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Samsung had announced its extended partnership with Google during the unveiling of the Galaxy S21 series, making several Google services a native part of One UI. Google Discover Feed is readily available as an alternative to Samsung Free on devices running One UI 3.1, while Google Messages can be installed from the Play Store and run as a native app. Now, Google’s Android 11 smart home menu has appeared in One UI.

With the launch of One UI 3.0, Samsung had introduced its own SmartThings-based smart home control menu in One UI. However, with One UI 3.1, the company has expanded it to include smart home controls for Google Assistant-compatible devices. In the Quick Settings menu, you can access smart home controls by tapping on the ‘Devices’ button and then choosing Google Home from the dropdown menu. You can easily switch between Google Home and SmartThings controls from the quick settings menu.

In comparison, Google’s Pixel phones house smart home controls in the power menu, which can be accessed by long-pressing the power button. Samsung also seems to have disabled one-tap controls to turn on and off smart home devices. You would have to tap again on each device’s name to bring up its own menu.

These smart home controls are currently limited to devices running One UI 3.1, which means they are available on the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, Galaxy S21 Ultra, Galaxy Tab S7, and the Galaxy Tab S7+. We expect the new feature to be rolled out with One UI 3.1 to more devices in the coming weeks.

The post Samsung brings Android 11’s smart home controls to One UI 3.1 appeared first on SamMobile.

Xiaomi released the Mi 11 flagship in the final days of 2020 and rumors are pointing to two more phones joining the family - Mi 11 Lite and Mi 11 Pro. The first one is expected to be slightly less powerful and cheaper, and a leakster revealed some of the specs it might have. According to the Chinese source, the Mi 11 Lite will have an OLED screen with a punch hole for one selfie camera, a Qualcomm SM7350 chipset, 64 MP main cam, and 5x zoom. Previously leaked Mi 11 Lite renders without a periscope lens Each of these features looks interesting - first of all, there is no SM7350...

The Galaxy S21 Ultra has the most versatile smartphone camera on the market right now. Thanks to its dual-telephoto cameras (3x zoom and 10x zoom) and the Zoom Lock feature, it is well-equipped to take clear images of faraway subjects. However, some consumers and experts have expressed doubts over its ability to take real photos of the moon. It was being alleged that Samsung is using AI trickery to fake images of the moon, similar to what Huawei did a couple of years ago with the P30 Pro.

The conspiracy was that Samsung is slapping a texture of the moon onto anything that resembles it. So, Raymond Wong from InputMag decided to investigate those claims by talking to experts and comparing the images of the moon shot using the Galaxy S21 Ultra and a $4,800 camera rig. He talked to some tech reviewers, including Michael Fisher (a.k.a MrMobile), Danny Winget, Dave Lee (Dave2D), Max Weinbach, and Brian Tong.

Easy to Show. Tried it just now. Here: Even if you take an unsharp/messy photo of something that looks like a moon it snaps a moon(ish) texture on it. simple as that. No magic hardware just clever software (combination), huawei did same year ago. pic.twitter.com/BmVhUPnq8v

— Alexi Bexi (@alextv) January 21, 2021

Dave Lee suggested that the images could be fake or at least optically enhanced beyond reality. He said, “I think if it is fake, they’re doing some higher-level stuff than Huawei.” Michael Fisher tried to trick the Galaxy S21 Ultra into thinking that a golf ball placed against a black background is the moon and checked if the phone is adding moon textures over it. Wong tried to do the same using a clove of garlic and taking a 100x shot. However, the Galaxy S21 Ultra didn’t turn those objects into a moon by adding textures.

Max Weinbach tried to search the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s camera APK to see if it had textures of the moon, but nothing turned up. Brian Tong said, “I don’t think the S21 Ultra is making up textures that it adds on top of the Moon. Adding textures seems way too aggressive. I could understand AI maybe filling in the blanks to a certain degree.”

$1,200 Galaxy S21 Ultra vs $4,800 Sony A7R III: Who took better shots of the moon?

After receiving mixed opinions from the experts, Wong figured that the only way to prove what was going on is to compare the Galaxy S21 Ultra with a mirrorless camera and a long-range zoom lens. He captured an image of the moon with the Sony ASR III, which had a $2,000 200-600mm lens attached to it. The patterned lines and textures lined up between the shots of the two devices. Moreover, even after cleaning up the image from the mirrorless camera and then sharpening it in Adobe Lightroom, the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s image turned out to be better.

In the end, it was proven that Samsung isn’t faking photos of the moon, but there was a lot of software processing going on in the background. In fact, the Galaxy S21 Ultra shot better images of the moon than the Sony mirrorless camera that costs thrice as much as the smartphone. Even in our review of the Galaxy S21 Ultra, we managed to capture some impressive images of the moon in the day and the night.

You can read more on this subject and how Samsung is using AI to improve its 100x Space Zoom so that it can capture such excellent shots of the moon in the detailed article on InputMag by clicking the source link below the article.

What do you think about the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s camera and its AI optimization techniques? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post Is Samsung faking moon photos with Galaxy S21 Ultra’s 100x Space Zoom? appeared first on SamMobile.

The demand for affordable laptops and tablets was through the roof during 2020, thanks to the pandemic. Samsung managed to ship close to 10 million Galaxy Tab devices in Q4 2020 and over 31 million tablets over the course of the whole year. Now, the South Korean tech giant’s Chromebook shipment numbers have been published.

The company managed to ship a million Chromebook devices in Q4 2020 according to market research firm Canalys. That’s a staggering 6.3x growth compared to Q4 2019. In all of 2020, Samsung managed to ship close to 2 million Chrome OS laptops, which is a 4x growth compared to 2019.

Although the South Korean firm had the highest growth in the global Chromebook market, it still has a lot of room to grow. HP was the biggest Chromebook brand in 2020 with 9.4 million shipments and a 31% market share. Lenovo shipped 6.8 million Chromebooks and acquired a 22% share of the market. Dell (15% market share) and Acer (14% market share) were ranked third and fourth, respectively, with shipments of 4.6 million and 4.3 million.

Samsung launched the Galaxy Chromebook last year, and it was the first Chrome OS-powered laptop with a 4K AMOLED screen. The company had also launched two affordable Chromebooks—Chromebook 4 and Chromebook 4+—a few months prior to that. It recently unveiled the Galaxy Chromebook 2, the first Chromebook in the world with a QLED screen. The new laptop also features improved battery life compared to the original Galaxy Chromebook.

The post Samsung’s Chromebook shipments grew 4x in 2020, driven by the pandemic appeared first on SamMobile.

Week four saw the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra at the top of our trending chart once more, but we've got a somewhat surprising silver medalist. The Sony Xperia Pro is more of a professional tool than a phone, but its market launch still got people talking about it. The Xiaomi Mi 11 retains its third spot, while the Poco M3 actually went up a position and captured fourth.. This leaves the Galaxy S21 as the big loser from this week's shuffle dropping three spots and sitting all the way down in fifth. Behind it is its humble stablemate, the Galaxy A12, while the iPhone 12 Pro broke its string of...

Welcome to another week's recap. The biggest story of the fourth week of 2021 was the unveil of the Oppo A55 5G in China. Based around a Dimensity 700 chipset, 6.5-inch HD+ IPS LCD and a 5,000mAh battery. It costs CNY 1,599 (about $245/€200) in China and we expect it to launch globally soon. Xiaomi closed off the week with something truly unbelievable. Mi Air Charge technology promises to be able to wirelessly charge a phone from a distance of "several meters". Providing up to 5W to multiple devices while you're using them, walking around or even when there are objects in the way. The...

Motorola hasn't exactly been leading the pack on timely update delivery lately. In fact, some users are still waiting on Android 10 builds. However, things might be looking up, at least for owners of the Moto G Pro. There is already an official Android 11 update seeding to units in the UK. In fact, as per the official update portal the company set-up in a fairly-recent effort to try and assist faster and more transparent delivery, the particular package has been available since January 21! It's only now coming to our attention, though, since nobody really made any fuss on the...

In the previous Flashback post we mentioned that Ericsson produced a special Coca-Cola edition phone. And this was years before the Pepsi phone, mind you. But we won’t just focus on beverage-branded phones today, instead we’ll go for general weirdness. Here are some more weird phones from unexpected brands. The phone with a sweet tooth Launched at the end of 2000, a year after the “unflavored” model became available, the Ericsson A1018s Coca-Cola special edition arrived in the UK. This wasn’t available to just anyone, oh no, you had to earn it. And by “earn it” we mean that you had...

For many, headphones are an inseparable companion to their phone. However, headphones come in all shapes and sizes and we were curious which kind is your favorite. Smartphone makers have been pushing True Wireless (TWS) headsets, but are they really the best option? Over-ear headphones are hard to beat in terms of sound quality. They are also great at keeping distracting noise at bay, even without active noise cancellation. And they have the best battery life to boot. However, their size and weight means they are not the most practical choice for many use...

LG released the Android 11 beta build for the Velvet 5G last month, and it seems the testing has gone smooth as the company has released the stable update of Android 11 for the smartphone. The Android 11 stable build is currently seeding in South Korea for the Velvet 5G - model LM-G900N. The firmware has software version G900N2C and requires a download of around 2.2GB. LG Velvet 5G Android 11 stable update We don't have a complete changelog of the update, but you can expect it to bring redesigned UI and the usual set of Android 11 goodies to the LG Velvet 5G. If you live in...

Over 70% of people who voted in last week’s poll are interested in the vivo X60 Pro+ – that’s a very positive result, considering that some recent flagships have struggled to excite would-be buyers. The appeal of the Pro+ is concentrated in the camera and vivo knows it. The ZEISS logo, as small as it is, stands out on the black camera bump and you’ll see it on every promotional poster. vivo’s posts on social media are focused on promoting the phone’s camera prowess as well. Check out these photos of of glow-worms taken in the Ruakuri Cave in New Zealand. The vivo X60 and X60 Pro will...

The Poco M3 was introduced last November with 4GB RAM and two storage options - 64GB (UFS 2.1) and 128GB (UFS 2.2). However, the smartphone made it to Indonesia last week with a 6GB RAM option in addition to the 4GB variant. The Poco M3 will debut in India on February 2, and going by the wording in one of Poco's recent tweets, it appears the smartphone will come in a single 6GB RAM option in the country. There won't be a 4GB RAM model. More is never enough. Until it comes to our RAM. #POCOM3 arriving with 6GB RAM only in India.Mark the date: 2nd Feb @ 12PM on @Flipkart:...

We finally got our hands on the Galaxy S21+ to complete our Galaxy S21 lineup and we've started work on its review. But in the meantime, let's size it up to its peers. Before we get to side-by-sides, here's a short unboxing - you get the phone, a SIM tool and a USB-C to USB-C cable. If you want the recommended 25W charger, you'll need to pay an extra €20 for it. What's in the box and what's not The Galaxy S21+ is the middle-sized option in the Galaxy S21 series. Its display is 0.5 inches bigger than that of the Galaxy S21 and its battery is a 800mAh larger. We can confirm...

Saying that the Xiaomi Mi A3 has had bad luck with its software updates would honestly be an understatement. Granted, the Chinese giant has historically struggled a bit more on its Android One device software in general, but even by those standard the whopping four attempts it took to bring Android 10 to the Mi A3 are a bit much. They have now been followed-up a no-less-than three Android 11 builds in quick succession. At the very end of last year, Mi A3 users got their first Android 11 OTA, with many quickly reporting that it bricked their devices. That prompted a quick halt in...

Straight off the bat, we don’t have any live photos or official images of the next Galaxy Z Fold as of yet. This render is probably the next best thing, though, since Ben Geskin is known for his quality work in the field and does appear to have based his design on most of the leaked information we already have on the alleged Z Fold3. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 render In no particular order, one of the first things that pops-out here is the distinctive camera island design, clearly lifted straight from the Galaxy S21 Ultra. This is actually a pretty fair guess to make, since Samsung...

Realme today opened the Realme UI 2.0 early access program for six smartphones in India - Realme 6, Realme C12, Realme C15, Realme X2, Realme X3, and Realme X3 SuperZoom. Realme UI 2.0 is based on Android 11, and those interested in getting a taste of it can apply for the early access program by heading to the Settings > Software Update menu on their smartphone, click on the gear icon in the top-right corner of the screen, then on Trial version, and then submit the required information. After you've completed these steps and your application is accepted, you'll receive an OTA on...

Cupertino's interest in the electric car business has been a constant presence in the rumor mill for a good few years now. Earlier this month Korean giant Hyundai actually put out a tentative statement that it is in ongoing talks with Apple on the matter, only to quickly scramble to alter the information multiple times. Nothing out of the ordinary, really, given Apple's track record of extreme secrecy on projects and products. One thing became clear from those events, however - that Hyundai Motor Co Group has at least some insight into the matter. We can only assume that prompted...

The ongoing Xiaomi/US saga is quickly escalating. If you haven't been following it closely, basically one of the swan songs of Trump's government was to designate Xiaomi as a “Communist Chinese military company”. A title that would qualify it to fall under the administration's Executive Order from November that bars American securities and investment companies from putting capital in said companies. What being on the list currently entails in more practical terms is that if the decision stands all American institutional investors in Xiaomi would be forced to withdraw holdings in...

We know Black Shark will soon unveil the Black Shark 4 as the company has already kicked off its teaser campaign. And while we don't have an announcement date yet, the Black Shark 4 has been certified by China's TENAA, moving it a step closer to the launch. The TENAA listing of Black Shark 4 sporting model code SHARK KSR-A0 reveals the smartphone will run Android 11 and pack a 6.67" screen, which according to Google Play Console, has a 2400x1080-pixel resolution. Black Shark 4 on TENAA (machine translated from Chinese) The Chinese certifying authority also lists the battery with...

The latest gaming flagship from Asus inches closer to announcement as the phone passes through China’s TENAA revealing some key specifications and a couple of images of the incoming phone. The ROG Phone 5 (tentative name) with model number I005DA will be powered by the Snapdragon 888 chipset and come with a 6,000 mAh battery. This battery will consist of two 3,000 mAh batteries, hinting at some super-fast charging speeds, possibly for a 65W charger which was also mentioned in the phone’s 3C certification. The triple cameras will consist of a 64MP main camera and the backside of...

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has two telephoto cameras, one is a 3X zoom and the other is a 10X zoom. Working with the phone’s AI, the S21 Ultra can capture a digitally enhanced photo of the moon’s surface. The conspiracy was that Samsung was able to apply a texture of the moon to anything that resembled it. Samsung denied this and explained that the camera’s AI Super Resolution takes multiple frames of the moon and assembles a more detailed final image. Easy to Show. Tried it just now. Here: Even if you take an unsharp/messy photo of something that looks like a moon it snaps a moon(ish)...

Never settle? When it comes to updates for carrier-branded devices, OnePlus is more like Sometimes settle. Or even - Always settle. We're talking about how long it takes carrier versions of its handsets to receive big new Android updates. Case in point, the OnePlus 8. Unlocked units have been bathing in the glory of Android 11 since mid-October. And yet, if you bought one from Verizon or T-Mobile, the rollout has only started today, more than three months later. That's... something. But hey, it's better than nothing. So if you have a OnePlus 8 on Verizon or T-Mobile, it may be time...

Remember when people went on trips? For fun? Yeah, those were the days. Samsung seems either unaware of the ongoing global pandemic and the measures taken by most Western governments to deal with it by restricting traveling, or wants you to forget about all that and just picture yourself on an epic trip. That's the theme of the company's latest TV ad for the Galaxy S21 and S21+, which just became available in stores today. The main focus (pardon the easy pun) is on the cameras, with 8K video recording being mentioned among many other things. Curiously though, at one point the ad...

Oppo just opened up the Android 11 beta program for three of its phones - the Reno2 F, the Reno 10x Zoom and the Oppo F15. However, this applies only to the Indian variants but will soon be available to other regions as well. Also, the registration for Reno2 F users has already ended. The Android 11 beta comes with ColorOS 11 on top and you can enroll your device by going to Settings > Software Update > Settings again and then "Trial version". It's simple as that. After you've filled out the form, you will be able to upgrade to the beta version of the software. Via

Two new Weibo posts about ZTE's upcoming Axon 30 Pro hint that the phone might come with Samsung's yet-to-be-announced 200MP S5KGND sensor. The information comes from a Chinese tipster and an official ZTE representative. First, let's go through ZTE's official post. It says that the handset will feature a Snapdragon 888 chipset, which isn't really a surprise, but the text stresses the new Spectra 580 ISP and the fact that it supports 200MP cameras. Why would he mention that? He also boasted the handset's ability to take low-light photos in extremely dark conditions - as low as 0.1...

Telegram v7.4.0 is now making its way to users across Android and iOS and it brings the option to migrate chat history from other messaging apps like WhatsApp, Line and KakaoTalk. This move comes after WhatsApp’s controversial privacy policy change to share user data with Facebook which led millions of users to jump ship and switch to other platforms like Telegram. The new chat transfer feature works for both individual and group chats. Move your message history from apps like WhatsApp, Line and KakaoTalk to Telegram. https://t.co/PediepRhyt pic.twitter.com/VPeuilGt2T— Telegram Messenger...

After a successful launch in China, the Xiaomi Mi 11 is ready to go global – that will happen on February 8. There’s no official word on the Mi 11 Pro (or Mi 11 Lite for that matter) yet, though. But that doesn’t mean the phone is coming alone to the party, it will arrive hand-in-hand with the global announcement of MIUI 12.5. Xiaomi will announce the exact details of Mi 11’s international rollout at the event, which starts at 12PM UTC. So far Spain seems to be the only country confirmed to get it, but other EU countries with Mi stores also seem like safe bet. The exact price will...

Samsung launches its Galaxy S21 series today, and as is tradition, the new flagships got a new rendition of the “Over the Horizon” ringtone. The melody went through many changes since its introduction with the Galaxy S II back in 2011, and this year’s variant is a reflection of what we endured in 2020. The piece was created and performed by pianist and composer Yiruma, who wanted to “give users a sense of comfort and familiarity.” Check out the full track below: Samsung has also posted a short Making of video, showcasing how Yiruma composed the new piece that actually sounds like...

Exactly two weeks after it kicked in pre-orders, Samsung opened regular sales for its brand new Galaxy S21 series in over 60 countries across Asia, Europe and North America. Availability will grow to 130 countries by the end of February. Those who preordered their new Galaxy flagships will start receiving their phones today. You can head this way for a detailed comparison of all three models. Check out the table below for the base prices of all three models in major markets. Country Galaxy S21 Galaxy S21+ Galaxy S21 Ultra...

Xiaomi is working on the Black Shark 4 gaming phone, and the device has just appeared on Google Play Console with some key specs. The phone is codenamed Kaiser (the German word for emperor) and will have 8GB RAM and Android 11 out of the box. Xiaomi Black Shark 4 on Google Play Console The listing also revealed the Black Shark 4 would have Full HD+ resolution with a 20:9 ratio. While this is hardly a surprise, the listed chipset is listed as Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, which is clearly a mistake. That's also confirmed by the phone's AnTuTu score of nearly 800,000. We might lack...

Samsung is getting ready to unleash a handful of new low-to-mid-range Galaxy smartphones, and support pages for five new models have already gone live in various regions. Samsung India’s portal now includes support pages for the Galaxy F12 and the Galaxy F62, indicating that the two new devices that were supposedly developed in collaboration with Flipkart will be released soon.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy A52 5G support page went live in Austria, whereas the Galaxy M02 and the Galaxy A72 have received support pages in Thailand and the Caribbean, respectively. All of this means that Samsung is gearing up to release these smartphones soon, though time will tell exactly when it will happen.

As for availability, the Galaxy F12 and Galaxy F62 will most likely remain exclusive to India but Galaxy A / Galaxy M-labeled variants with similar specs could land in additional markets. As for the other Galaxy A and Galaxy M models that have received support pages, you can be certain that they’ll enjoy a wider release.

Samsung’s mid-range portfolio has gained more popularity last year as shifts in the economic landscape led to fewer flagship sales. With the Galaxy S21 series now available for purchase, Samsung can focus on its non-flagship offerings for a few good months until the next Unpacked event takes place. We’ll review most of these upcoming devices once they hit the shelves so stay tuned.

The post Samsung’s gearing up to unleash five new Galaxy phones on the market appeared first on SamMobile.

Samsung’s foldable smartphone experiments will soon extend to at least two novel form factors based on rollable and slidable designs. The tech giant confirmed the said plans indirectly earlier today. I.e., its sister company Samsung Display did.

Samsung Display’s tech was at the heart of every foldable Galaxy smartphone released to date. It should hence come as no surprise that this trend will continue moving forward. After all, it’s not like third-party suppliers are lining up to pitch their own solutions for turning flexible screens from a futuristic concept into a mass-market reality to Samsung.

And even if they were, Samsung is pretty much the only game in the foldable mobile town right now. Imagine saying that two years ago, when the Galaxy Fold was rushed to the market just so Samsung could secure the bragging rights of releasing history’s first foldable smartphone.

Are the Galaxy Z Fold and/or Flip in danger of discontinuation?

And while the display R&D focus is now shifting to other form factors, neither the Galaxy Z Fold nor the Galaxy Z Flip series is likely to get canned anytime soon. Moving forward, Samsung is still expected to launch four foldable smartphones in 2021.

The envelope-pushing refresh rates of the last few generations of Galaxy flagships will be fully embraced by the company’s growing portfolio of bendable devices, Samsung Display said during today’s investor conference.

The post Samsung confirms rollable, slidable smartphones are coming appeared first on SamMobile.

A lot of business took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Samsung has a reason to be happy. Thanks to social distancing norms around the world and a sharp rise in demand for work-from-home and remote learning tools, Samsung saw increased profits in Q3 and Q4 2020. The South Korean tech giant shipped not only memory and storage chips for PCs, laptops, and servers, but also millions of tablets during the pandemic.

Samsung managed to sell close to 10 million (9.9 million to be exact) Galaxy Tab devices globally during Q4 2020, coming in as the second-biggest tablet brand in the world. The company’s tablet market share was 19% during the quarter, and that’s a 40% growth compared to Q4 2019. Apple was the biggest tablet vendor during the same quarter, with a market share of 36% and shipments of 19.2 million iPads. Amazon shipped 6.5 million Fire tablets and acquired a 12% share of the market. Lenovo and Huawei shipped 5.6 million and 3.5 million tablets, respectively.

Over the course of the complete year, Samsung shipped 31 million tablets in 2020. The company’s market share was 19%, a healthy 40% improvement compared to 2019. Apple shipped 58.8 million iPads last year, grabbing a market share of 37%. Huawei, Amazon, and Lenovo’s shipments stood at 16.3 million, 15.9 million, and 14.2 million, respectively, during 2020. From the looks of it, all brands selling tablets benefitted from the pandemic due to the unusually high demand for devices that help in remote learning.

Samsung launched various tablets last year, including high-end ones like the Galaxy Tab S7 and the Galaxy Tab S7+, and affordable ones like the Galaxy Tab A7 (2020). The South Korean firm is the only brand that can rival Apple in the tablet segment and puts in real effort in making the Android experience better for tablets with its One UI software.

The post Samsung shipped close to 10 million tablets in Q4 2020 appeared first on SamMobile.

The Realme 7 series in Europe includes three smartphones - Realme 7, Realme 7 5G, and Realme 7 Pro. Today the company added a fourth member to the lineup as it introduced the Realme 7i in the Old Continent. However, the Realme 7i arrived in Europe is not the same as the one announced last year in India and a few other Asian countries. The European 7i is actually a rebranded Narzo 20. That means the Realme 7i in Europe comes with a Helio G85 SoC, 6.5" HD+ screen, and a 6,000 mAh battery with 18W charging. Realme 7i (Europe) • Realme Narzo 20 For photography, the 7i has a...

Apple is reportedly working on 1TB versions of the upcoming iPhone 13 – actually, the iPhone 12S, says leakster Jon Prosser. Current Apple phones top out at 512GB, have done so since the XS generation from 2018. The new model is still very much in the prototype stage of development. And some prototypes of the Pro models have 1 TB of memory built in – the cap for the vanilla models is, as usual, lower. Storage aside, Prosser quotes a source who stated that the iPhone 12S/13 will have a smaller notch – but not that this means smaller height, not smaller width as you may have hoped (fair...

The unusual times we live in today pushed customers towards PC, notebook, and tablet purchases for education and entertainment. According to the latest report by Canalys, manufacturers shipped 52.8 million tablets in Q4 2020 - the highest amount ever. The analysis also revealed Chromebook sales went through the roof, with 11.2 million shipments in Q4 2020 and 30.7 million for the calendar year. That’s almost two-fold increase over 2019 when makers shipped only 14.7 million units. Shipments / Company Q4 2019(in million) Q4 2020(in million) Change 2019(in...

Exactly two weeks after it kicked in pre-orders, Samsung opened regular sales for its brand new Galaxy S21 series in over 60 countries across Asia, Europe and North America. Availability will grow to 130 countries by the end of February. Those who preordered their new Galaxy flagships will start receiving their phones today. You can head this way for a detailed comparison of all three models. Check out the table below for the base prices of all three models in major markets. Country Galaxy S21 Galaxy S21+ Galaxy S21 Ultra...

Every year Apple makes a special short film to commemorate the Chinese New Year and every year it's "Shot on iPhone". This year the film is shot on the iPhone 12 Pro Max, but just like before Apple notes that additional hardware and software was used. The film itself is a nice heartwarming tale about a girl and the mythical Nian creature, which according to Chinese folklore is a beast that lives in the Sea or Mountains and comes out at the beginning of the Chinese New Year to feed on people and animals. Here's the entire 12 minute clip. And as usual Apple posted another clip for...

An Oppo device with model designation CPH2203 was certified by Singapore's IMDA about two weeks ago, which we now know is the Oppo A94 as the smartphone has bagged NBTC certification. The Thai certifying authority reveals the A94 will be a 4G smartphone, but other than that, it doesn't divulge anything. Oppo A94 certified by Thailand's NBTC However, the A94 has also been certified by China's CQC, revealing 30W charging in the process. Oppo A94 certified by China's CQC We also saw CPH2205 on Geekbench with a Helio P95 SoC, 6GB RAM, and Android 11, which is believed to be...

Only four months after officially announcing the One UI 3.0 update, Samsung already brought its custom Android 11 implementation to quite a few of its Galaxy devices. At least compared to the pace of its Android 10-based One UI 2.x deployment efforts which have been ongoing until this very month. And assuming we’re counting Android 11 beta builds, which we are.

As Samsung is expected to begin ramping up the development and release of various One UI 3.0 iterations, this is a fine time for us to start keeping detailed tabs on that endeavor. This would primarily constitute tracking the exact lineups and models that have already been updated, as well as the order in which that happened.

We will be updating this list on a regular basis, so feel free to bookmark it if you’re eager to embrace Samsung’s latest mobile OS ASAP. Our definition of that term is about to change soon, anyway, seeing how the One UI 3.1 update is right around the corner.

In case your device isn’t on the following list just yet, here is when you can expect the Android 11 party to start on your end. Keep in mind that releases usually take at least several weeks before going fully global, with the possible exception of Samsung’s foldable smartphones.

With that said, you can download the latest system images from our firmware archives almost as soon as Samsung makes them available.

Galaxy devices that have received Android 11/One UI 3.x update

• Galaxy Z Fold 2
• Galaxy S20 series
• Galaxy Note 20 series
• Galaxy S20 FE
• Galaxy Z Flip LTE/5G
• Galaxy S10 Lite
• Galaxy Note 10 series
• Galaxy S10 series
• Galaxy Fold
• Galaxy M31
• Galaxy Tab S7/S7+
• Galaxy F41
• Galaxy M21

The post [List] Galaxy devices that have received Android 11/One UI 3.0 update appeared first on SamMobile.

The Meizu 17 series was unveiled last May, but we may see the company introduce its successors earlier this year since the Meizu 18 has appeared in a new hands-on video. The clip shows the Meizu 18 with an all-screen front. The smartphone has slim bezels, and we don't see the selfie camera, meaning it's likely under the screen. However, Meizu won't be the first brand to bring an in-display camera smartphone to the market. That honor goes to ZTE for its Axon 20 5G. You can read our ZTE Axon 20 5G review to learn all about it. Details are scarce about the Meizu 18 right now,...

Motorola has introduced its understanding of how devices should charge wirelessly from a distance, just after Xiaomi introduced Mi Air Charge. The technology by the Lenovo subsidiary can charge from a one-meter distance, provided nothing stands in the way between the charger and the device. According to the official video, two Motorola Edge phones (likely modified for the test) are placed in a standing position 80 cm and 100 cm away from the charger, respectively. They immediately start to fill up the battery, but once a person places his hand on the charger, the process stops. Here’s...

Galaxy S21 pre-order customers may have been feeling like time was slowing down on them but it’s only been a couple of weeks since the flagship series was unveiled at Unpacked 2021. Now the waiting is over, as today — January 29 — is the day when Samsung starts shipping the latest flagship phones to customers.

Meanwhile, those who haven’t pre-ordered the Galaxy S21 can now purchase the phone outright from Samsung’s online shop as well as partner retailers and carriers. Buyers can no longer take advantage of early adopter benefits, so anyone who might want to use the new Galaxy SmartTag will have to buy one separately.

How much does the Galaxy S21 series cost?

The Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra are available for purchase beginning today and prices will differ more or less according to each region. In major markets, the base model costs $799 / €849 / £769 while the Galaxy S21+ has a price tag of $999 / €1,049 / £949. The top-tier Galaxy S21 Ultra which we recently reviewed is priced at $1,199 / €1,249 / £1,149.

As a quick reminder — or newsflash if you’ve been living under a rock, which could be true for most of us given how 2020 went — the Galaxy S21 series no longer ships with a pair of wired earbuds and a wall charger in the box. These accessories can be purchased separately along with a ton of others. There are numerous cases to choose from and for the first time in the history of the Galaxy S series, there’s an S Pen accessory designed specifically for the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

You can refer to the links below for key Galaxy S21 news and resources, and readers who have already acquired the latest flagship are more than welcomed to share their first impressions in the comment section below.

• Galaxy S21 Ultra review.
• Galaxy SmartTag review.
• Full list of first-party Galaxy S21 accessories.
• Galaxy S21 firmware.
• Galaxy S21+ firmware.
• Galaxy S21 Ultra firmware.

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 It’s finally happening: The Galaxy S21 flagship series goes on sale today appeared first on SamMobile.

The Galaxy S21 series was unveiled a couple of weeks ago during the Galaxy Unpacked 2021 virtual event, and the new phones are going on sale worldwide starting today. Now, Samsung is making sure that the phones are fully ready out of the box for its customers.

Samsung’s latest flagship smartphones—Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra—have now received HDR certification from Netflix. This means users can enjoy watching their favorite movies and TV shows in HD resolution and HDR10 profile for an immersive experience. However, users need to be subscribed to Netflix’s Premium plan, which costs $18 per month, to watch HDR videos.

The Galaxy S21 has a 6.2-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-O display, while the Galaxy S21+ sports a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-O display. Both phones feature Full HD+ resolution, HDR10+ certification, up to 1,300 nits peak brightness, and up to 120Hz variable refresh rate. The Galaxy S21 Ultra has a 6.8-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-O display with QHD+ resolution, HDR10+, up to 1,500 nits peak brightness, and up to 120Hz variable refresh rate.

Galaxy S20

• Model: SM-G980F
• Dimensions: Bar: 151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9 mm
  
• Display: 6.2 inch / 157.48 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Exynos 990
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy S20+

• Model: SM-G985F
• Dimensions: Bar: 161.9 x 73.7 x 7.8 mm
  
• Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Exynos 990
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G

• Model: SM-G988B
• Dimensions: Bar: 166.9 x 76.0 x 8.8 mm
  
• Display: 6.9 inch / 175.26 mm Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• CPU: Exynos 990
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

The post Galaxy S21 series receives HDR certification from Netflix appeared first on SamMobile.