Tech News

The Honor Band 6 that was announced in China last November and went on sale globally in March will debut in India soon. This confirmation comes from Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart, which set up a page for the smart band on its website. The Honor Band 6 packs a 1.47" AMOLED color touchscreen, which is 148% larger than its predecessor's display. It's covered with 2.5D curved glass and supports personalized watch faces. The Band 6 is water-resistant up to 50 meters and comes with the usual slew of health and fitness features, including heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen level...

Honor has announced that the Honor 50 series we've been hearing about since April will be officially unveiled on June 16 at an event in Shanghai, China. The company also posted a video on Weibo teasing the Honor 50 series. It doesn't divulge any specs of the lineup but gives us a glimpse of the dual-ring camera design. Honor is yet to reveal the entire specs sheet of the Honor 50 lineup, but the phone maker previously confirmed that the vanilla 50 will be powered by the Snapdragon 778G SoC. The Pro model could also be powered by the same chip, while the Pro+ variant -...

As Huawei prepares to hold its announcement event on Wednesday, one of the devices set to be announced at the event has allegedly leaked, revealing all the devices specs thanks to an alleged image of its packaging. Huawei will announce a refresh of the Huawei MatePad Pro lineup and there will be at least two versions. One of the MatePad Pro variants will have a 10.-inch display according to the leaked image. This will also be an IPS LCD panel with a resolution of 1260 x 1600px, 540 nits of brightness, and support for DCI-PC. We assume 12.6-inch version will come with a higher-end...

Samsung had unveiled earlier this year that it will bring AMD graphics to its flagship Exynos processors. However, the company had not revealed any time frame or details regarding the launch of its next flagship Exynos chipset. Now, AMD has confirmed some of those details during its Computex 2021 keynote event.

AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su made it official during the company’s Computex 2021 launch event today that the next flagship Exynos processor will include RDNA2 graphics. The brand-new GPU, which is coming to mobile devices for the first time, will include advanced features like ray tracing and variable rate shading to offer higher fidelity graphics and improved power efficiency. RDNA2 is AMD’s latest graphics architecture, and GPUs based on the technology are used in AMD’s 6000 series graphics cards, PS5, and the Xbox Series X|S.

Dr. Lisa Su said, “AMD has partnered with industry leader Samsung for several years to accelerate graphics innovation in the mobile market, and we are happy to announce that we will bring custom graphics IP (Intellectual Property) to Samsung’s next flagship mobile SoC (System on Chip) with ray tracing and variable rate shading capabilities.” It was announced that Samsung will reveal more details about the upcoming processor later this year.

Samsung’s Exynos processors have often been criticized for relatively weaker GPU and performance throttling. With AMD’s latest graphics coming in, we are expecting a significant bump up in gaming and general graphics performance in the next flagship Exynos processor. It is being rumored that the Exynos 2200 will be the first Samsung chip to feature the AMD GPU and that it will be used in both smartphones and laptops.

The post It’s official! Flagship Exynos chip with AMD RDNA2 GPU is coming later this year appeared first on SamMobile.

Samsung borrowed a page from its smartphone business this year and has created its first-ever Fan Edition tablet, called the Galaxy Tab S7 FE. It’s just as large as the Galaxy Tab S7+ and it comes with an S Pen as well as a very similar suite of productivity apps.

The Galaxy Tab S7 FE isn’t quite a flagship tablet killer, but when viewed next to the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, Samsung’s new tablet is a much more attractive proposition thanks to a combination of better software and hardware. The Lite variant is newer than the full-fledged Galaxy Tab S6, but it’s also not nearly as well equipped, which means it probably doesn’t have what it takes to remain a challenge to the newer Galaxy Tab S7 FE.

Galaxy Tab S7 FE vs Galaxy Tab S6 Lite: One TFT display is better

Both the Galaxy Tab S7 FE and the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite have TFT display technology, so they’re both inferior to Samsung’s other AMOLED tablets. At least in regards to the display.

Neither has a high refresh rate display, but the Galaxy Tab S7 FE takes advantage of a larger 12.4-inch panel, which should be a better fit for the included S Pen and accompanying productivity apps.

Finally, the Galaxy Tab S7 FE benefits from a higher display resolution of 2560 by 1600 pixels, whereas the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite’s TFT panel has a pixel count of 2,000 by 1,200.

Galaxy Tab S7 FE vs Galaxy Tab S6 Lite: Internal hardware

The two Galaxy tablets at hand have similar camera characteristics, including an 8MP main shooter and a 5MP selfie camera. Likewise, they both have dual stereo speakers tuned by AKG but only the older Lite model has a 3.5mm headphone jack. They both have a USB-C port, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, and Bluetooth 5.0.

Beyond these similarities, the Galaxy Tab S7 FE has better hardware in virtually every aspect. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 750G chipset whose performance surpasses than the Exynos 9611 in both CPU and GPU-intensive benchmarks, and by a considerable margin.

The Fan Edition model also has more RAM. Both tablets come with 64GB or 128GB of built-in storage, but the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is limited to 4GB of RAM in both cases. On the other hand, the Galaxy Tab S7 FE has 4GB as standard and 6GB for the beefier model, which should facilitate better multitasking.

The Galaxy Tab S7 FE has a larger 10,090mAh battery with support for 45W super-fast charging, whereas the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is equipped with a 7,040mAh battery with 15W charging.

Galaxy Tab S7 FE vs Galaxy Tab S6 Lite: Software and productivity

The Galaxy Tab S7 FE is a newer tablet that ships with Android 11 instead of Android 10, which means it will enjoy support for a longer time than the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite.

But aside from this obvious difference, the Galaxy Tab S7 FE also ships with a more powerful suite of productivity apps, such as Noteshelf, Clip Studio Paint, and a 30-day trial to Canva Pro. Up until now, this apps bundle was reserved for the Galaxy Tab S7 flagship series.

The new model supports Samsung DeX through a hardware connection, and it can be paired with an optional Keyboard Cover accessory to boosts on-the-go productivity further. It also features Second Screen and Multi-Active Window.

Galaxy Tab S7 FE vs Galaxy Tab S6 Lite: Design and Conclusion

There’s not much else to be said about these two tablets, except that the Fan Edition looks a tiny bit more modern thanks to squarer edges, the magnetic S Pen stripe across the back, thinner bezels, and the rectangular camera housing.

Samsung’s first Fan Edition tablet is superior to the company’s most recent Lite model in virtually every way. It’s faster, more powerful, and it delivers a more complete software experience. The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite was never a huge hit for Samsung, but now it looks like there’s one less reason for  Android tablet enthusiasts to care about the Lite-branded model.

Samsung is planning to release the Galaxy Tab S7 FE on pre-order terms on June 2. The tablet will ship to customers starting June 18. Samsung has also revealed pre-order prices, which are arguably a bit too high for a device of this caliber.

Galaxy Tab S7 FE

VS.

Galaxy Tab S6 Lite

Full comparison

General Information
Model name	Galaxy Tab S7 FE	Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
Model number	SM-T737	SM-P610
Model type	Tablet	Tablet
Color	Black (Black) Silver (Silver) Green (Green) Pink (Pink)	Gray (Gray) Pink (Pink) Blue (Blue)
Announced	2021, May	2020, April
Released	2021, May	2020, April
Physical Specifications
Dimensions	Tablet: 185 x 284.8 x 6.3 mm	Tablet: 244.5 x 154.3 x 7.0 mm
Weights	608g	465g
Operating System
Operating system	Android 11	Android 10
One UI version	3.1	2.1
Network
Networks	2G 3G 4G
Display
Kind	Main Display	Main Display
Name	Infinity Display
Technology	TFT	TFT
Size	12.4 inch / mm	10.4 inch / 264.16 mm
Resolution	WQXGA / 2560x1600 pixels	WUXGA+ / 2000x1200 pixels
Pixel density	244 PPI	224 PPI
Screen to body ratio	%	~81.6%
Memory
RAM/ROM sizes	4 GB RAM with 64 GB ROM 6 GB RAM with 128 GB ROM	4 GB RAM with 64 GB ROM 4 GB RAM with 128 GB ROM
Rear camera
Megapixels	8MP	8MP
Battery
Standard battery capacity	10090 mAh	7040 mAh
View full comparison »

The post Galaxy Tab S7 FE vs Galaxy Tab S6 Lite: Which tablet did it better? appeared first on SamMobile.

While the large iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) switched to a mini-LED display, the smaller models may go for OLED. Korean publication ETNews reports that Apple will make the jump with iPads coming out in 2022. Those will be the first Apple tablets not to use some kind of LCD (even mini-LED tech is LCD based). Samsung and LG are the likely suppliers of the OLED panels. They are currently working on OLED displays for the iPhone 13 (splitting the order 65/30 with BOE taking up a small 5% share). Image quality, weight and design were reportedly the key considerations in the decision to move away from...

The Galaxy Tab S7 FE is official but it’s not yet available for purchase, and while we will be preparing a full review in the future, we didn’t have any hands-on time with the tablet when it was unveiled last week behind closed doors.

Samsung did share a lot of information with us regarding the tablet, but between the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite, the Galaxy Tab S7 FE, and the numerous leaks that have preceded both tablets, we have erroneously reported on a couple of recent occasions that Samsung’s Fan Edition tablet is equipped with a 3.5mm audio port. That, however, is far from the truth.

The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is the only model of the two new tablets to have a 3.5mm headphone jack, whereas the Galaxy Tab S7 FE lacks one, just like the Galaxy S20 FE does.

The Galaxy Tab S7 FE doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack

Samsung did communicate the correct information, but we made an error when we thought that both tablets have this standard feature. They don’t.

SamMobile and I — the author of this article — wholeheartedly apologize to our readers for this error. I was responsible for relaying the correct information about the Galaxy Tab S7 FE to our readers, and although the information was otherwise correct, I made an error regarding a feature that many Samsung fans still consider to be very important to this day. Samsung is not to blame for this.

There’s not much else that can be said at this point, so we will leave you with a promise that we have never stopped striving for greatness, and we will use this mishap to improve the quality of our website and our content further.

Thank you for your understanding. Stay safe!

The post Does the Galaxy Tab S7 FE have a 3.5mm headphone jack? appeared first on SamMobile.

Last week, Redmi announced its AirDots 3 Pro with ANC, Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity and 28-hour battery life. New evidence from a Bluetooth SIG listing suggests the earbuds will be reintroduced under the Poco brand soon. We’ve already heard about Poco’s Pop Buds last year but the brand only confirmed the earphones’ name without any release plans. Poco Pop Buds and Redmi Buds 3 Pro listing The newly approved listing for the Poco Pop Buds bears the very same TWSEJ01ZM model number which matches the Redmi AirDots 3 Pro. In addition, we can see a third pair of earbuds in the listing...

Rumors over the past few months claimed Samsung would be ditching Tizen for its new smartwatches. The company apparently wanted to make Wear OS (Android) smartwatches again. This would have been a big decision for the company. Samsung did make Android-powered smartwatches in the past. However, it switched over to Tizen in 2014 and hasn’t looked back since. Until now.

Samsung confirmed two weeks ago that it’s dropping Tizen for its upcoming Galaxy Watch devices. It’s embarking on a new collaboration with Google to create a powerful platform for smartwatches simply called Wear. The confirmation came during Google’s annual I/O developers’ conference.

The messaging has been quite clear from the start. This isn’t Samsung conceding defeat, even if it may appear that way. All credit to Samsung for making Tizen a powerful platform for wearable devices.

With complete control over the software, Samsung built features and functionality that could best any Wear OS smartwatch. This also allowed for exceptional integration with Samsung smartphones.

Tizen only lagged in the app department. Despite Samsung selling millions of smartwatches every year, it wasn’t able to generate the kind of developer interest that Wear OS has. The company was the third biggest smartwatch brand in 2020, behind only Apple and Huawei. If you exclude Huawei’s considerable sales in China then no Wear OS smartwatch manufacturer even came close to the numbers that Samsung moved.

Google’s problem was that it didn’t have a major OEM partner for smartwatches, one with the kind of global brand recognition and access like Samsung. The cookie-cutter Wear OS watches from countless fashion brands just weren’t good enough. The clear lack of hardware innovation for its smartwatch platform meant that Google had to find a solution.

This is where the interests of Google and Samsung intersect. The two have come together to create a new unified platform for smartwatches called Wear. Google gets to put its operating system on some of the best smartwatches in the business. Samsung gets access to the vast Android developer ecosystem. It’s a win-win.

Samsung has also been able to extract a big concession from Google. While it hasn’t typically allowed OEMs to customize the look and feel of Wear OS like it does with Android, Samsung will slap One UI on top of its new Wear-powered smartwatches. Other OEMs will be able to use this platform as well so they benefit from Google’s relaxed rules too.

The next-generation Galaxy Watch models stand to benefit from this partnership. A standalone Google Maps version will be available, it won’t require your phone to function. A YouTube Music app will bring offline downloads with the feature also being supported on the Spotify app.

By partnering with Samsung, Google is able to bring its smartwatch platform out of the wilderness. The numbers that it was doing were fine enough. Samsung’s Tizen-based smartwatches were outselling Wear OS smartwatches simply because of the power of the Galaxy ecosystem. Yet it chose to come to Google’s rescue while also extracting some benefits on its own terms.

This isn’t a one-off event. Samsung has long contributed to the growth of Google’s software products. There’s no doubt that One UI makes Android better. Samsung has introduced features like system-wide dark mode and split screen long before they made it to Android. Even the latest Android 12 clearly takes inspiration from One UI.

Will this latest partnership for smartwatches repeat history? Samsung’s Bada-powered phones were doing quite well when the company decided to switch to Android entirely. Having Samsung onboard as an Android OEM has significantly boosted Android availability across the globe, particularly in the emerging markets where Samsung enjoys significant brand equity.

Ultimately, it’s the users that benefit from such collaborations. Samsung and Google’s close cooperation on smartphones has brought unique features to foldable devices. This unified Wear platform that they’re now working on will certainly advance the smartwatch cause. What do you get when you combine the power of Android with a Samsung smartwatch that retains its signature design elements, like a rotating bezel, and custom skin? A damn good product.

The post Samsung rescues Google once again by using Wear for smartwatches appeared first on SamMobile.

Apple has sent out an official email to podcast creators informing them that the recently announced Podcasts Subscriptions service will be delayed until June. There’s no specific launch date mentioned in the new email and the service was previously supposed to launch in May. Several issues forced the delayed launch including some podcast creators being locked out of Apple’s Podcasts Connect portal. Some authors also saw delays in the launch of their new podcast episodes. Apple Podcasts Subscriptions allows users from over 170 countries to subscribe to select podcasts with ad-free...

It turns out that we weren’t the only ones to experience issues with the Galaxy S21 camera app, and Samsung has now acknowledged the problem via the Members forums. As some of you might recall, we talked about the Galaxy S21 camera app being frustratingly laggy a few weeks ago, and we posted a video to prove it. Well, other users are experiencing the same problem, and Samsung has now addressed it.

According to a Samsung Members moderator, the company confirmed that camera lag becomes an issue when there is insufficient memory or computational resources in a specific path including portrait mode, but we’ve also experienced this problem in landscape mode.

In any case, Samsung is aware of the problem and it’s already fixing it.

Samsung to fix the problem with the next security patch

The forum moderator confirmed that Samsung will include the necessary fixes to address the Galaxy S21 camera lag issue with the June 2021 security patch.

Samsung hasn’t released the June security update outside of South Korea yet, but it should soon. The company usually brings new monthly security patches before other OEMs, but as always, the update’s availability will differ by region, with some markets receiving the update sooner than others.

Have you experienced any lag issues with the Galaxy S21 camera? If so, then stay tuned and we’ll keep you up to speed as soon as Samsung provides a fix in more regions. If not, then we now know the reason why some customers haven’t been affected. Their devices simply didn’t run out of memory or computational resources when capturing photos or videos, but that’s not to say it can never happen.

Samsung official statement regarding S21 camera app lags

We have confirmed that lag occurs when there is insufficient memory or computational resources in a specific path including portrait mode.
We will make it available by including a fix in the June SW Update.

JUNE??? 🥱 pic.twitter.com/ryLINUth80

— Tron ❂ (@FrontTron) May 31, 2021

Galaxy S21

• Model: SM-G991B
• Dimensions: Bar: 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm
  
• Display: 6.2 inch / 157.48 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Exynos 2100
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy S21+

• Model: SM-G996B
• Dimensions: Bar: 161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8 mm
  
• Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Exynos 2100
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy S21 Ultra

• Model: SM-G998B
• Dimensions: Bar: 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm
  
• Display: 6.8 inch / 172.72 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Exynos 2100
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

The post Galaxy S21 camera lag issues will be nuked soon appeared first on SamMobile.

The Realme GT 5G will soon be available in Thailand, as evidenced by its certification with the local NBTC authority. The certification of the RXM2202 is among the final steps towards making the phone available for local networks. The Realme GT 5G is coming soon to India as well, where Realme just unveiled the X7 Max 5G. The Realme GT is its namesake's flagship phone with a Snapdragon 888 chipset, up to 12GB of RAM, a 120Hz-capable 6.43-inch 1080p Super AMOLED, 64MP main camera and a 4,500mAh battery with 65W charging.

Vietnam is one of the unfortunate countries that have experienced a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases this month, and the local government is now asking foreign companies, including Samsung Electronics, to secure vaccines for their workers.

Bui Hoang Mai, head of the industrial park management board in the province of Bac Ninh, told Bloomberg over the phone that ‘the government is encouraging companies to find COVID-19 vaccines for their workers.’ A similar statement was made through the Vietnamese government’s website.

The authorities want the situation to be kept under control and for the tech factories to remain operational while the involved parties do what they must to contain the virus. Among other procedures, Bac Ninh authorities have reportedly ordered factories to set up sleeping arrangements for workers on-site.

The health ministry is doing its part and has confirmed that it has sent 200,000 vaccine doses to Bac Ninh as well as Bac Giang workers. These vaccines are to be administrated within a week.

Vietnam is where the majority of Samsung’s mobile products are made

Last week, Samsung announced that it began shipping 1 million Low Dead Space (LDS) syringes to India to increase the vaccine’s distribution and reduce waste by roughly 20%. They got shipped from South Korea, where Samsung is involved with improving the manufacturing yield of syringes and surgical masks through smart factory technologies.

It’s unclear how Samsung will want to tackle these challenges in Vietnam, or whether or not it has any plans for shipping LDS syringes to the country. More details should surface soon.

Samsung is the largest tech company in Vietnam, with its shipments of smartphones, displays, and other products accounting for roughly 25% of the country’s total exports. Vietnam is where the majority of Samsung’s mobile products are being made, with its factories in the Thai Nguyen province churning out smartphones, tablets, as well as wearable devices.

The post The Vietnamese government has asked Samsung to help finding vaccines appeared first on SamMobile.

Samsung has been the main supplier for Apple's iPhone displays for quite some time and thanks to the technological advancements of the Korean tech giant in the field, it was able to secure an order for about 80 million units once more. Or in other words, the expected 120Hz LTPO OLED panels for the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max will likely all be delivered by Samsung. It looks like the fast and energy-efficient LPTO OLEDs will make it to the high-end iPhone 13 models only. LG and BOE will fill up the rest of the orders for iPhone 13 and 13 mini OLED displays. LG Display is estimated to...

Another US carrier is pushing the Android 11-based One UI 3.1 firmware update to the Galaxy Tab S6. The tablet first got the update in March, and Verizon began distributing it earlier in May. Now, the Galaxy Tab S6 at Sprint is receiving a similar treatment as the carrier is rolling out the Android 11 firmware update for the 2019 flagship tablet model.

This is as big of an update as firmware updates get. One UI 3.1 introduces performance improvements as well as a new visual design with more consistent UI element sizes and better placement. Bixby Routines was improved and now comes with better lock screen widgets, and Digital Wellbeing has separate personal and work profiles.

Further customization options include animated call backgrounds. Conversations can now be seen separately in the notification panel.

Better photography and photo / video editing, and sharing

With Sprint’s Galaxy Tab S6 now being updated to Android 11 / One UI 3.1, users gain access to an improved Samsung Keyboard with added emoji and sticker suggestions, and a total of 370 input languages.

The tablet also enjoys better photography thanks to improved auto focus and auto exposure, while edited pictures can now be returned to their original versions at any time.

As for productivity, My Files now has an option to delete cache files, and users can now use the app to select cloud drive files.

Devices and media buttons were added to the notification panel, and Wi-Fi direct can no longer be used to send files to other devices, but instead, this functionality is available through Nearby Share.

Improved security and privacy options

Last but not least, the latest Galaxy Tab S6 firmware update improves the security of the device in a few ways. Samsung and Sprint have included the May 2021 security patch, and it introduces stronger privacy protection.

Users also now have the option of allowing an app to access the device’s camera, microphone, and / or location just one time, with these permissions being revoked if the app runs in the background for too long.

Sprint customers and Galaxy Tab S6 owners should be able to acquire the latest firmware update OTA (over the air) from the Settings app on the tablet. It can be identified by firmware version T867USQU4CUE1. Alternatively, you can download the latest firmware from our archive and install it on your tablet manually.

The post The Galaxy Tab S6 at Sprint is now joining the Android 11 / One UI 3.1 club appeared first on SamMobile.

Realme’s new Dizo sub-brand was described as having a focus on AIoT products, but apparently that includes featurephones too. And TWS earbuds and a smartwatch (though those are slightly redesigned Realme devices). FCC documents have photos of two feature phones. The Dizo Star 500 has a fairly large screen for what it is with a traditional keypad below. It is a dual-SIM phone with 2G connectivity (dual-band only), a single camera with flash, a microSD slot and a 1,830 mAh battery. Dizo Star 500 feature phone (photos by FCC) The Dizo Star 300 is a more basic device that...

OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro's cameras are good but still up there with the best and maybe even a bit underwhelming given the whole Hasselblad marketing campaign. The latest software update, however, aims to address some of the issues reviewers had with the camera performance. The changelog says that the noise reduction algorithm and the sharpening effect have been improved along with the focusing and brightness for indoor scenes. The accuracy of the white balance has also been adjusted. In addition to the camera fixes, the software boosts network performance and battery endurance. The...

One of Samsung's most affordable smartphones, the Galaxy A02s, is reportedly getting a successor with a number of upgrades. It's predictably going to be called Galaxy A03s and the leak includes detailed images and key specs. Samsung Galaxy A03s For starters, the handset will include a side-mounted fingerprint reader and a USB-C port at the bottom, which is a big deal since the predecessor didn't have a fingerprint reader at all and shipped with a dated microUSB. A 6.5-inch IPS LCD panel will cover the front with a small teardrop notch, where a 5MP camera will reside. The back...

The Charging wars are escalating yet again and Xiaomi is firing with 200W this time around. The brand took to Twitter to show off its latest fast wired and wireless charging developments. The test used a custom-built Mi 11 Pro with a 4,000 mAh battery instead of the 5,000 mAh cell on the regular model charging at 200W with wires and 120W without. Charge up to 100% in just 8 minutes using wired charging and 15 minutes wirelessly! #XiaomiHyperChargeToo good to be true? Check out the timer yourself! #InnovationForEveryone pic.twitter.com/muBTPkRchl— Xiaomi (@Xiaomi) May 31, 2021 The...

Earlier today, it was reported that Samsung Display has started making 120Hz LTPO OLED panels for the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 Pro. In addition to those, the South Korean display manufacturing giant could also supply OLED screens for some iPad models that are expected to be released next year.

According to a report from ETNews, Apple will switch from LCD and Mini-LED screens to OLED screens for some iPad models starting next year. Samsung Display has been supplying OLED screens for Apple Watches, iPhones, and even MacBook’s Touch Bar. Now, it is being expected that the South Korean display manufacturing giant will make OLED screens for next year’s iPads as well.

The companies have reportedly agreed on the production schedule and delivery of the screens. LG could also be one of the OLED screen suppliers for next year’s iPads. Apple is the world’s biggest tablet maker, and getting a contract to make screens for iPads would undoubtedly be a massive business for Samsung Display.

The 12.9-inch version of the iPad Pro released this year switched from LCD to Mini-LED display, offering brightness, contrast ratio, and deeper blacks. However, critical analysis has revealed that the Mini-LED display has a blooming problem in some scenarios. On the other hand, OLED screens don’t have the blooming issue due to their self-emissive pixels.

It is also being reported that all iPads released in 2023 could have OLED screens. It will result in more significant investments and faster innovation in the medium-sized OLED segment, and more brands could start using OLED screens for their tablets (and even laptops). Samsung Display has already launched OLED displays with a 90Hz refresh rate for laptops.

The post Samsung could supply OLED screens to Apple for next year’s iPads appeared first on SamMobile.

LG officially confirmed its exit from the mobile business in early April, but it needed some time to wind down operations. According to reports coming out of Korea today is the last day of production for LG phones and tablets. The company will continue to support existing devices for some time to come. Premium models will get three years of software support, you can check out the Android 11 update timeline for more details. Some models (including Q-series phones) will get Android 12, the latest premium models are expected to go up to Android 13. Users will be able to receive after-sale...

Even smartphones need their documents before they can travel abroad and the Realme GT 5G has them – the phone was certified for use within the EU by Dutch testing company Telefication. It is exactly RMX2202, the same model that launched in China. Previously, we reported that the Realme GT 5G is coming to Europe in June, but there was no way to tell if it was the same hardware as the Chinese model or a variant of it that bears the same name. Well, now we know that it’s the exact same hardware. The Realme GT 5G (RMX2202) is certified for use in the EU Highlights include the 6.43”...

Samsung has been under fierce competition from Apple and Xiaomi in the smartphone segment. The South Korean firm had just three devices in the list of top ten best-selling smartphones globally in terms of revenue. In developing markets like India, Samsung has dropped back to second place after Xiaomi, but there’s some good news.

The South Korean firm has seen its smartphone shipments rise in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) during Q1 2020. Samsung shipped 30.6 million Galaxy smartphones during the quarter, acquiring a 32.8% share of the market. That’s a growth of 34.7% compared to 22.7 million units it had shipped one year ago. In Q1 2020, Samsung’s market share in the EMEA region was 29.5%.

Xiaomi is catching up fast with Samsung, though. The Chinese smartphone brand shipped 14.4 million smartphones during the same period, and that’s a whopping 95.8% year-over-year growth. Transsion, which sells smartphones under brands like Tecno, Itel, and Infinix, had an impressive showing, too, shipping 14 million smartphones with year-over-year growth of 62.4%.

Apple, which shipped 13.3 million smartphones in the EMEA region during Q1 2021, had a 33.6% growth. That’s slightly slower when compared to Samsung, but Apple’s profit margins are way higher than any other brand. OPPO entered the top five rankings as it shipped 4.7 million smartphones during the first quarter of this year, showcasing a 62.3% year-over-year growth.

Samsung doesn’t have plans to launch a Galaxy Note series smartphone in the second half of this year, and it will be interesting to see if the company can continue to grow in Q3 and Q4 of 2021.

The post Samsung smartphone sales rise in Africa, Europe, Middle East in Q1 2021 appeared first on SamMobile.

Realme has officially unveiled the X7 Max 5G after several weeks of teasers and a delayed launch. The phone is identical to the recently launched GT Neo which is exclusive to the Chinese market. You get a Dimensity 1200 chipset (first in India), AMOLED screen and triple camera setup with a 64MP primary camera. In addition, Realme also announced a pair of new 4K Smart TVs. Realme X7 Max 5G The screen on the X7 Max 5G measures 6.43 inches and brings a 120Hz refresh rate and a 16MP selfie cam tucked in the left corner. The panel is protected by Dragontrail Glass and also packs an...

The international version of the Galaxy Z Flip 5G has already received the June 2021 security patch, but not all variants of the foldable phone have been so lucky. The Galaxy Z Flip 5G’s carrier-locked versions in the US have been stuck with the April 2021 security patch. Just one day before the start of June, the Sprint version of the phone has started receiving the May 2021 security update.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5G’s Sprint variant is now receiving a new software update with firmware version F707USQU2CUD9. It includes the May 2021 security patch along with the usual bug fixes and stability improvements. This security patch was first released to the unlocked variant of the Galaxy Z Flip 5G one month ago.

If you are a Galaxy Z Flip 5G user on Sprint’s network in the US, you might have received a notification regarding the new software. If not, you can check for the update manually by navigating to Settings » Software update and tapping on Download and install. AT&T, T-Mobile, and other carrier versions of the clamshell-style foldable phone could receive this security patch over the next few days.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5G was launched in August 2020 with Android 10 on board. It received the Android 11-based One UI 3.0 update five months ago and the One UI 3.1 update three months ago.

The post Sprint’s Galaxy Z Flip 5G finally gets the May 2021 security update appeared first on SamMobile.

Ever since Apple switched to OLED displays for its high-end iPhones in 2017, Samsung has been the company’s biggest OLED panel supplier. It was rumored last year that Apple might bring 120Hz displays with the iPhone 12 series, but that didn’t happen. It is now being reported that Samsung has already started making 120Hz OLED displays for the iPhone 13 series.

According to a report from TheElec, Samsung Display has started the mass production of OLED panels with a 120Hz refresh rate and LTPO technology for the iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro Max. The displays are being manufactured at the A3 Line inside the Asan plant. LG Display has started making LTPS OLED panels for the affordable iPhone 13 models (iPhone 13 Mini and iPhone 13). Samsung Display will produce 80 million OLED panels, while LG Display will manufacture 30 million OLED units.

Since the iPhone 12 and other older iPhones will continue to sell even after the launch of the iPhone 13 series later this year, Samsung will keep supplying OLED panels for those smartphones as well. In total, the South Korean firm will make 120 million OLED units for Apple this year. In comparison, LG Display will ship 50 million OLED panels for iPhones. BOE, the Chinese display maker, will play a small part by making 9 million OLED panels for Apple.

BOE, LG Display, and Samsung Display started producing OLED panels for upcoming iPhones one month earlier than last year, which means that the iPhone 13 could launch sooner than its predecessor did last year.

While all the smartphone brands switched to 120Hz displays last year, Apple appears to be 2-3 years late to the party. And that’s because the iPhone maker uses smaller capacity batteries than Android smartphones, and 120Hz displays consume more battery. Samsung’s LTPO OLED panels should offer better power efficiency, though, thanks to a variable refresh rate that can switch from as low as 10Hz to 120Hz.

The post Samsung starts making 120Hz LTPO OLED panels for iPhone 13 appeared first on SamMobile.

Realme will today expand its portfolio of X7 series smartphones with the X7 Max 5G. The company will introduce the smartphone through an online-only event, which will be streamed starting at 12:30PM IST (7AM UTC) on its official YouTube and Facebook accounts. You can follow it with us by tuning in to the stream below. Realme has already revealed the X7 Max 5G's design along with a few specs, including a Dimensity 1200 SoC, 120Hz FullHD+ Super AMOLED screen, 50W charging, and a triple camera setup on the back consisting of 64MP primary, 8MP ultrawide, and 2MP macro units. The X7 Max...

A few short-lived challenges aside, Xiaomi has been the most trending maker on our website for the past month, but this week its domination of our chart reaches new heights. The Chinese maker makes all of the seven most popular phones in our database for the past seven days, which is unprecedented in the entire history of the chart. On top we have the Redmi Note 10 Pro ahead of its non-Pro sibling as the Poco M3 Pro steps down to third. Yet another Poco phone follows with the X3 Pro, while the newly announced Redmi Note8 2021 takes fifth. We then have the Poco F3 and yet another...

Say hello to the freshly-arrived Sony Xperia 10 III. This is Sony's midrange offering and it's one that may look simple to a fault, but is in fact stacked with everything you'd need. Let's unbox it and take it from there. The retail experience is a bit of a letdown for a phone that costs £399/€429 at its pre-order. There's a USB cable, a 7.5W charger that feels straight out of 2008 and nothing else. A case would have been nice. But hey, Sony does bundle a free pair of Sony WH-CH710N noise cancelling headphones with a pre-order. The Sony Xperia 10 III doesn't make a memorable first...

It seems Samsung’s got a new ultra-cheap Galaxy A series handset in the works. It’s the Galaxy A03s, according to the folks over at 91Mobiles, and it’s a successor to last year’s Galaxy A02s, as you may have already guessed. We hadn’t heard anything about this phone until today, but we’re now getting both a look at its renders and some of its specs all at once.

The renders reveal a standard budget-minded design, with a plastic back and a 6.5-inch Infinity-V display with a notch. There’s a triple camera setup at the back, reportedly made up of a 13MP main camera and two 2MP sensors, likely ultra-wide and macro. For selfies, there’s said to be a 5MP front-facing camera. Basically, the camera setup is going to be exactly the same as that of the Galaxy A02s.

In fact, the only new stuff on this phone, at least that which is mentioned in today’s leak, is a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and a USB-C port. The Galaxy A02s lacked both of those features (yes, the microUSB port is still there on some phones), though their inclusion isn’t likely to make the Galaxy A03s incredibly — or at all — exciting for most customers.

The Galaxy A03s is going to be 9.5mm thick and measure 166.6 x 75.9 x 9.1mm. Details on the battery capacity, processor, and memory options haven’t been included in the leak, though if we were to wager a guess, we’d say the battery capacity probably isn’t going to get an upgrade. As for the processor, it remains to be seen whether Samsung will stick to using a Snapdragon chip (the A02s has the Snapdragon 450) or if it will switch to a MediaTek chip as it has been doing for many of its phones this year.

Launch and pricing information is also missing for now, but we should learn more in the coming weeks. We’ll let you know once anything new comes up, but in the meantime, enjoy the 360-degree video of the Galaxy A03s below.

The post Samsung’s next ultra-cheap Galaxy A series phone leaks, specs and all appeared first on SamMobile.

With another week in the books, let's recap and see which we're the biggest talking points. Oppo released an official roadmap for its ColorOS 11 release for the Indian market. The Find X2, F17 Pro, Reno4 Pro, Reno3 Pro, Reno10x Zoom, Reno2 F, Reno2 Z, Reno2, A52, F11, F11 Pro, F11 Pro Marvels Avengers Limited Edition, A9, and F15 have started receiving the stable version of ColorOS 11 and from May 26, the Oppo A5 2020 and A9 2020 have joined the rollout too. The Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro were once again a big focus during the week. The Pixel 6 will have a 50MP main camera and an...

The kooky Siemens SX1 had a McLaren limited edition, but other phone makers have partnered up with the racing brand too. That happened a few years later when carrier Vodafone signed on to be the title sponsor of the McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 team (the deal lasted from 2007 to 2013). Since it was the carrier calling the shots, it created a branding that was applied to several existing Samsung and Sharp phones to create limited editions for the 2007 championship. First up is the Samsung Z720 or to give its full name the “Vodafone McLaren Mercedes SGH-Z720M”. A tiny slider with a tiny...

The Reno6 series was unveiled earlier this week and while plans for a global rollout haven’t been announced yet, we wanted to get your opinion on whether Oppo is on the right track with the three new models. We’ll start from the top. Of the three, the Oppo Reno6 Pro+ gets the best screen, camera and chipset. More specifically, it has a 6.55” 90Hz AMOLED display (180Hz touch sampling) with 1080p+ resolution. The panel covers 100% of DCI-P3, supports HDR10+ and has a typical brightness of up to 800 nits (1,100 nits peak). It is guarded by Gorilla Glass 5. The main camera features the...

You can get a 5G phone on a budget, but how many people actually want a budget 5G phone? Judging by last week’s poll, there is a good number of people interested in the next-gen network technology, but the Poco M3 Pro is not necessarily their budget 5G phone of choice. Some already snatched one up during the early bird deal that knocked €20 off the price – in this segment, that is a significant discount. But now that the deal is over, people are holding off until the reviews come out. Others aren’t waiting, they have already settled on other 5G models that they like better. But it...

With over 3 million units shipped, the Poco M3 is clearly a success. Now before us stands the Poco M3 Pro and it wants to convince us that we need more speed in our lives and that the €30 premium is worth it. The vanilla M3 was equipped with a lovely display for the price segment, the Pro model adds 90Hz refresh rate to the mix. This new panel seems brighter too, so this could be one of the better parts of the phone. The M3 Pro is still capped at 18W charging • Card tray for 2 SIMs and 1 microSD The Dimensity 700 is a 7nm chip, compared to the older 11 nm Snapdragon 662 inside...

Realme's May 31 India event is just a few hours away and will definitely feature the announcement of the Realme X7 Max 5G, as well as a couple of new Realme Smart TV 4K models - a 43 and a 50-inch one. That bit was already known from the teaser poster alone. Along with support for Dolby Cinema and a voice assistant of some sorts. Realme Smart TV 4K poster Expanding on that, a new leak offers some additional, even if vague specs. Apparently both TVs will use 4K panels with 178-degree field of view, 1.07 billion colors and built-in Chroma Boost and Picture Engine optimization....

Twitter is apparently looking into implementing richer reaction option on its platform. The insider info comes courtesy of Jane Manchun Wong - the same researcher that has recently been tipping the internet about other Twitter features, like its verification program, Tip Jar and “Blue” paid subscription. There is even a glimpse of how these new reactions might look like. Currently only the "Hmm" and "Haha" reactions have proper icons. "Cheer" and "Sad" just use the "Like" icon. Twitter is working on Tweet Reactions view:“Likes”, “Cheer”, “Hmm”, “Sad”, “Haha”The icons for the Cheer and Sad...

The Realme C25s, also known as the RMX3195, has been making certification rounds for a couple of weeks now, bagging an NBTC certification and then one from Russia's EEC. Both, unfortunately, with little to no information on hardware. Thankfully, a new source now seems to have the entire scoop on the Realme C25s. The Phone is expected to start selling in China on June 12 for $170. That gets you a 6.5-inch 1600 x 720 pixel LCD display, with an advertised 570 cd/m2 of peak brightness and an 8MP selfie, housed inside a teardrop notch. Around back - a 48MP main camera and a pair of...

Twitter has paused its new account verification program after just over a week of relaunching it, the reason being it received more requests than it anticipated, and now the micro-blogging platform needs time to review those before it can accept any new requests. Twitter doesn't tell us when exactly it will start accepting new requests, but it promises to "reopen requests soon". We’re rolling in verification requests. So we gotta hit pause on accepting any more for now while we review the ones that have been submitted.We’ll reopen requests soon! (we pinky swear)— Twitter Verified...

Fancy yourself as a Samsung superfan? Take our quiz and see how many answers you can get right! This is a fun activity that we do with our readers every week to test their knowledge of the Korean giant. The quiz has a mix of easy and difficult questions that most fans should be able to answer without turning to Google.

We make a new quiz for you every weekend so we hope that you’ll participate and learn a thing or two about Samsung in the process! Don’t forget to share the results of the quiz with your friends and see if you can outscore them. A little competition never hurt anybody!

Remember, if the quiz isn’t loading properly, please access the non-AMP version of this webpage.

The post Weekly SamMobile Quiz 75 – Come test your Samsung knowledge! appeared first on SamMobile.

The Exynos 2100 may not be a disaster like the Exynos 990, but many people still want to be able to buy the Snapdragon 888 variant of the Galaxy S21 smartphones. That isn’t surprising, as Qualcomm’s chip continues to lead in important parameters such as power efficiency. That desire for the Snapdragon processors is likely to continue to be a thing going forward, and today, the next Snapdragon chip that many Samsung fans will drool over has emerged online.

Like last year, Qualcomm is preparing a Plus variant of its flagship 2021 Snapdragon chip. The Snapdragon 888+ is expected to power major Android flagships in the second half of this year. It’s likely to be the brains behind Samsung’s upcoming foldable devices — the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 — and the Galaxy Tab S8 tablet lineup as well. The 888+ was spotted on the Geekbench website, revealing a slightly higher clock speed for its fastest core. The X1 performance core on the 888 runs at 2.8GHz, while the 888+ has it clocked at 3GHz.

The Snapdragon 888+ will likely power Samsung’s 2021 foldables

The scores in the single and multi-core test seem to be similar to that of the 888, which was also the case for the Snapdragon 865 and Snapdragon 865+ last year. The main attraction of the 865+ was faster GPU performance, and that will probably be the theme with the 888+. However, specs for the Snapdragon 888+ are mostly a mystery at this point, so we will have to wait and see exactly how it will be better than its non-Plus cousin.

What about Samsung’s Exynos line? Is there a slightly upgraded Exynos 2100 in the works? Well, it probably isn’t, as Samsung used the Exynos 990 all through last year instead of bringing out an improved version (much to everyone’s annoyance). But more importantly, Samsung isn’t launching a new Note flagship this year. The foldable phones will get all the spotlight, and the company’s foldables up to this point have been powered by a Snapdragon chip everywhere. The same goes for its flagship tablet lineup (at least in recent years).

Add to that the chip shortage that has gripped the industry owing to the pandemic, and we likely won’t see Samsung bringing out Exynos variants of its foldables this year. As for that highly anticipated Exynos processor with an AMD GPU, it seems that will first debut in a laptop and won’t be seen on a Galaxy phone this year. All of it is speculation and hearsay at this time, though, so we can’t claim to be certain of anything before some concrete information surfaces online.

The post Samsung fans’ next favorite Snapdragon chip gets benchmarked appeared first on SamMobile.

The Snapdragon 888-powered Realme GT 5G unveiled in March in China will arrive in Europe soon. It was also supposed to debut in India in early May as a part of the company's 3rd-anniversary celebration, but that didn't happen. And while we don't have an exact date of the GT 5G's India debut yet, Realme's Indian branch has revealed the smartphone will be introduced in the country soon. This revelation comes via a page set up by Realme on its Indian site for the Making 5G Global virtual summit it is holding on June 3. The page includes the Realme 8 5G, Narzo 30 Pro 5G, and X7 5G that are...

Huawei's HarmonyOS is right around the corner at this point, with an official unveiling event set for June 2. The Chinese giant has major plans for its Android alternative, with a goal to have it running on 300 million devices by the end of the year. Some part of that massive figure will surely come from brand new device sales. For one, Huawei has been posting teasers for the June 2 event with hints for the upcoming MatePad Pro 2, as well as the Huawei Watch 3 - both slated to be among the first to run HarmonyOS out of the box. A large part of the effort will, however, be focused on...

Sony's next flagship wireless buds have been on our radar for some time now. And thanks to a recent massive leak, we already had a pretty good idea what to expect. Now we get a clearer picture, still, thanks to an official promo video that recently leaked. It goes over all of the major features of the WF-1000XM4 buds. The buds have a brand new custom V1 processor, as well as new drivers. Active noise cancelling should be better than ever, thanks to an internal and external dual feedback noise reduction module. Among other things, the video showcases a speak-to-chat feature, as well...

Realme has announced the Realme UI 2.0 early access program for the Realme V15 5G that was launched in China in January with Android 10-based Realme UI. It's unclear when exactly the V15 5G will receive the stable build of Android 11-based Realme UI 2.0, but those who can't wait to get a taste of Realme's latest custom Android skin can participate in the Realme UI 2.0 early access program by heading to the Settings > Software Update menu on their V15 5G, tap on the Settings icon in the top-right corner, then on Trial Version, and then on Apply Now. Once the required details are...

Shortly after OnePlus teased its newest Nord device, a report by Android Central outlines some of the upcoming OnePlus Nord CE 5G’s specs. According to the author’s sources, the Nord CE will be powered by the Snapdragon 750G chipset, a slight step below the first generation Nord’s Snapdragon 765G. Other reported specs reveal a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate, identical to the one already on the OnePlus Nord. OnePlus Nord (2020) In the camera department, the Nord CE 5G will have a 64MP main camera, and two secondary cameras. The front facing camera may be a 16MP...

In April, Apple announced that its update to its Podcasts app would freshen things up for both listeners and creators alike. The new “Podcast Subscriptions” service allows listeners to sign up for freemium or paid podcast shows as posted by creators. Apple Podcast Subscriptions tiers (Source: Apple) In an email sent to creators, and a statement to The Verge, Apple acknowledges that some of the changes it made weren’t well received and is taking feedback from iOS 14.6 into account for a future update. It also plans to update the ‘Library’ interface of the Podcasts app “in the...

Samsung's high-end Galaxy S smartphones come in threes these days, and it looks like 2021 is the year when the flagship tablet lineup will mirror that logic. According to a huge leak out of Korea, we should expect three Galaxy Tab S8 devices this year - probably launching at some point during the summer. The vanilla Galaxy Tab S8 has an 11" 120Hz LCD touchscreen, a dual rear camera system (13 MP + 5 MP), an 8 MP front-facing camera, a side-mounted fingerprint reader, 8GB of RAM with 128 or 256GB of storage, quad speakers, an S Pen, and an 8,000 mAh battery with 45W charging. It's 6.3mm...

Huawei has been using the invites for its HarmonyOS event to tease upcoming products – first the Huawei Watch 3, then a new M-Pencil for the upcoming MatePad Pro 2 tablet and now the Huawei P50 series. The latest invite shows two circular camera bumps seen at an angle. We have seen these bumps several times before in leaked renders and hands-on photos. They are supposed to house an impressive Sony IMX800 1” sensor, however, the trade sanctions and the delays they brought have caused Huawei to lose some of its thunder. For one, Sharp already announced a phone with a 1” sensor,...

It seems Oppo is finally ready to offer a successor to last year’s Oppo Watch. The brand took to Weibo to tease its Watch 2 series. The official teaser hints at longer battery life and an announcement scheduled for the second half of this year. A separate leak from a Chinese tipster offers more in-depth information about the upcoming Watch 2 series. We should expect two sizes just like last year’s models with 42mm and 46mm diameters both powered by the Snapdragon Wear 4100 platform alongside a custom Apollo 4s secondary chipset. The Watch 2 series is expected to offer ColorOS for...

The Samsung Galaxy Buds2, which are reportedly in mass production as we speak, have just undergone the FCC trial, further confirming they are ready for the store shelves. The FCC listing gives us a full glimpse of the buds themselves, as well as a detailed look at the case's specs. Despite coming in as replacements for the Galaxy Buds/Buds+ line of TWS earbuds, the Galaxy Buds2 look more akin to Galaxy Buds Pro with their bulbous outer shell and the lack of wingtips. They appear to have two mics - an inner and outer one - an IR sensor for wear detection (so they can pause music when you...

Samsung’s software support keeps finding new ways to shine. From pushing future security patches ahead of time to promising three generations of OS updates for many devices, the Korean giant is doing all it can to show customers that it cares about them after they have paid for the hardware. In the latest such move, Samsung has released yet another new update for the Galaxy Note 8, nearly four years after it hit retail shelves.

And this isn’t just a standard security update. Well, at least judging by the firmware version (N950FXXUFDUE4), which suggests the update includes more than just security enhancements, though Samsung doesn’t go into detail in the changelog. But considering how this update comes so long after the Galaxy Note 8 stopped getting big updates, there likely is something important in there. Oh, and you also get the May 2021 security patch.

The update is currently limited to Germany. Since the phone is in Samsung’s quarterly release schedule, it’s hard to say when other countries will join the party. It could be today, it could be next week, or it could be in a couple of months – it all depends on when your Note 8 last received an update. Speaking of last updates, Samsung is likely to remove the Note 8 from the quarterly schedule before the end of the year, seeing as how that recently became the Galaxy S8’s fate.

As usual, you can check if the latest update is available for your phone by opening its Settings app, selecting Software update, and tapping the download option. You can also go the alternative route and download the new firmware for your device model and country from our firmware archive and install it using a Windows PC.

The post Galaxy Note 8 gets new update with more than security fixes in tow appeared first on SamMobile.

Asus has been doing a lot of work on its new flagships in the weeks after their release – there’s yet another update for the new Zenfone 8 and Zenfone 8 Flip. A few other phones got some attention as well, with a fairly substantial update for the ROG Phone 5. The new flagships got another bump in camera quality, this time paired with a call quality improvement. The smaller Zenfone 8 also gained VoLTE support for three European carriers. The 8 is now up to firmware version 30.11.51.50, the 8 Flip went up to 30.11.55.43. Asus Zenfone 8 and 8 Flip Optimized Phone call quality ...