three of its affordable smartphones in India. The Galaxy M01, Galaxy M11, and the Galaxy M31s are now available at slightly reduced prices in the country. While the Galaxy M11 is seeing a price drop for the first time since its launch, it is the second price drop for the Galaxy M01.

The Galaxy M01 was launched in India with a price tag of INR 8,999 (around $122), but Samsung has now dropped its price to INR 7,999 (around $108). The phone is available in black, blue, and red colors. The Galaxy M11’s 3GB+32GB variant, which was earlier priced at INR 10,999 (around $149), now costs INR 10,499 (around $142). The variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage was originally priced at INR 12,999 (around $176), but it is now being sold for INR 11,999 (around $162). The Galaxy M11 is available in three colors: black, metallic blue, and violet. The Galaxy M01 and the Galaxy M11 can be purchased through Amazon.in and Samsung India’s online store.

The Galaxy M31s was launched in India four months ago with price tags of INR 20,499 (6GB+128GB) and INR 22,499 (8GB+128GB). The South Korean firm has now dropped the phone’s prices to INR 19,499 (around $264) and INR 21,499 (around $291), respectively.

The post Samsung drops prices of Galaxy M01, Galaxy M11, Galaxy M31s in India appeared first on SamMobile.

In November of last year, Google announced its plans to acquire the fitness smartwatch maker Fitbit. At this point, the acquisition is still pending regulatory approvals, and according to a report from Reuters the $2.1 billion purchase will be receiving the EU’s antitrust approval. This, as per “people familiar with the matter said.” Privacy of user data remains a great concern, and the report mentions that Google offered to limit the use of Fitbit data for Google ads while more diligently monitoring the process of doing so. “We’re also formalizing out longstanding commitment to supporting...

Samsung had announced earlier this month that it will bring some of the best Galaxy Watch 3 features to the Galaxy Watch Active 2. Last week, the update started rolling out in the US, bringing Fall Detection to the smartwatch. The company has now started rolling out the new update to the Galaxy Watch Active 2 in India.

The new software update brings Tizen 5.5 and One UI 2.0 to the Galaxy Watch Active 2. It carries firmware version R820XXU1CTI4 and has a download size of 292.91MB. However, the download size could be slightly different for the LTE variant of the smartwatch. If you are a Galaxy Watch Active 2 user from India, you can check for the update by launching the Galaxy Wearable app on your smartphone and navigating to Watch software update » Download and install.

The Galaxy Watch Active 2 gets various new features with the software update, including Advanced Running Analysis to give you more insights to improve your running form and VO2max to check the maximum amount of oxygen you utilize during exercises. It also brings Fall Detection, AR Emoji, Bitmoji, and the ability to capture scrolling screenshots to the smartwatch.

The Fall Detection feature can send SOS calls and messages to emergency contacts when the watch detects a hard fall. With the new update, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 opens a chat window when you receive a message, offering you a better view. It can also display images received in the chat thread.

The post Tizen 5.5 update starts rolling out to Galaxy Watch Active 2 in India appeared first on SamMobile.

Motorola made the new Razr 5G official earlier this month, and now it's almost ready to hit T-Mobile. That's actually one of its main differentiating points from its predecessor (aside from the improved internals) - the original foldable Razr was Verizon exclusive, the Razr 5G isn't. Anyway, back to T-Mobile. You'll find the device in stores at the magenta carrier, in Polished Graphite and Blush Gold, starting on October 2. The Razr 5G is priced at $1,399.99 full retail, and you can get it with 24 monthly installments of $58.34. However, if you activate a new line and trade-in an...

LG officially took the wraps off its Wing smartphone about two weeks ago, and we already have one at the office and are working hard on our review. In the meantime, Verizon has gone ahead and announced its pricing and availability details for the device. The Wing will be up for pre-order at Big Red from October 1, for $999.99 full retail. Of course you can also get it with 24 monthly installments, in which case you pay $41.66 per month. You can get up to $750 off when you add a line on select Unlimited plans and trade-in an eligible device. You can also get up to a $250 Verizon...

App stores are typically described as walled gardens, but some walls are higher than others. Google announced plans to make it easier to use third-party app stores on smartphones starting with Android 12, which is coming next year. These changes are still on the drawing board, so it’s not clear what they will entail. The goal is to make using other app stores a smoother experience without compromising the phone’s security. Google already allows other app stores – actually, most phones ship with at least two stores, says the search giant. Each store gets to choose its business terms,...

OnePlus has revealed that the upcoming OnePlus 8T will ship with OxygenOS 11 out of the box. OxygenOS 11 is the company's latest operating system based on Android 11 and is currently still in beta phase. The OS can be downloaded on the existing OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro devices but only if you don't mind the issues that come with unpolished new software. The OnePlus 8T is the company's upcoming flagship device that will be officially launched on October 14 with faster internals and 65W charging. It is the successor to the OnePlus 8 launched back in April. That doesn't seem...

Roku has launched two new products, the updated Roku Ultra and the new Roku Streambar. The Roku Streambar is a 2-in-1 product that works as a soundbar while also providing a 4K streaming device for your television. On the audio front, the Streambar has four 1.9-inch full-range drivers placed around the front and side of the soundbar. The device also supports Dolby Audio for audio processing. You can get optional wireless surround speakers and wireless subwoofer from Roku to complete your home theater setup. On the video side, you have support for up to 4K resolution with...

Samsung customers not only have access to Samsung TV Plus on their smart TVs and smartphones, but they can often benefit from free access to a variety of other streaming services for a limited time, such as Spotify, YouTube Premium, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. These free trials are usually offered with new smartphone/tablet purchases or pre-orders and are available globally, but the company announced a different promotion recently that concerns only customers in Canada.

Samsung Canada and SiriusXM Canada are offering Samsung customers free access to SiriusXM Premier for three months. The promotional period lasts until January 2, 2021, and according to the two companies the offer is available to users across Samsung Members, Galaxy Apps [Galaxy Store],Samsung Health and Samsung Pay. So this should virtually cover every Galaxy smartphone, tablet, or smartwatch user in Canada.

If you decide to sign up for the free trial, you’ll gain access to SiriusXM Video, personalized ptations powered by Pandora, Howard Stern, over 300 ad-free music channels, thousands of hours of on-demand content, and exclusive online-only channels.

The content is available through the SiriusXM mobile app which you can download on your smartphone or tablet from the Galaxy Store. It can also be streamed on a variety of home devices including Samsung smart TVs and Blu-ray players.

The post Be a Galaxy app user in Canada and get free access to SiriusXM appeared first on SamMobile.

Samsung is redrawing the lines that separate flagship smartphones from the rest of the pack. While the Galaxy S10 Lite may have been viewed as a toned-down version of the Galaxy S10, it has positioned the Galaxy S20 FE as a flagship in its own right. Then again, the Galaxy S20 FE has a lot more similarities with the other devices in the S20 family.

The company has a very specific demographic in mind for the Galaxy S20 FE. It’s targeting those who may be thinking of upgrading from a Galaxy A51 or A71, who may have a tight budget but want a flagship-level phone or simply those who felt that $999 was too much to ask for the base Galaxy S20 variant.

We have had some time to play with the device so we can share our first impressions in this Galaxy S20 FE hands-on. Stay tuned for the full review which will be up in the near future.

Design and feel

The Galaxy S20 FE’s design is not that different from some of the other devices that Samsung has released this year. You get a 6.5-inch flat display on the front. Since the panel isn’t spilling over the edges, the bezels and chin are a tad more prominent than they are on the Galaxy S20, for example. That’s not a bad thing and as we’ve noted in our Galaxy Note 20 review, a flat panel can be surprisingly good to use.

Since Samsung had to cut some costs in order to bring the price down, it has replaced the glass rear panel with plastic. It’s similar to the one on the Galaxy Note 20. As we’ve already said, glass is overrated and these plastic rear panels really are good enough. They’re nice to the touch, don’t attract fingerprints and also won’t shatter as easily (or at all) as a glass back if the phone is dropped. You won’t feel like the phone is going to slip out of your hand, either.

It feels every bit the premium and well-built device that Samsung is making it out to be. The lack of a glass back doesn’t take anything away from that feeling. It helps that the vertically-aligned camera housing has circular cutouts for the sensors, which is what we see on the Galaxy Note 20 series and the considerably costlier Galaxy Z Fold 2 as well.

Display

We are in familiar territory with the 6.5-inch Full HD+ resolution flat Super AMOLED display. Samsung’s panels tend to be exceptional and we find nothing wrong with the one on the Galaxy S20 FE. Then there’s also the fact that it supports 120Hz refresh rate. Nothing can rival the buttery smooth experience that a higher refresh rate provides.

There’s a fingerprint sensor embedded within the display. It gets an optical scanner, though, not the ultrasonic scanners used in the other Galaxy S20 models. The performance of in-display fingerprint sensors doesn’t match capacitive sensors regardless of the technologically being used. That being said, the Galaxy S20 FE’s optical sensor is good enough to get the job done.

Software

The Galaxy S20 FE doesn’t really bring any new software features beyond what Samsung has already made available to other devices. That’s because it ships with One UI 2.5 which has been out for existing models for quite some time now. Those considering the Galaxy S20 FE will be happy to know that Samsung has confirmed it will receive three major Android OS upgrades. Since it ships with Android 10, the Galaxy S20 FE will be supported until Android 13.

Camera

There’s only one camera that’s “new” here, because the Galaxy S20 FE uses the same 12-megapixel wide and 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensors as the Galaxy S20 and S20+. You can read our Galaxy S20+ review to find out more about these cameras. TL;DR: Crisp photos in daylight with great detail, brighter pictures in the dark with little noise.

The 8-megapixel f/2.4 telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and OIS is what demands our attention. In the preliminary tests we have conducted, there appears to be truth in Samsung’s claims of lossless 3x zoom. We don’t find any degradation in quality at 3x zoom compared to 1x. The Galaxy S20 FE is also capable of 30x “Space Zoom,” a fancy word for digital zoom. There’s sufficient detail in pictures taken at 30x so you can get some good use out of it.

Here’s one example of how 3x zoom maintains quality levels similar to a photo taken with the main camera:

← SLIDE →

A 32-megapixel selfie camera is also present. It works like most selfie cameras on Samsung phones. The colors pop nicely, the camera captures a good amount of detail but the processing is a bit aggressive so don’t be surprised if your skin appears to be unusually smooth. We’ll be taking a more in-depth look at these cameras in our full Galaxy S20 FE review so do check back for that.

Performance

Samsung is shipping the Galaxy S20 FE with the same chipsets found in the other S20 models. You will get the Snapdragon 865 in select markets and the Exynos 990 everywhere else. Both 4G and 5G models will be available. The processor is mated to 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage with support for microSD expansion.

It feels snappy, doesn’t get bogged down when playing resource-intensive games or multitasking and packs more than enough punch to handle everything you can throw at it. That’s one of the reasons why the Galaxy S20 FE is such a compelling option. It’s truly offering flagship-level performance at a reduced price.

Battery life

Samsung has placed a 4,500mAh battery inside the Galaxy S20 FE. This is exactly the same as the Galaxy S20+. Your mileage with it will be similar for the most part. Expect to go through the entire day with around 20 percent left. You can drop the display down to 60Hz if you want to extend it a bit more.

There’s support for 25W fast charging but unfortunately, Samsung is only shipping a 15W charger in the box. Expect the device to take just over an hour and some change to charge fully, at least if you buy the 25W charger separately for the faster speed.

Conclusion

It’s not difficult to understand why Samsung has launched the Galaxy S20 FE or why it’s saying that future flagships will get their own Fan Edition models. The company has been very mindful about what it cuts from the main flagship trio to end up with a model that feels just right for the price. The vibrant Cloud Navy, Mint, Lavender, Red, Orange and White color options also make it clear that this is aimed at the younger demographic.

At $699 for the base 5G model in the United States, the Galaxy S20 FE can do some serious damage to OnePlus’s market position. Samsung is going after customers that don’t want to pay top dollar for a flagship but would happily put money down if they felt they were getting a good enough deal for a lower price. They may find it hard to resist the Galaxy S20 FE.

That’s it for our Galaxy S20 FE hands-on. We’ll run the gauntlet with the phone and be back with our full review in the near future.

The post Samsung Galaxy S20 FE hands-on: Hard to resist for the price appeared first on SamMobile.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold – the first foldable tablet in the world – is finally available for pre-order. “Finally” because this device was tentatively announced back in May 2019 and was supposed to be out in the first half of this year. Anyway, it’s ready to ship out in the next few weeks. The X1 has a 13.3” display, an OLED panel with 4:3 aspect ratio and 2,048 x 1,536 px resolution. It boasts 300 nits brightness and 95% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut. This is much larger than Galaxy Z Fold2’s 7.6” display, a proper tablet though you can also think of it as an...

According to the latest rumors, Apple is going to announce its next-generation iPhones on October 13 and this one interesting report backs up these claims. Jon Prosser has had his fair share of Apple-related leaks in the past and they have proven mostly correct. He says that the first batch of iPhone 12s will arrive to distributors on October 5, just in time for the October 13 announcement. The first iPhones to hit the stores are going to be the iPhone mini, which is the 5.4-inch version and the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Max. Both are considered to be the budget offerings in the iPhone 12...

If you’re in the market for a new Galaxy S20 FE then you might want to look into Best Buy’s latest deal involving the Sprint/T-Mobile variant. The retailer is offering Sprint/T-Mobile’s Galaxy S20 FE for virtually $0. The phone would normally set you back $29.17 a month for 24 months for a total of $700. However, the carrier is now offering that monthly fee back to customers in the form of bill credit for 24 months, effectively bringing the phone’s price down to $0.

You’ll have to add a new line of service or open a new account with the carrier if you want to take advantage of this Best Buy deal, but otherwise there are no strings attached. The retailer offers the Galaxy S20 FE 5G with 128GB of storage and customers can choose from three color options including Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, and Cloud Navy.

For those of you who might not know this, Sprint and T-Mobile have completed their merger earlier this year, and for end users, this virtually means that when they buy the Galaxy S20 FE through this Best Buy deal they’re effectively signing up to a 2-year agreement with T-Mobile, which now incorporates Sprint. Likewise, customers are essentially taking advantage of the entire network infrastructure of both Sprint and T-Mobile.

The Galaxy S20 FE is already a very attractive value proposition even without the previous $70 discount from Samsung USA and the fact that various online retailers have already dropped the phone’s pre-order price by $100. As for the latest Best Buy deal, the Galaxy S20 FE is expected to ship to customers on October 2 and you can check the link below for more details..

• Check Best Buy’s offer for the Galaxy S20 FE

The post The Galaxy S20 FE can be yours for $0 with this Best Buy deal appeared first on SamMobile.

It’s been over six years since Samsung’s engineering awed the world by bending a modern capacitive touchscreen, which looked pretty cool next to a bunch of boring old flat screens. And yet flat screens ended up being much more timeless than their arching counterparts. Ever since that seminal Galaxy Note Edge, Samsung has essentially been reverting on that design direction. That anti-trend has actually been so consistent that it’s pretty amazing curved displays are still so well-represented at the very top of Samsung’s smartphone portfolio every single year.

Still, with the Edge display literally getting shallower on an annual basis, Samsung may just opt to cut it altogether as early as 2021. The recently introduced Galaxy Note 20 range is already halfway there, seeing how only the more expensive, Ultra-branded model features a Dynamic AMOLED panel curving around its longer edges.

Flat or not, 2021 Galaxy flagships won’t change the fact Edge displays peaked years ago

Likewise, even the Galaxy S20 family ended up expanding to a flat-display device with the newly launched Galaxy S20 Fan Edition. And it’s not like Samsung decided to waste a bunch of cash on mass-producing a fourth iteration of the same series. On the contrary, it would not have done anything such if even just one of those first three devices achieved meaningful success, i.e. had any sales traction left after the first few weeks on the market.

So, would you get behind that decision? Would you like us to send off the Edge display to retirement next year? Or are you among the rare few that still like this (relatively) unique selling point of Samsung’s top-end flagships? At least from a standpoint of aesthetics, seeing how the swipe-edge-for-shortcuts gesture is nowadays offered by every somewhat respectable manufacturer and LG? Perhaps you just like the plurality of device choices Samsung offers, even though you prefer your smartphones flat?

Let us know where you stand in today’s poll and do join the discussion in the comments as we try to figure out whether the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy S20 FE were the thin edge of the wedge, hinting at Samsung’s curved-edged displays fraying at the edges a bit too much, and falling over the edge of relevance… ok, I’ll shut up.

The post [Poll] Would you prefer a flat screen on your next Galaxy flagship? appeared first on SamMobile.

Rumors say OnePlus is ready to introduce another member in its Nord lineup but this time it will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 690. The Nord N10 5G will reportedly come in at $400 and will be available in the US. Now we have a teaser from the OnePlus Nord Instagram account for a certain incoming product. There’s not much more we can take away from the post but it should be about the upcoming budget phone launch. Previously, we saw a certification for the phone’s 18W charger. Past speculations have revealed the phone will come with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. View...

Tecno introduced three Camon 16 phones earlier this month – all of them high-fliers with a Helio G-series chipsets. An entry-level device will be added to the series soon and the Google Play Console has the first details. The Tecno Camon 16 S will be powered by the MediaTek Helio P22, a 12nm chipset from 2018 with eight Cortex-A53 cores (2.0 + 1.5 GHz) and a PowerVR GE8320 GPU (650 MHz). In this phone it is paired with 3GB of RAM and runs Android 10. Tecno Camon 16 S at the Google Play Console • Punch hole camera and front-facing flash The display has 720 x 1,600 px resolution...

Some early adopters of the Realme 7 and Realme Narzo 20 Pro that launched earlier this month, found a software issue, causing the screen to flicker and to register ghost touches. Now Realme is addressing that with an update, which also brings some extra goodies. Realme Narzo 20 Pro, sharing appearance with Realme 7 The package has version number RMX2151PU_11.A.53 and is 3.4 GB in size. It fixes the over-exposure bug when the front camera is facing a source of light. The update is already being seeded. If you have the phone and you aren’t receiving the package, check if the...

The one and only reason why the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition is happening is that the original three models from the series sold poorly. That’s according to a new report out of South Korea which today delivered multiple insider perspectives on the current state of the global smartphone market. And the industry consensus regarding the latest Galaxy flagship is that Samsung would not have bothered with repackaging the Galaxy S20 if the original series was successful.

Or, better said: was still successful. Because Samsung proved time and time again that if it has a widely successful lineup on its hands, it’s more than capable of maintaining its momentum in a cost-effective manner. Usually meaning a consistent influx of new color options combined with meticulously targeted and equally incessant sales. Which is how you could describe the first six to nine months of many flagships Samsung released in the past.

Will fourth time be the charm for the Galaxy S20 range?

Many, but not the Galaxy S20 series. Well, alright, the half a dozen “Fan Edition” color options are still happening. But a complete device rehash that the Galaxy S20 FE constitutes is anything but cost-effective; the most cost-effective thing would have been for Samsung to just continue selling its existing designs instead of respeccing production lines and devising an entirely new marketing campaign just to sell a smartphone sitting between the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ in terms of both price and capabilities..

But seeing how the Galaxy Note 20 isn’t exactly setting the world alight right now, Samsung is unsurprisingly turning to other methods of generating media buzz around its products. At least that’s how many insiders close to Samsung see things. And regardless of how accurate that interpretation may be, if catering to the overwhelming budget-conscious demographic in combination with the still-incredible BTS effect doesn’t help salvage the sales of the Galaxy S20 range, nothing short of a galaxy-brain moment will.

The post Galaxy S20 Fan Edition’s reason to exist may not be what you think appeared first on SamMobile.

Oppo Malaysia spilled details on the upcoming Oppo A93 which will debut on October 6 at 3PM local time (7AM UTC). We have some images to show us the design alongside the phone’s key specs which reveal it’s a rebranded Oppo F17 Pro aka Reno4 Lite or Reno 4F in Indonesia. Oppo A93 posters The posters show a pill-shaped cutout display on the front, four rear cameras and the same 7.48mm thickness as the Reno 4 Lite. The A93 will also launch with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage and will appear in a white gradient color. Ace your style with the Innovative imaging features of OPPO A93 - The...