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Samsung

❤ Samsung Galaxy S10e

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The Samsung Galaxy S10e is like a breath of fresh air in a world of behemoth smartphones with enormous displays. To be honest, we didn’t expect Samsung or any other manufacturer for that matter to release a compact flagship. Especially since even Sony dropped their compact lineup. But here it is – a small flagship phone for a little less than you’d expect from a normal flagship these days.

 

 

 

 

 

It’s nice to see Samsung keeping most of the high-end features in this little guy but for around €700, some corners had to be cut. For starters, you don’t get the telephoto lens, the bezels are a tad thicker and the under-display fingerprint has moved to the side frame. If you are willing to live without those, than the Galaxy S10e might be the right choice for you out of all three phones Galaxy S10s.

 

 

 

 

Samsung Galaxy S10e specs

  • Body: 142.2 x 69.9 x 7.9 mm, 150 grams, metal side frame, Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back.
  • Screen: 5.8″ Dynamic AMOLED, 1080 x 2280px resolution; 19:9 aspect ratio; ~438 ppi.
  • Chipset: Exynos 9820 Octa (8nm) chipset: octa-core CPU ((2×2.73 GHz Mongoose M4 & 2×2.31 GHz Cortex-A75 & 4×1.95 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G76 MP12 GPU.
  • Memory: 6GB RAM, 128GB built-in storage, microSD slot support.
  • OS: One UI based on Android 9.0 Pie.
  • Rear camera: 12MP f/1.5-2.4, 1.4µm, 1/2.55″, PDAF support, OIS + 16MP f/2.2, ultra-wide 104µm, LED flash; 1080p@30/60/240fps, 4K@30/60fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+ support.
  • Front camera: 10MP f/1.9, up to 2160p@30fps video recording.
  • Battery: 3,100mAh, adaptive fast charging 15W (9V/1.67A).
  • Connectivity: Single-SIM, Dual-SIM available in certain markets (hybrid slot); LTE-A, 7-Band carrier aggregation, Cat.20/13 (2Gbps/150Mbps); USB Type-C (v3.1); Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac/ax MU-MIMO; GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo; NFC; Bluetooth 5.0.
  • Misc: Stereo loudspeakers, wireless charging, reverse wireless charging, IP68 rating dust and water protection.

But don’t mistake the Galaxy S10e for an upper-mid-range device. It’s still a flagship phone with a corresponding price tag although, a lot lower than the S10 or S10+ for that matter. You still get the flawless screen experience – as long as you don’t mind the punch-hole camera – the great camera, powerful Exynos 9820 (or the Snapdragon 855 depending on your region) and tons of proprietary Samsung features.

Unboxing the Samsung Galaxy S10e

Unfortunately, we didn’t get a retail unit so the phone didn’t come in its original box. However, we did receive the proper charger supporting fast charging output of 15W. We also got the AKG-branded buds, which sound great, by the way. It seems that all three Galaxies come with those AKGs. Kudos for that.

 

 

 

 

The competition

Competition in the mid-range might be tough, but the high-end segment has its difficulties too. And the Galaxy S10e doesn’t make it easier for some as well. We can even say it’s a rare beast to some extent – it’s one of the few compact flagships and it doesn’t break the bank too. To be honest, it was quite hard for us to think of adequate competitors, aside from the iPhone XR, which is the main rival here.

However, the Galaxy S10e fills a couple of niches – it’s a decently-priced compact flagship with the essential high-end features at hand. Almost all of its competitors are more expensive but let’s start with the most obvious one.

 

 

 

 

Samsung‘s answer to the “budget” iPhone XR is definitely the Galaxy S10e. Of course, the iPhone XR is a tad more expensive than the S10e in the US but asks considerably more in Europe or other parts of the world. But if you’ve reached a point where you have to decide between the iPhone XR and the Galaxy S10e, you probably don’t have a single clue on how big your phone should be. Both handsets look similar, but once you hold them in your hand, the Galaxy S10e just feels tiny. Mostly because of the skinny bezels. It’s just way easier to handle.

Battery life on the XR is about the same and raw performance is measurably higher, but that’s all. The S10e impresses with one the best in class AMOLED displays, it has a pretty good ultra-wide camera, while the iPhone XR relies on one unit, and the Galaxy S10e still offers the option to unlock it with a fingerprint. And when you weigh in the factor of ever-declining Android prices, the gap between the Galaxy S10e and the iPhone XR will just grow bigger over time. One would argue that if the iPhone XR is in your price range, the Galaxy S10 is actually the better choice.

 

 

Apple iPhone XR • Samsung Galaxy S10

 

 

But if you are strictly in the Android camp, or more specifically, in Samsung‘s party tent, you should consider the Galaxy S10. The price difference is around €100 (or slightly more depending on your region), but you get the fancy in-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader, a third telephoto camera and a bigger and curvier display.

 

 

 

 

For a little less, Xiaomi has two offers that can go under the “affordable flagship” label – the recently released Xiaomi Mi 9 and last year’s crowd favorite – the Pocophone F1. The Mi 9, despite being bigger in size and considerably less expensive, is closer to the Galaxy S10e than you’d think – a premium build, great AMOLED screen, long battery life, heavily-customized UI and powerful up to date hardware.

 

 

Xiaomi Mi 9 • Xiaomi Pocophone F1 • Google Pixel 3

 

 

 

And as for the Pocophone F1, it’s the definition of “affordable flagship.” Although still rocking a Snapdragon 845, it can do almost everything the S10e can but lacks the sharp AMOLED screen and the excellent camera experience. But for the less pretentious users, the Pocophone F1 will save you a couple of hundred dollars.

 

 

 

 

If you are one of the old-school users looking for something new, and compactness is on the top of your list, you should also consider the Pixel 3 – a powerful stock Android alternative to the Galaxy S10e and depending on the current Google promotions, it can be less expensive or slightly above the Galaxy S10e. There’s also a big “if” with availability – Pixel availability is notoriously limited. But if all is good and you are willing to go with the Pixel, you should consider the bare bones Android experience and the single-camera module. That doesn’t mean it can’t do awesome shots, though.

Verdict

Surely, there are better value propositions from flagship phones, but the Galaxy S10e packs the latest and greatest and it’s easy to handle with one hand. It has one of the best screens in the industry combined with a stellar camera experience, tons of cool software and hardware features and it’s still rocking that beloved 3.5mm audio jack. It’s one of the most feature-complete flagship devices out there, but there are a couple of things you’d have to deal with.

For example, the One UI might not be to everyone’s taste – it’s heavily-customized, and the navigation has changed a lot since the last Samsung UX iterations, and the high fingerprint reader placement requires too much of a thumb stretch. Even for a phone with this size, unlocking the handset using the side-mounted scanner feels like a chore.

 

 

 

 

Speaking of displacement, the punch-hole camera is an OCD-inducing design choice. Also, we still think that the hole is better off in the left corner, like the Honor View 20. We are still unsure how screen cutouts are any better than a notch, but we guess we are a step closer to full-screen design with sensors and cameras under the display.

And what’s with the ancient fast charging Samsung? Every other phone maker offers a more advanced fast charging system, regardless of whether proprietary or not.

 

 

 

 

So this phone is not without its shortcomings. But do we recommend the Galaxy S10e? In a heartbeat. We see it becoming one of the best value high-end smartphones shortly, once the price starts to drop. As long as you don’t care about those over-the-top fancy features like the in-display fingerprint reader, the Galaxy S10e could be your trusty sidekick for years ahead.

Pros

  • One of the few compact flagships out there.
  • Impeccable build quality, premium materials, great colors.
  • Outstanding display.
  • Stellar camera experience with a few minor exceptions.
  • Decent battery life, better than the Galaxy S10

Cons

  • Fingerprint reader is placed inconveniently high.
  • The ultra-wide angle camera needs autofocus.
  • The camera Night mode is lackluster.
  • Samsung’s fast charging tech is not competitive in speed.

❤ Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G

Galaxy Expert , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

 

Ultra – that’s where you end up when you one-up your usual Plus. In other words, Samsung‘s outdone itself this year and has gone above and beyond its S20+ to give us the Galaxy S20 Ultra.

 

 

 

 

 

Leading the spring-time roster this year, the Ultra marks a shift compared to the 2019 lineup. Where last year we had the similar in most ways S10 and S10+, and then the S10e positioned below them, this time around there’s a model above the mainstream S20 and S20+ – the new moniker makes all the sense then.

 

 

 

 

And it’s ultra alright. Sure, it’s got an even bigger display and packs a larger battery with faster charging than the other S20s, plus you can have it with up to a ridiculous 16GB of RAM, while the non-Ultras top out at a modest 12GB. But that’s not it.

It’s the camera – likely the most extraordinarily all-out setup we’ve seen to date. The primary cam uses a sizeable 108MP sensor which combines 9 tiny pixels into one big one with processing designed to make use of the extra data being gathered – Nonacell as Samsung calls it.

 

 

 

 

Then there’s the telephoto shooter – it’s got an unmatched combination of a big 48MP imager and a periscope lens offering 4x optical zoom over the main. Samsung has ‘100X space zoom’ branding on the back of the phone and we’ll be sure to check by just how much it misses the moon, but in any case it’s a spectacularly impressive tele camera on paper.

The ultra wide isn’t quite there. While it is a new unit with a big sensor and large pixels, it’s still missing a vital part of what makes a truly good camera – autofocus.

Over on the front, there’s yet another ultra camera touch – Samsung‘s fitted a 40MP selfie module to set it apart from the so familiar 10MP units on the regular S20s. It’s going to be one lengthy camera section.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G

  • Body: 166.9×76.0x8.8mm, 222g (220g for the non-5G); curved Gorilla Glass 6 front and back, metal frame; IP68 rating; Cosmic Grey, Cosmic Black color schemes.
  • Screen: 6.9″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 1440x3200px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 511ppi; 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sensing; HDR10+ support.
  • Chipset (market dependent): Exynos 990 (7nm+): Octa-core (2×2.73 GHz Mongoose M5 & 2×2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G77 MP11. Snapdragon 865 (7nm+): Octa-core CPU (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 585 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 585 & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 585); Adreno 650 GPU.
  • Memory: 12/16GB RAM, 128/256/512GB built-in UFS 3.0 storage, shared microSD slot.
  • OS/Software: Android 10, One UI 2.1.
  • Rear camera: Wide (main): 108MP, 1/1.33″ sensor, 0.8µm pixel size, 26mm equiv. focal length (79° FoV), f/1.8 aperture, PDAF, OIS. Telephoto: 48MP, 1/2.0″, 0.8µm, 103mm periscope lens (24° FoV), f/3.5, PDAF, OIS. Ultra wide angle: 12MP, 1/2.6″, 1.4µm, 12mm (123° FoV), f/2.2, fixed focus. ToF: 0.3MP, f/1.0.
  • Front camera: 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm, PDAF.
  • Video recording: Rear camera: 8K 4320p@24fps, 4K 2160p@30/60fps, FullHD 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps. Front camera: 4K 2160p@30/60fps, FullHD 1080p@30/60fps.
  • Battery: 5,000mAh, 45W fast charging support over Power Delivery 3.0 (25W charger supplied in the box).
  • Misc: Fast Qi/PMA wireless charging 15W; Power bank/Reverse wireless charging 9W; Ultra-sonic under-display fingerprint reader; NFC; FM radio (USA & Canada only); Stereo loudspeakers; Samsung DeX support (desktop experience).

Mind you, we’re reviewing the 5G version of the Galaxy S20 Ultra, while an LTE-only variant will apparently also be in existence. It’s not a hugely important distinction for the purposes of this review, as we have little along the lines of 5G networks in our neck of the woods anyway. We’ll be omitting the ‘5G’ for the remainder of the article. Another clarification due here is that we’re reviewing the Exynos version of the handset, as is typically the case.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G unboxing

The Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G ships in what’s become the standard Samsung box for high-end models – black, not very flashy at all. The visuals have changed slightly and now there’s an outline of the phone on the lid, with the ‘S20‘ so big it spills over to the sides.

 

 

 

 

 

Inside, there are few surprises. You get the 25W charger as opposed to the 45W one, even though the phone supports the higher wattage, and there’s a USB-C cable to complete the link. The pair of AKG branded earbuds ending in a USB-C connector are also a familiar sight from the Note10 bundle. Perhaps the only slightly unusual bit is the clear silicone case you’ll find in the paper sleeve you need to pry out of the lid of the box.

Competition

Let’s face it, if you’re considering spending $1400/€1350 on a phone, you’re probably not driven entirely by reason. Impulsive and/or compulsive buyers as we may be ourselves, the numbers in that first sentence still command some deliberation, even in a money-is-no-object context.

 

 

 

 

The way we see it, that much cash buys you a Galaxy Z Flip and the flippy Samsung will certainly catch more jealous stares than the ultra Samsung. The Flip is more fragile, it has a much less impressive camera setup and a plebeian 60Hz display (which is also kinda plastic), and not a whiff of 5G. But which one is cooler though?

Funnily enough, for S20 Ultra money you can get almost two Galaxy Note10s in Europe, though that doesn’t seem to be the case in other places. Still, if you do the sane thing and opt for a single Note, maybe even a Plus, you stand to save a lot wherever in the world you are and gain an S Pen in the process. However, Note10s only zoom half the way the Ultra can, and S20s can refresh their displays twice as many times a second as Note10s do.

Or maybe get an iPhone, that’s always an option. A sensible 256GB 11 Pro Max will leave you with $150 in the bank if you’re in the US and save you all the trouble of having to figure out when you’ll be recording with which camera on the Ultra – the iPhone can record with all of them at the same time. Of course, the Ultra’s 4x and 120Hz trump cards remain. There’s a tiny caveat that with Apple’s pricing, the iPhone will actually cost a few dozen Euros more around here, and a cool 30% more in India. So if you’re in India, get the Ultra over the iPhone, obviously.

Seriously, though, the regular Galaxy S20s that we’re still waiting to get our hands on, could end up being the best value S20. Latest chipsets, 120Hz screens too, interesting cameras in their own right, easily more pocketable than the Ultra even if you go for the Plus, and available in moderately interesting colors.

 

 

 

 

Verdict

The Galaxy S20 Ultra is not without potential. But the overenthusiastic marketing and the sheer size of that camera bump had us expecting the next big thing – instead, space zoom it isn’t and Nonacell is nona-mazing, at least for now.

Yes, the periscope telephoto is great and it’s superior in every way to that other similar periscope telephoto that came a year earlier, but we are a year later now and that’s expected. Yes, the Ultra’s got a big-sensor primary camera which could probably do great things eventually but we didn’t see magic over the past couple of weeks. Yes, it’s the best display Samsung‘s put out, but why can’t we get the refresh rate and the resolution all at the same time? Hmm…

 

 

 

 

At the Ultra’s asking price, you deserve to be spoiled, and you deserve to be getting magic. And since that’s apparently not the case, we’d advise you to check out the more affordable Galaxy S20s this spring. And, if you think you could keep your sharp fingernails away from it, might as well consider the Z Flip.

Pros

  • Big, bright and beautiful 120Hz AMOLED display.
  • The great periscope telephoto cam offers versatile zoom options.
  • The new gen chipset is a solid upgrade performance-wise.
  • Stereo speakers are nice and loud.
  • Charging is very fast.

Cons

  • Ultra expensive.
  • Underwhelming battery life with 120Hz refresh rate.
  • 108MP Nonacell camera fails to live up to the hype.
  • ‘Space zoom 100x’ is just for marketing.
  • Fingerprint sensor performance is way behind the competition.

❤ Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) now receiving March 2021 security update

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The Galaxy A8 (2018) might have turned three last month, but it has already started receiving next month’s Android security update. That would be the security patch level dated March 1st, 2021, which only began rolling out this week. The one for the Galaxy A8 is identified by release version A530FXXSICUC1.

To check whether a new update is already available on your Galaxy A8, go to Settings, tap the option that says Software update at the bottom, and finally select Download and install on the following screen. If you aren’t content to wait, refer to our firmware archives in order to download the latest system images containing the new update for your country.

Will the Galaxy A8 (2018) continue receiving regular patches in 2021?

The Galaxy A8 (2018) wasn’t encompassed by Samsung’s pledge to start delivering at least three generations’ worth of OS updates and four years of security updates to its mobile devices. But as far as security patches are concerned, you can expect it to continue enjoying regular support for a while longer.

Apart from the Galaxy A8, the March 2021 Android security update is currently deploying to the Galaxy Note 10, Galaxy S10, Galaxy Fold, and the Galaxy Tab S7. When it comes to monthly patches, Samsung’s most recently released flagships usually take precedence in terms of which rollouts actually get completed first. At least for the first couple of months, so that might still be the case this time around, seeing how we’re still in February. Not to mention that all instances of the March update that began rolling out this week had extremely limited deployments so far.

 

 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION
Model Name Galaxy A8 2018
Model type Bar
Colors Black (Black)
Gold (Gold)
Gray (Gray)
Blue (Blue)
Announced 2017, December
Released 2018, January
PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions Bar: 149.2 x 70.6 x 8.4 mm
Weights 172g
IP rating IP68
OPERATING SYSTEM
Operating system Android 9.0 (Pie)
One UI version 1.0
NETWORKS
SIM Dual SIM model
SIM card sizes Nano-SIM (4FF)
Networks 2G
3G
4G
eSIM support No
DISPLAY
Kind Main Display
Technology Super AMOLED Display
Size 5.6 inch / 142.24 mm
Resolution FHD+ / 2220×1080 pixels
Pixel density 441 PPI
Screen to body ratio ~75.6%
PROCESSORS
Related model number(s) SM-A530F
Chipset Exynos 7885
Clock Speed Dual-Core @ 2.20 GHz
Hexa-Core @ 1.60 GHz
Cores Octa-Core
GPU Mali-G71
MEMORY
RAM/ROM sizes 4 GB RAM with 32 GB ROM

4 GB RAM with 64 GB ROM
External memory support Yes
External memory support maximum 512 GB
SENSORS
Yes
Accelerometer Yes
Barometer Yes
Fingerprint sensor Yes
Geomagnetic sensor Yes
Gyro sensor Yes
Proximity sensor Yes
VIDEO
Max. Video Recording Resolution FHD video recording at 30 fps (1920×1080)
External memory support Yes
External memory support maximum 512 GB
REAR CAMERA
Flash Yes
Kind Wide-angle Camera
Megapixels 16MP
Aperture F1.7
Pixel size 1.12μm
Field of view 80˚
Extras PDAF
FRONT CAMERA
Kind Selfie Camera
Megapixels 8MP
Aperture F1.9
Pixel size 1.12μm
CONNECTIVITY
ANT+ Yes
USB version Type C
3.5mm Headphonejack Yes
Location technology GPS
BeiDou
Glonass
Wi-Fi Yes
Wi-Fi Direct Yes
NFC Yes
Bluetooth Version 5.0
BATTERY
Standard battery capacity 3000mAh
Removable battery No
Wired fast charging No

 

 

 

❤ Samsung Galaxy A90 5G

Galaxy Expert , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Galaxy A-series have grown so much in the last couple of years and Samsung is keeping the family afloat with a couple of successful models despite the fierce Chinese competition in the mid-range. Well, it appears that the Galaxy A lineup is mature enough to introduce a flagship smartphone of its own – the Galaxy A90.

What makes a flagship device flagship-worthy? Good screen, performance, cameras and features are all integral part of a true flagship device and the Galaxy A90 appears to have most of them in its checklist. So in a sense, it’s a flagship Galaxy A smartphone by mid-range standards.

 

 

 

 

Of course, Samsung isn’t trying to sell you a flagship phone with the Galaxy A90 but instead, it’s trying to bring 5G to the masses. As of now, not many SoCs support 5G and all of them are high-end chips so the best way to do it is to put one of them in a ready and somewhat successful mid-range formula – in this case the Snapdragon 855 in a Galaxy A70.

As you go across the specs sheet real quick, you will see that the Galaxy A70 is an almost identical device to the Galaxy A90 5G. The only difference is in the chipset and the main camera – the Galaxy A90 gets the popular 48MP sensor while the A70 settles for the 32MP one.

Samsung Galaxy A90 specs

  • Body: Gorilla Glass 6 front and back panel, aluminum side frame
  • Screen: 6.7″ Super AMOLED, 1080x2400px resolution, 393 ppi.
  • Camera: Primary: 48 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2″, 0.8µm, PDAF; Secondary: 8MP, f/2.2, 12mm ultra-wide, fixed focus; Depth camera: 5MP f/2.2; LED flash; 2160p@30fps video recording.
  • Selfie cam: 8MP (1/4″ sensor), f/2.0 fixed-focus.
  • Chipset: Snapdragon 855 chipset, octa-core processor (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 485), Adreno 640 GPU.
  • Memory: 6/8GB RAM, 128GB built-in storage; microSD slot.
  • OS: Android 9.0 Pie, Samsung One UI.
  • Battery: 4,500mAh, 25W USB Power Delivery 2.0 charging support.
  • Connectivity: Dual SIM; USB-C (USB 2.0), Wi-Fi, Buetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC.; 5G support
  • Misc: Under-display fingerprint reader.

But we can’t shake off the feeling that the it’s a bit early for this phone. The 5G adoption is too small for now and anyone looking to be an early adopter will be aiming for the premium segment anyway. And besides, the Galaxy S10 is selling for roughly the same price, which is a true flagship phone, minus the 5G.

Design

Expectedly, there’s virtually no difference between the Galaxy A70 and A90 in terms of design. Since the screen measures 6.7″ in diagonal, it’s easy to assume that it’s unwieldy, to say the least. It’s one of the biggest Galaxies around so users will small hands will struggle.

 

 

 

 

The curved back and the thin side bezels do help with the overall handling while the top and the bottom bezels are considerably slim too. It does give the impression of a high-end smartphone when looking at it from the front.

 

 

 

 

Interestingly, the Galaxy A90 uses glass for its back instead of plastic like its cheaper sibling, the Galaxy A70. The glass panel features geometric patterns giving it a more distinct look and the available colors are Black and White. The patterns themselves do look a lot different from what we’ve seen before.

 

 

 

 

The glass back is also a home to the triple-camera setup tucked away in the upper-left corner. It’s vertically stacked but the bump isn’t as prominent as one would expect. Perhaps it’s because the Galaxy A90‘s chassis is 0.5mm thicker than the A70’s making the camera bulge less prominent.

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, we don’t have any information regarding the device’s frame but since Samsung didn’t say anything specific about it, we’d assume it’s plastic.

Hardware and features

This is not the first smartphone we’ve seen with Snapdragon 855 so we know what to expect in terms of performance. The SoC is paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage as a base offering and you can upgrade to the 8GB/128GB configuration. Strangely, microSD card support applies only to the 6GB model. The modem inside is Qualcomm’s X50, which is also found on the range-topping Galaxy S10 5G.

The device is built around a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED panel with a U-shaped notch. An extra tall 20:9 aspect ratio (1080 x 2400px resolution) makes the phone ideal for videos, web browsing and multi-tasking. It’s just a few pixels shy of the 21:9 cinematic experience offered on some phones.

 

 

 

On the camera front, we’ve got a 48MP main one with a rather small f/2.0 aperture and PDAF, 8MP ultra wide-angle lens with f/2.2 and a 5MP depth sensor. The notch houses a 32MP shooter and just like the main one, it supports native quad-pixel technology and outputs 8MP images.

 

 

 

 

This is one of the few Samsung devices with the 48MP sensor and our two main complaints are the narrow f/2.0 opening of the lens – rarely can you find even a midranger with a smaller than f/2.0 aperture – and the lack of OIS. The exact same camera can be found on the Galaxy A80.

 

 

 

 

Then again, the more advanced ISP on the Snapdragon 855 chipset could mean some minor improvements here and there. Speaking of the Snapdragon 855, it brings a couple of camera-related features that are only available on the Galaxy flagship handsets. Thus, the Galaxy A90 can shoot Super Steady videos (like the S10s and the Note10s), makes use of the Scene Optimizer and Flaw Detector. Of course, 2160p video recording in 30fps is also possible.

Additionally, for the first time, Samsung is bringing DeX support for its mid-range A-series with the Galaxy A90. Most probably hardware limitations have kept the PC-like experience away from the series but with the Snapdragon 855, DeX is now available over the USB-C connector.

 

 

 

 

While on the subject of connectors, the Galaxy A90 seems to be missing the 3.5mm audio jack from the equation. Strangely, the Galaxy A70 has one.

Lastly, the whole hardware sips from a generous 4,500 mAh battery supporting 25W fast charging in compliance with the Power Delivery standard. But don’t hold your breath for that one because the Galaxy A70’s charging times were far from the ones we got when testing the Galaxy Note10+.

Battery life should be stellar, given that the Snapdragon 855 has proven to be a remarkably efficient SoC and should be in the same ballpark as the Galaxy A70. However, when 5G is involved, since the Snapdragon 855 doesn’t have an integrated modem, the X50 is expected to draw more power too.

Wrap-up

As we already pointed out, Samsung isn’t aiming at the premium-seeking users with the Galaxy A90 but instead, it tries to deliver a semi-flagship experience with 5G connectivity at a more reasonable price point, as far as 5G phones go. It’s by far the cheapest 5G option out there and it’s already out in Korea for roughly €685.

 

 

 

 

The price is surely steep and it begs the question of how bad you want to be an early 5G adopter? For the same price (even a few bucks less), you can snatch a full-fledged flagship like the Samsung Galaxy S10 or the considerably cheaper S10e. Of course, both are limited to 4G support and have considerably smaller screens. If 5G and big screen are a necessity for you, the A90 is the only option you have and that’s what Samsung is aiming for.

❤ Your Samsung phone will soon unlock an Audi, BMW, Ford or Genesis car

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How many of you don’t particularly like have to carry a key fob around for your car? Much like how you can store all of your payment cards in a digital wallet and then make payments on the go with your phone, what if it was possible to leave your car keys at home but still be able to drive off?

That’s a question that standards bodies like the Car Connectivity Consortium and the FiRa Consortium have been pondering. Samsung wants in on the action as well. It announced new partnerships today which will enable you to unlock your Audi, BMW, Ford or Genesis car with a Galaxy S21.

Samsung is harnessing the power of UWB to get rid of your key fob

Samsung announced during its Galaxy S21 launch event today that the company is working with these auto manufacturers to bring the digital key functionality to the Galaxy S21. The feature is expected to go live later this year.

Since there are industry-backed standards bodies working on the tech, the digital keys will be shareable across smartphones, regardless of the brand or platform. So you could, in theory, share the digital key for your car with a friend who uses an iPhone.

 

 

Samsung is also embracing the ultra-wideband technology (UWT) for the digital car keys that will allow cars and phones to communicate with one another.

 

 

The company’s description of the feature suggests that it will utilize UWB or Ultra Wide Band technology. The handset would recognize pulses of low-power energy from UWB-equipped cars to unlock the doors exactly when you reach it. NFC would most likely be the fall back and it would require taking the phone out of the pocket and tapping it to the car.

The AR viewfinder for UWB-equipped phones and cars.

The UWB tech will also make it easier to locate your car in a parking lot, a very useful feature for those who tend to forget where they parked. Samsung is bringing an augmented reality-powered viewfinder to its UWB-equipped devices for this purpose. Samsung’s UWB-equipped phones include the Galaxy S21+ and Galaxy S21 Ultra, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

Samsung has also expanded their SmartThings functionality to cars that allows drivers of compatible vehicles to start and stop their car as well as adjust the climate control system.

During its digitally hosted Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung announced that it has partnered with Audi, BMW, Ford and Genesis to introduce digital car key feature that allows unlocking of the car door using the Samsung mobile phone. The feature may be available as soon as August 2021.

The digital key can also be shared across mobile devices, regardless of brand of platform. One will be able to share car keys digitally when a friend or family member with just a few taps on the phone.

Near-field communication (NFC) technology used on the devices enables owners to ‘tap’ their phone near the door handle to unlock the car. The electronics company is also embracing the ultra-wideband technology (UWT) for the digital car keys that will allow cars and phones to communicate with one another. The car will unlock itself as soon as the driver reaches the door.

Samsung has also expanded their SmartThings functionality to cars that allows drivers of compatible vehicles to start and stop their car as well as adjust the climate control system. Using the car’s display, drivers can also control smart home functions such as temperature setting, vacuum cleaning and washing machine operation.

As Samsung and Google have worked closely together to improve the Android Auto experience, the in-car interface has become much more enhanced, supporting a whole lot of smart and remote functionalities.

 

 

 

The dream of using your phone to unlock your car door (instead of carrying around a bulging key fob) may be one step closer today: Samsung has announced partnerships with Audi, BMW, Ford, and Genesis to do just that, saying the feature may be available as soon as August 2021. And excitingly, those digital car keys should work with Apple iPhones and across other Android brands, too.

That’s because Samsung is part of multiple standards bodies that are working on the tech, including the the FiRa Consortium and the Car Connectivity Consortium, of which Apple is also a leading member. “You’ll even be able to share your digital key across smartphones, regardless of brand or platform,” Samsung’s Kevin Chung announced during the company’s Galaxy S21 event today.

Samsung says it’s trying to add additional car companies, too: “We’re actively working to expand our automobile partnerships with the goal of offering this feature across a wide variety of car makes and models,” the company added in a statement early this evening.

Unfortunately, it’s not yet clear which automakers will support the coolest, securest version of this tech: UWB. It uses small, standardized beacon-like pulses of low-power energy, preferably from multiple parts of your car at once, to figure out exactly where you are in relation to your car’s handle from a sizable distance away.

Samsung says with the new digital keys, “you’ll be able to unlock your car door when you reach it, no sooner, no later,” but I’m pretty sure it’s only referring to UWB there. The fallback is NFC, where you’d likely need to pull your phone out and tap it to your car, like you do with tap-to-pay NFC transactions today.

Samsung also showed off how the tech can let you find your car in a crowded parking lot, with an augmented reality viewfinder it says it’s bringing to Samsung phones — but the fine print says it only works with UWB-equipped cars and UWB-enabled phones.

Every iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 comes with UWB now, but Samsung says only the Galaxy Z Fold 2, the new S21 Plus and S21 Ultra (so, not the S21?), and the “Galaxy Note 20+” (presumably referring to the Note 20 Ultra, which has UWB) will support the AR viewfinder.

Apple is also waiting for carmakers to adopt UWB and had to roll out its own version of digital car keys with NFC to start, and only on the 2021 BMW 5 Series. But BMW announced earlier today that it’ll support UWB, branded as “Digital Key Plus,” with the electric BMW iX.

Samsung’s also introducing a UWB-based tracking tag for finding your lost gadgets later this year, though — like the car keys — it’s starting off with a less impressive Bluetooth version instead that won’t let you locate them as precisely.

❤ [List] Galaxy devices that have received Android 11/One UI 3.0 update

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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.

One UI 3.0 stable update release schedule for Galaxy devices in Egypt

December 2020

  • Galaxy S20
  • Galaxy S20+
  • Galaxy S20 Ultra

January 2021

  • Galaxy Note 10
  • Galaxy Note 10+
  • Galaxy Note 20
  • Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
  • Galaxy S10
  • Galaxy S10+
  • Galaxy S10 Lite
  • Galaxy Z Fold 2
  • Galaxy Z Flip

February 2021

  • Galaxy Fold

March 2021

  • Galaxy A51
  • Galaxy M21
  • Galaxy M30s
  • Galaxy M31
  • Galaxy Note 10 Lite
  • Galaxy Tab S7

April 2021

  • Galaxy A50
  • Galaxy M51

May 2021

  • Galaxy A21s
  • Galaxy A31
  • Galaxy A70
  • Galaxy A71
  • Galaxy A80
  • Galaxy Tab S6
  • Galaxy Tab S6 Lite

June 2021

  • Galaxy A01
  • Galaxy A01 Core
  • Galaxy A11
  • Galaxy M11
  • Galaxy Tab A

July 2021

  • Galaxy A30
  • Galaxy Tab S5e

August 2021

  • Galaxy A10
  • Galaxy A10s
  • Galaxy A20
  • Galaxy A20s
  • Galaxy A30s
  • Galaxy Tab A 10.1
  • Galaxy Tab Active Pro

This might not be the full list of devices, though, and we see that the Galaxy A50s, Galaxy S10e, and a few other phones are missing from the list. We will update the article when we find more information about the release schedule.

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 S10 series (still in beta)
  • Galaxy Z Fold 2 (still in beta)
  • Galaxy S20 series
  • Galaxy Note 20 series
  • Galaxy Note 10 series (still in beta)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Android 11 is the eleventh major iteration of Google’s mobile operating system. The first developer preview was released in February 2020 with the public beta being scheduled for an announcement at Google I/O 2020 which was supposed to take place on June 3. However, the COVID19 pandemic forced Google to cancel the event and just release the beta online.

 

 

 

 

Many of our readers will now be curious to learn more about Android 11 for Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets. It will take some time before Samsung officially confirms which of its devices will get Android 11. However, we can make an educated guess on the devices that will be updated to the latest iteration of Android.

Samsung will most definitely release Android 11 for its devices with a new version of its One UI custom skin. Since One UI 2.5 will be released with Android 10, there’s a good chance that Samsung will release One UI 3.0 with Android 11.

Best Android 11 features

Google is focusing on enabling users to better take advantage of the latest innovations with Android 11 while also emphasizing privacy and security. There will also be enhancements for 5G, support for new screen types that utilize pinhole and waterfall design elements, machine learning enhancements and more.

New permission options are among the best Android 11 features. Users will be able to grant apps temporary access to sensitive data like microphone and camera with a one-time permission. The app will not be able to access that data once the user moves away from it.

Android 11 is going to simplify conversations with a dedicated conversations section in the notification shade. Bubbles will be used to keep conversations in view while multi-tasking on the phone. If an app supports image copy/paste, it will also be possible to insert images directly into notification inline replies.

A rather useful enhancement is that Airplane mode will no longer disable Bluetooth. This means that people who enable Airplane mode don’t have to open the notification shade again and reconnect their Bluetooth devices.

It’s not exactly easy to see previously dismissed notifications on an Android device. Google is set to change that with Android 11 which will have a Notification History option.

Android 11 on Samsung devices

These are some of the general Android 11 features and enhancements. Many of the user interface changes that Google has introduced to the core OS won’t be available on Samsung phones since the company applies its own custom skin.

There’s no information available right now about the new features and improvements that Samsung will bring with One UI 3.0. Some features that are new to Android 11 like a context-aware Dark mode and a native screen recorder are already present in existing One UI versions.

Android 11 beta for Samsung

Samsung devices don’t get developer preview builds of Google’s mobile operating system. However, the company itself launches a beta program so that it can get the latest Android version and the One UI version that will accompany it out in the hands of testers.

However, it will take some time before such a program is launched. For context, Samsung launched the Android 10 and One UI 2.0 beta in October last year, about a month after Google had released the stable Android 10 firmware for its Pixel smartphones. The Android 11 beta for Samsung can be expected to follow a similar timeframe.

Only Samsung’s latest devices are eligible to take part in the beta. So it will most definitely be open to the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Note 20 lineups. Samsung also opened up the beta to the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9 last year so it may do the same for the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 this time around.

Which Samsung devices will get Android 11

 

 

 

 

Samsung releases dozens of smartphones every year for every price segment of the market. Providing software support for all of these phones is no simple task. The company does guarantee two major OS upgrades for all of its smartphones. This means that any Samsung phone that shipped with Android 9.0 and Android 10 will be eligible for Android 11.

Samsung’s three-year security update guarantee remains

The company continues to release security updates for devices even when they have received their two major OS updates. It splits them between the quarterly and monthly release schedules. Samsung also releases security updates for devices older than three years as and when required. It will continue to do so after Android 11 arrives as well.

Check back for more on the Android 11 update for Samsung devices

We still have a few months until the Android 11 update is released for Samsung’s smartphones and tablets. Do keep checking back in with us to learn more about how the Android 11 update landscape for Samsung’s devices is evolving. We’ll continue to provide coverage on this topic and update you as and when there are new developments.

Samsung Galaxy devices eligible for Android 11 update

The devices listed below are currently expected to get Android 11. The list is based on Samsung’s policy of providing two major Android upgrades to all of its devices and three major upgrades for flagship and select mid-range devices, which means your device will probably get Android 11 if it came with Android 9 Pie or Android 10 out of the box.

  • Galaxy A01
  • Galaxy A10
  • Galaxy A10e
  • Galaxy A10s
  • Galaxy A11
  • Galaxy A20
  • Galaxy A20e
  • Galaxy A20s
  • Galaxy A21
  • Galaxy A21s
  • Galaxy A30
  • Galaxy A30s
  • Galaxy A31
  • Galaxy A40
  • Galaxy A41
  • Galaxy A42 5G
  • Galaxy A50
  • Galaxy A50s
  • Galaxy A51
  • Galaxy A51 5G
  • Galaxy A60
  • Galaxy A70
  • Galaxy A70s
  • Galaxy A71
  • Galaxy A71 5G
  • Galaxy A80
  • Galaxy A8s
  • Galaxy A90 5G
  • Galaxy M01
  • Galaxy M11
  • Galaxy M21
  • Galaxy M30s
  • Galaxy M31
  • Galaxy M31s
  • Galaxy M40
  • Galaxy M51
  • Galaxy Xcover 4s
  • Galaxy Xcover FieldPro
  • Galaxy Xcover Pro
  • Galaxy S10e / S10 / S10+ / S10 5G
  • Galaxy S10 Lite
  • Galaxy Note 10 / Note 10+ (LTE/5G)
  • Galaxy Note 10 Lite
  • Galaxy Note 20 / Note 20 Ultra
  • Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra (LTE/5G)
  • Galaxy S20 FE
  • Galaxy Fold (LTE/5G)
  • Galaxy Z Flip (LTE/5G)
  • Galaxy Z Fold 2
  • Galaxy Tab S5e
  • Galaxy Tab S6
  • Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
  • Galaxy Tab S7 / Tab S7+
  • Galaxy Tab A 10.1 2019
  • Galaxy Tab A 8.0 2019
  • Galaxy Tab A7
  • Galaxy Tab Active Pro

❤ Samsung Internet 13.0 Takes Your Browsing Experience to the Next Level

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New privacy and security features give users more control to browse freely with true peace of mind

 

 

Samsung Electronics today announced a new update to Samsung Internet, its fast, easy and reliable web browser. Samsung Internet 13.0 introduces a series of new features and enhancements designed to offer users a better and safer browsing experience.

 

“At Samsung, we’re always optimizing our products and services to offer the best experience to our users,” said Du Kim, VP and Head of Web R&D Group, Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “Our lives are increasingly lived online, as people try to stay informed and connected, so we wanted to make it easier for everyone to enjoy the best the internet has to offer with peace of mind, knowing you can count on us to keep you safe.”

 

 

Protecting You From Prying Eyes

These days, it’s hard to know which website you can trust. Samsung Internet 13.0 offers a new permission request UI that will display a warning message if a website seems malicious and is attempting to trick users into allowing notifications. And since we know how much privacy means to our users, Secret mode allows them to automatically clear their browsing history as soon as all their Secret mode tabs are closed. A new Secret mode icon will also be displayed on the address bar as part of the Samsung Internet 13.0 update, so that it’s easier to know when it’s switched on. For more information about Secret mode, check out the new About Secret mode section.

 

 

Permission Request UI – Before (left) and Samsung Internet 13.0 (right)

 

 

A Better User Experience

We introduced a series of new features and enhancements to make Samsung Internet even more user-friendly:

  • You can now use High contrast mode with Dark mode on, to make fonts and other components stand out even more.
  • Samsung Internet 13.0 also introduces an Expandable App Bar for menus such as Bookmarks, Saved pages, History and Downloads.
  • Get more screen space by hiding the status bar, to immerse yourself in the content you’re browsing.
  • When watching a video in full screen with Video assistant, pause it by double tapping the middle of the screen.
  • Easily edit the title of your bookmarks so that they’re easier to recognize and search.

 

 

High contrast mode

 

 

Extension API for Developers

New Application Programming Interface (API) modules are now available for Samsung Internet 13.0, including WebRequest, Proxy, Cookies, Types, History, Alarms, Privacy, Notifications, Permissions, Idle and Management. Developers can use these APIs to build extensions and contact the Samsung Internet team to validate, approve and add their extension to the Samsung Internet browser. For more details, please visit https://developer.samsung.com/internet/android/extensions-dev-overview.html

 

If you’re an existing Samsung Internet user, you will receive a notification telling you a new version is available. You can also download the latest version of Samsung Internet browser on the Google Play Store or Galaxy Store.

❤ Samsung opens One UI 3.0 beta program for the Galaxy S10 series

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Samsung has released Android 11-based One UI 3.0 beta for the Galaxy S20, Note20 and Z Flip lineups already, and today the Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy S10e join them as the company opened the One UI 3.0 beta program for its 2019 flagships.

Samsung had confirmed the One UI 3.0 beta for the S10 lineup a couple of weeks ago, but it was delayed due to battery drain concerns. But now that Samsung has opened the beta program for the S10 trio, you can get a taste of Samsung’s latest custom Android skin by participating in the beta program from the Samsung Members app.

So Android 11 is still officially missing from Samsung Galaxy devices, but the Android 11-based One UI 3.0 beta has offered a preview phase ahead of a global rollout.

 

 

 

 

Before you enroll in the beta program, make sure you’ve backed up your device, and remember that beta software is not as stable as the final builds and often has bugs that hamper the user experience.

The One UI 3.0 beta program for the S10 trio is currently live in the UK, India and South Korea, but should expand to other countries soon.

It looks like the stable One UI 3.0 could be here within weeks as firstly the One UI 3.0 beta for Galaxy Note 20 series devices has now officially ended in Samsung’s homeland of South Korea. This is a good sign, as the beta ending signifies that testing is complete. The next likely rollout for Galaxy Note 20 devices will be the stable One UI 3.0 update.

 

 

 

 

Samsung kicked off the One UI 3.0 public beta program for the Galaxy S20 series early last month. A few weeks after the update started rolling out to Galaxy S20 users, the company expanded the beta program to include Galaxy Note 20 series devices. Then, earlier this month, Samsung announced that it would be expanding the One UI 3.0 beta program to more devices, including the Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Z Flip 5G, the Galaxy S10 series, and the Galaxy Note 10 series. As promised, the company has now opened the One UI 3.0 beta program for the Galaxy S10 series in South Korea, India, and the UK.

 

 

❤ Samsung’s artificial human NEON to be showcased on Galaxy devices December 2020

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Samsung had first unveiled its lifelike artificial humans called NEON earlier this year during CES 2020. Since then, the company has showcased several use cases, including in the banking, news, and retail sectors. Now, the company is hinting that we might get to see NEON on smartphones really soon.

Pranav Mistry, the CEO and President of STAR Labs, has mentioned on Twitter that he is currently using NEON on his smartphone. He also said that the company is testing its artificial humans on smartphones right now, and others can see it before Christmas. So, Samsung may showcase NEON on Galaxy smartphones sometime in December 2020.

There is no clear indication from Samsung if NEONs would one day come pre-installed on Galaxy devices and if they would be available on devices from other brands. NEONs are powered by STAR Labs’ Core R3 and SPECTRA technologies. SPECTRA offers emotions, intelligence, learning, and memory to Core R3, which Samsung claims can pass the Turing test once it is ready.

NEONs feature AI-generated virtual avatars that are indistinguishable from human beings, and each one of them has his/her own unique personality. Samsung’s website mentions that the artificial humans can be customized as per the client’s requirement. They can be used as a service representative, financial advisor, concierge, healthcare provider, or just as a virtual friend.

Disappointingly, what has been confirmed via The Verge and through the official teaser images is that the scenarios shown at CES and in promotional content ‘are fictionalized and simulated for illustrative purposes only.’ This likely means that the recently leaked NEON video doesn’t give us much of an insight into what STAR Labs’ ‘artificial human’ is all about or how these avatars will look like. The people shown in that video (and the images below) were actual actors and weren’t computer-generated images or the real ‘NEONs’ as the company calls its virtual avatars.

 

 

 

 

 

Samsung NEON will bring lifelike ‘artificial humans’ to your digital screens

It seems Samsung has found a way to bring lifelike ‘artificial humans’ to the masses. The company has been teasing a new product called NEON in recent weeks, and a leaked video showcasing what NEON can do suggests that we could soon be talking to a digital human who looks, talks, and even thinks like a real person.

NEON seems to use motion capture technology to capture an actor’s likeness and voice and then lets AI use that data to let the digital avatars “autonomously create new expressions, new movements, new dialog (even in Hindi), completely different from the original captured data”, according to Pranav Mistry, who is leading the project. Digital humans are not new – they have been seen in movies and video games for decades, but Samsung is suggesting that NEON can take things a step further and enable these digital humans to have unscripted interactions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEONs can’t be exact copies of an existing human being. They can share some similarities with humans but a NEON will never be an exact replica. The company claims that ‘each NEON is a unique, individual artificial human, with his/her own unique personality, just like us.’

 

NEON is a hype vector for now

Checking the official NEON webpage might get you all hyped for the future, but that seems to be by design. However, you don’t need an overly-critical eye to realize that there’s barely any concrete information there. The webpage is filled with buzz phrases such as ‘Inspired by the rhythmic complexities of nature‘ or ‘Virtually, Real. 100% visually real, like you and me. Existing among us from all walks of life.’

The most ambitious statement of all might be that the so-called NEONs are indistinguishable from real humans. ‘Introducing lifelike reality that is beyond our normal perception to distinguish.’ In other words, NEONs can easily pass the Turing test, according to STAR Labs, and that is quite a bold statement to make for a product that, so far, has only been ‘fictionalized and simulated for illustrative purposes only.’

 

 

 

 

 

But who knows?! Maybe this really is the beginning of a new era and we will be truly impressed once NEON will be ready for the masses. It’s just that, for now, STAR Labs hasn’t given us enough information to sell us on this rather confusing non-assistant AI concept. For the time being, it looks like NEON is a vision of a future enhanced by AI and powered mostly by hype.

A look at what the NEON artificial human could become

NEONs are supposed to show emotions and intelligence, with each avatar being customizable for different tasks. In STAR Labs’ vision ‘In the near future, one will be able to license or subscribe to a NEON as a service representative, a financial advisor, a healthcare provider, or a concierge. Over time, NEONs will work as TV anchors, spokespeople, or movie actors; or they can simply be companions and friends.’

Idealistically, NEONs are life-like computer-generated AI avatars indistinguishable from human beings. Exactly how they would reach the consumer market is unclear. We don’t know if they will be streamed to your smart devices from the cloud or if they would require prospective customers to purchase special local hardware.

They are, however, powered by STAR Labs’ Core R3 and SPECTRA technologies which remain somewhat of a mystery. But in short, Core R3 is a proprietary technology that can computationally create lifelike reality, while SPECTRA is an upcoming tech that will lend Intelligence, Learning, Emotions, and Memory to Core R3, according to the company. So, SPECTRA – the brain of the AI if you will – is not yet ready, but the company was confident enough to claim that it (together with Core R3) can pass the Turing test.

 

NEON beta is planned for release by the end of 2020

STAR Labs claims that NEON is ‘fundamentally different from deepfake or other facial reanimation techniques.’ What NEON isn’t, according to STAR Labs, is an AI assistant. It’s not an interface to the internet, not a music player. It’s ‘simply, a friend‘ and it can ‘speak it all, from Spanish to Hindi, from Japanese to English.’ NEON artificial humans are ‘more like us, an independent but virtual living being.’ Just how independent a NEON can be? We don’t know, but we might find out later this year.

It sounds like the technology is not yet ready for deployment and we don’t have a concrete launch date for the time being, but STAR Labs plans to release a beta version of NEON through select partners by the end of 2020.

❤ Surprise update drops for the popular Samsung Galaxy S7

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The Samsung Galaxy S7 is one of Samsung’s decommissioned devices and hasn’t actually received any updates for quite a while. But the Galaxy S7 is still one of the most popular smartphones and is actively used. For S7 owners, Samsung is now surprisingly rolling out an update.

The Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge were launched in 2016 and turned out to be a big seller for the South Korean manufacturer. The curved display of the Edge version impressed the technology world. These glorious times are long gone for the former Samsung flagships. And yet, four years after its launch, Samsung is now rolling out an important update for the Galaxy S7.

Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge receive security update

While we’ve been waiting a long time for Samsung to stop quarterly patches for the outdated Galaxy models, an update for the S7 is coming in October. Of course, the two smartphones will not receive a version update – Android 8 was the last update for the Galaxy phones. It is on this version of Google’s operating system that the models still run today.

According to Sammobile.com, Samsung has begun rolling out the September security patch, which is currently being distributed in Canada and the UK and is expected to find its way onto the Galaxy S7 range in these countries as well. The download size of the updates is 70 MB and comes as firmware versions G930W8VLS8CTI1 or G935W8VLS8CTI1, depending on whether you are using an S7 or S7 edge.

Firmware versions for the British versions of the smartphones are G930FXXU8ETI2 and G935FXXU8ETI2. The new software updates also improve device stability, fix some bugs, and improve performance.

We do not know when the update will be available here in this country. You can manually check on your Galaxy smartphone if the new firmware version has already been pushed in. To do so, navigate to “Settings” and “Software Update”.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are officially no longer eligible for software updates, and when a security patch was rolled out in March, many thought it was their final one. Luckily for the owner of these two phones, a new update is now being deployed, reports SamMobile.

Galaxy S7 series is receiving the September 2020 security patch 

The phones came out back in 2016 with Android 6.0, which makes them nearly five years old. In 2018, they were upgraded to Android 8, which was their last OS upgrade.
Currently, Galaxy S7 and S7 edge users in the UK and Canada are receiving the September 2020 security update. The patch weighs nearly 70MB and will likely make it to other markets soon.
Samsung recently committed to three years of Android updates, but this only applies to recent flagships, some Galaxy A series phones, and foldable handsets.
The company sometimes addresses critical vulnerabilities on unsupported older phones, and this could be the case with the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge too. Nonetheless, it’s still commendable to see Samsung support phones which do not even qualify for quarterly security updates any longer.
Per today’s report, the software update improves performance and device stability, and also irons out some bugs.
If you haven’t received the security update yet, you can check for it manually. Simply go to Settings, then navigate to Software update, and then tap Download and install.
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