Samsung to release Galaxy S20, Galaxy Fold 2 on Feb. 11

SEOUL — Samsung Electronics will release the sequel to the Galaxy S10 at an event next month.

In an invitation sent to media on Sunday, the Korean tech giant said it “will unveil new, innovative devices that will shape the next decade of mobile experiences. The reveal will take place at the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Event in San Francisco at 11 a.m. on February 11.”


Samsung is expected to unveil Galaxy S20, the next iteration in the Galaxy S series, and Galaxy Fold 2, the successor to the Galaxy Fold.

The invitation shows two squares instead of the letter “a” in the spelling of Galaxy. The first rectangular shape seems to imply the Galaxy S20 while the second appears to hint that the next Galaxy Fold is folded in half in a clamshell design.

Industry watchers say while the Galaxy Fold could be used like a tablet by expanding the screen, the next product will increase portability by folding the screen in half.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Samsung ditches headphone jack after jabs at jackless rivals

NEW YORK –  Samsung executives have long poked fun at rivals for ditching the headphone jack in smartphones. With the new Galaxy Note 10, the company will now be doing exactly the same thing.

The Note 10, announced Wednesday, squeezes in more battery power and other goodies, but at the cost of the familiar old jack.

So now the company is doing an about-face and declaring that many people use wireless headphones anyway.

Samsung, which for years has pushed bigger and bigger displays, is also introducing a smaller version of the Note for those who think phones have just gotten too big.

The new Note models will come out Aug. 23. The main model is being called the Note 10 Plus and will have a display measuring 6.8 inches diagonally.

Though the display is bigger, the overall size is about the same as last year’s 6.4-inch Note 9. To accomplish that, Samsung shrank down even more of the bezel surrounding the display.

The smaller, 6.3-inch version will be called the Note 10 and will sell for almost $950, or $150 less than the Plus. It’s designed for those who want the Note’s signature stylus without its once-signature size.

“You hit a certain point where you can’t get much bigger without being physically too large to hold,” Technalysis Research analyst Bob O’Donnell said. “That’s the challenge they are running into.”

Hardware innovation in mobile devices has been slowing for years. Samsung is addressing that with a foldable model, with twice the display when unfolded. The Samsung Fold is coming in September after Samsung made a few design changes to address problems with reviewers’ phones breaking.

Apple is expected to release new iPhones next month. A version that works with next-generation 5G cellular networks isn’t expected. Samsung will have a 5G version of the Note 10 Plus starting at almost $1300.

The Note 10 Plus will have a 7.5% boost in battery capacity over the Note 9, though Samsung’s high-end phones have already been promising all-day battery life. Samsung made no references to the headphone jack during its 70-minute announcement event in New York.

Samsung officials told reporters separately that while the 3.5-millimeter headphone jack might seem small, every smidgeon of saved space can help extend battery life.

Samsung is including wired headphones that plug into the phone’s USB-C data and charging port. An adapter for other wired headphones is sold separately for $10. Apple and Google also have ditched the standard headphone jack.

But O’Donnell noted the irony: “If you guys gave everybody else grief for doing it, why are you doing it?”

Beyond that, the Note 10 phones introduce new stylus features, including the ability to flip through music and photo libraries by gesturing with the stylus in the air. The phones bring a wider-angle lens already found in the S10 and use software to make audio appear louder — and thus closer — in video recordings when zooming in.

And by connecting a Note 10 to a Windows or Mac computer with a USB cable, users can interact with phone apps there and drag and drop files between devices.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella appeared briefly to expand on a partnership with Samsung. The collaboration includes giving Note users the ability to receive and respond to text messages and take phone calls from a Windows computer. Apple has long offered similar features, but only for its own devices such as the iPhone and Mac. /gsg

source: technology.inquirer.net

Samsung expands mid-tier phone range in US with 3 new devices

Since 2014 when the segment was launched, Samsung’s Galaxy A-series smartphones have been sold in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. On Tuesday, June 11, the company announced that three of the newest models in the mid-tier range will be coming to the United States starting this month.

Galaxy A50

Leading the incoming series is the Galaxy A50, a model with a 6.4-inch full HD AMOLED display, a tear-drop shaped notch, and an in-display fingerprint reader.

The most notable feature of the handset is the triple camera set-up on the rear consisting of a 5-megapixel depth camera, 25-megapixel main camera and 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera. Users will not only be able to take high-quality shots but also apply bokeh effects and optimize color tones and other settings thanks to an integrated scene optimizer.

With 512 gigabytes, the Galaxy A50 has a starting retail price of $349.99 (about P18,000).

Galaxy A20

Like the Galaxy A50, the A20 dons a 6.4-inch display but instead of the tear-drop shaped Infinity-U notch, the top edge of the screen features a V-shaped notch.

Only one camera can be found on the rear with 13 megapixels. The front camera, on the other hand, has an 8-megapixel selfie camera.

The Galaxy A20 has a starting retail price of $249.99 (almost P13,000).

Galaxy A10e

The Galaxy A10e has the smallest display of the trio measuring in at 5.83 inches. The single-camera on the back is 8 megapixels.


The Galaxy A10e has a starting retail price of $179.99 (about P9,000).

The Galaxy A50 will be the first to launch in the U.S. on Thursday, June 13. The release date of the other models has not yet been disclosed. HM/JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

World’s first 5G phone released in South Korea

SEOUL — Telecom giant Samsung Electronics on Friday released the Galaxy S10 5G, the world’s first available smartphone with built-in fifth-generation communications, as South Korea seeks to build a lead in the transformative technology.

On Wednesday the South became the first country to launch nationwide 5G services, with three superfast networks going live offering data speeds that allow users to download entire movies in less than a second.

Hours later US giant Verizon began commercial services in Chicago and Minneapolis, after rival AT&T made a 5G-based system available to selected users in parts of 12 cities in December.

South Korea’s three mobile carriers — SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus — held launch events across Seoul for the Galaxy S10 5G, whose base version costs 1.39 million won ($1,200).

Interactive virtual-reality displays and robot demonstrations were on show to tout the capabilities of the latest iteration of mobile internet speed, and new users were excited about the possibilities, especially live streaming of sports games and university lectures.

“I watch a lot of videos often, movies and lectures,” said buyer Shim Ji-hye, 38. “I hope faster speeds will help me manage my time better.”

Another user said he was most excited about virtual reality content — which includes games and even “celebrity VR dating” apps according to the country’s mobile carriers.

With 5G, said researcher Lee Sang-yoon, VR content “can be enjoyed in real time with no delay… I’ll be able to enjoy it in better resolution and speed”.

By Friday afternoon, 15,000 buyers had subscribed to the LG UPlus 5G service, and more than 10,000 to KT’s offer, the carriers said.

Figures were not immediately available from SK Telecom, the market leader.

Internet of Things

Before Friday’s roll-out of the Samsung phone, the 5G service had been restricted to a handful of specially selected users in South Korea.

Rival manufacturer LG is due to launch its V50 ThinQ, another 5G phone, in the South later this month, while in the US, Verizon’s network works with Lenovo’s Moto Z3 smartphone fitted with a special accessory.

Commercializing 5G gives South Korea the chance to build around the technology, which is crucial for the future development of devices such as autonomous vehicles and the Internet of Things.

It is expected to bring about $565 billion in global economic benefits by 2034, according to the London-based Global System for Mobile Communications, an industry alliance.

The implications of the new technology have pitted Washington against Beijing — whose firms dominate 5G technology — in an increasingly bitter standoff.

The US has pressed its allies and major economies to avoid 5G solutions from Chinese-owned telecom giant Huawei, citing security risks that technological backdoors could give Beijing access to 5G-connected utilities and other components.

Chinese entities own a total of 3,400 5G patents — more than a third of the total, according to data analysis firm IPlytics — with 1,529 of those registered by Huawei.

South Korea comes next, with its companies holding 2,051 patents, while US firms have 1,368 together.

Neither KT nor SK Telecom use Huawei technology in their 5G networks, but it is a supplier to LG UPlus, the companies told AFP.

source: technology.inquirer.net

iPhone XI to feature long-distance 3D camera, says report

It’s no secret that the iPhone will get a radical upgrade in 2020 when Apple integrates 5G tech into the model, but what can we expect from the upcoming 2019 generation?

According to BloombergQuint, which was recently in contact with Sony, that company will be “boosting production of next-generation 3D sensors after getting interest from customers,” customers that include Apple Inc. In fact, Sony will be undergoing mass production in late summer to meet demands.


These new camera chips are expected to hugely impact mobile photography, gaming and phone user interface, and Sony hopes such tech will reinvigorate the slumping market.

Additionally, several rumors claim that Apple’s next flagship iPhone model will have three rear lenses that potentially have augmented reality functioning.

Apple will reportedly be using new camera features like these to draw their audience to the 2019 model, likely to be released in September, which will be difficult considering the already quickly growing anticipation for the 2020 generation.

In November, Fast Company noted Apple’s plans to release its first 5G iPhone in 2020 which will be powered by Intel’s 8161 5G modem chip, a release that may come a bit late considering some other phone giants’ first 5G devices are slated for the first half of 2019.

Samsung, Huawei and OnePlus all revealed plans to release their own 5G handsets early next year. JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Korea officially launches 5G service via Samsung phone

SEOUL — To mark the official launch of the fifth-generation of mobile network, South Korean mobile carriers held various celebrations over the weekend, and vowed to aggressively expand their 5G infrastructure across the country in preparation for launch on smartphones in March, according to the telcos on Sunday. SK Telecom CEO Park Jung-ho made a video call from the mobile operator’s network control center in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province to a staff manager in the company’s Myeong-dong office in central Seoul, using a pilot 5G smartphone made by Samsung Electronics. “I feel deeply moved by this first video call on a 5G smartphone,” Park said. “It was much clearer than on LTE and the response was quick.”

Calls were subsequently made to Haeundae in Busan, Dunsan-dong in Daejeon and Geumnam-ro in Gwangju, some of the 13 cities and counties that are covered by SKT’s 5G network. SKT’s first 5G client Myunghwa Ind kick-started the 5G-AI machine vision solution that that collects and sends 24 high-definition photos from the production line to a cloud server, where they are judged for defects via artificially intelligent algorithms.The mobile carrier’s self-driving car had test-runs in Hwaseong K-City and ordinary roads in Siheung as it was communicating with SKT’s 5G control center. Despite a fire from its branch in northern district in Seoul and subsequent network blackout last week, KT also celebrated its commercial 5G launch at the 123-floor Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, southern Seoul. The tower’s guide robot Lota is the first client of KT’s 5G service that provides 10 gigabytes of data at 49,500 won ($44.20) per month.“We chose Lota as our first 5G client in order to highlight that 5G doesn’t just mean a replacement of the mobile network,” a company official said. “5G robot Lota will be a platform that innovates our daily lives and industries altogether.” KT said it has deployed 5G infrastructure in Seoul and six other metropolitan cities across the country. The KT network even covers Jeju, Ulleungdo and Dokdo.

The mobile carrier plans to expand the coverage to 24 major cities, including subway and bullet train KTX stations with large floating populations. LG Uplus also held a video call ceremony in Magok, northwestern Seoul, using a laptop that is connected to a 5G router. The third player in the Korean telecom market has established around 4,100 5G base stations – the largest number so far among the three telcos – and plans to set up more than 7,000 stations by the end of December, the company said. LG Uplus is the only carrier that has deployed China’s Huawei 5G equipment. LG’s first 5G client is tractor maker LS Mtron. The company has collaborated with LG Uplus to develop the country’s first 5G-enabled tractor that can be remotely controlled.

source: technology.inquirer.net

5 flagship models expected from Samsung in 2019

The Korean smartphone maker may have a total of five flagship devices to release in 2019.

Three of them may come from the next-generation Galaxy S10. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the new devices will split up the standard S10 line into three screen sizes. These will range from a 5.8-inch up to a 6.4-inch display. The smartphones have already been scheduled for a February debut.


The fourth device on the list would be a 5G version of the S10 codenamed “Beyond X.” Spring will be its time of release in the United States and Korea. It will also have six cameras, two up front and four in the back, and a large 6.7-inch display.

The fifth high-end smartphone expected to be released by 2019 is the company’s first foldable-screen device. It came under the spotlight during the Samsung Developer Conference 2018, which ran from Nov. 7 to 8 at the Moscone West Convention Center in San Francisco, USA. This device will have a 7.3-inch display that closes and opens like a book. The report stated that the device’s final name is still being debated between “Samsung Flex” and “Galaxy Flex.”

Apart from the Galaxy S10, changes could still get implemented with the last two devices, which may push their release to a later date. However, as it is, consumers have big things to expect from the Korean smartphone maker in 2019.  Alfred Bayle /ra

source: technology.inquirer.net

Is Samsung planning a truly notch-less and bezel-less future?

Notable tech-leaker Ice Universe managed to get a look at what is revealed at the highly exclusive 2018 Samsung OLED Forum on Friday and shared all the under-display mobile tech that’s on its way in 2019.

Samsung has a reputation for mocking smartphone notches (such as that on the Pixel 3), but honestly, who can blame them? Sure, notches have a practical purpose like housing camera lenses, speakers, and a variety of sensors, nevertheless, they have a reputation for being so unaesthetic that some Pixel 3 users have been digging into their phones’ user settings to hide the notch completely by implementing a screen-wide black bar.

And it looks like Samsung wants to avoid the notch and a black bar after what Ice Universe revealed was on show at the incredibly private 2018 Samsung OLED Forum at the Shenzhen Marriott Hotel in China with about 20 business partners present, according to Forbes.

During a PowerPoint presentation, the company revealed four new technologies that will drive their smartphone development over the upcoming year: FoD (fingerprint sensing tech under the display), UPS (under-the-screen sensor tech), HoD (touch-sensitive tech), and SoD (“screen sound tech”).

Since the FoD and SoD tech already exist on the market and HoD tech isn’t exactly novel, the key innovation here is that UPS tech. That right there is what will bring us a notchless AND bezel-less screen that is, basically, the display of our dreams that has been just out of reach of today’s tech.

Needless to say, this would be a breakthrough for the smartphone market. There’s no word yet on the public release of such an innovation or the launch of the long-awaited folding Galaxy F. Perhaps, both will be arriving soon, maybe even together. Is this the end of smartphone displays as we know it? As Samsung said themselves. CC

source: technology.inquirer.net

WATCH: Lenovo’s foldable phone prototype surfaces

Why fold a phone when you could just wear one like a watch? In the midst of the folding smartphone race, Lenovo takes the cake with a video showing a bendable CPlus model that you can roll around your wrist and suggests that we should soon know more about the phone.

Lenovo’s bending smartphone, which first made its appearance in concept form at the Lenovo Tech World Conference in 2016, is making its way back; this time without cracking. The company shared a 10-second video captioned, “We are just so terribly good. It’s time to show off. We’ll see you in October,” on their Weibo account, one of the most popular microblogging platforms in China.


You can see the new and improved phone’s ability to bend with the widgets adjusting in real-time to more appropriately display the content based on its new shape.

Gadget lovers have been waiting for more news about this innovative phone for two years and, according to the video caption, the phone is right around the corner, but maybe not yet for purchase, though. But will it be worth the hype? The company itself posted a video with unexplained dark spots along the right edge that appear to be due to wear and tear, but then again, maybe they’re intentional.

But is it practical? Samsung seems to think that folding with a kind of hinge mechanism is the way to go instead when they told CNBC earlier in September that they will be releasing the Galaxy X, a flip-phone style smartphone, by the end of this year.

And Samsung is not alone in the folding screen world. Over this year and the next, you can expect to see variants of the foldable screen from Motorola (the Razr may be on its way back), LG and Huawei, some folding like a book and others like the classic flip phone. JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Samsung’s new phone shows how hardware innovation has slowed

NEW YORK — Samsung’s new smartphone illustrates the limits of innovation at time when hardware advances have slowed.

The new phone, the Galaxy Note 9, will be faster and will last longer without a recharge. But while earth-shattering new features are in short supply, it will carry an earth-shattering price tag: $1,000.

The minor improvements reflect a smartphone industry that has largely pushed the limits on hardware. Major changes tend to come every few years rather than annually, and this isn’t the year for anything revolutionary in the Note.


The new phone will get some automatic photo editing and a stylus that can serve as a remote control. But the highlights will be a bigger battery, a faster processor and improved cellular speeds.

“You don’t see massive breakthroughs anymore from a hardware perspective,” said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst with Creative Strategies. “Everything is a little bit better, but nothing’s revolutionary.”

A 21 percent boost in battery capacity from last year’s Note 8 should translate to more than a day of normal use without a recharge. Samsung has been conservative on battery improvements ever since its Note 7 phone in 2016 developed a tendency to burst into flame, prompting an expensive recall and delivering a hit to the company’s reputation.

Since then, Samsung has subjected its phones to multiple inspections, including X-rays and stress tests at extreme temperatures. The company is also sending phones to outside labs, including UL, for independent safety tests.

“We’re three generations removed now,” Samsung’s director of US product marketing, Suzanne De Silva, said of the company’s renewed confidence in the battery. “This is the right innovation at the right time.”

Although Samsung’s Note phones are large, niche products intended for power users, they offer a preview of what’s to come in the mass-market Galaxy S line. A dual-lens camera, with better zooming, came to the Note 8 months before the S9 Plus got it, for instance. The Note also got curved edges before that became standard on Samsung’s flagship phones.

The new phones will come out Aug. 24 in the U.S. Borrowing from the iPhone’s playbook, the Note 9 will have the same price regardless of carrier. The starting price is $1,000, an increase from the Note 8, but on par with Apple’s top-of-the-line iPhone X. The Note 9 will get double the storage, at 128 gigabytes, compared with typical high-end phones, including the iPhone X. Samsung will also sell a 512-gigabyte version for power users for $1,250.

Even though the improvements from last year aren’t huge, Technalysis Research analyst Bob O’Donnell said they will come across as major for those who haven’t upgraded for a few years.


Thursday’s announcement in New York comes about a month before Apple is expected to unveil new iPhones. There’s been speculation — unconfirmed by Apple — that all new iPhones will ditch the home button and fingerprint sensor and rely entirely on facial-recognition technology found in the iPhone X. The Note 9 will still have a fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone. In a jab at Apple, Samsung executives also frequently emphasize that their phones have standard headphone jacks, which newer iPhones no longer do.

The camera in the Note 9 will use artificial intelligence to detect what’s in a scene — whether that’s food, flowers or a sunset — to automatically tweak images to make them pop. It’s much like applying filters with an app, except that the phone will do this itself, much the way Google’s Pixel phones already do.

As with the Pixel, the Note won’t be saving a version without the tweaks. Purists can turn the feature off to get images that reflect what the eye sees — an option unavailable with Pixel. The camera will also offer a warning if someone blinked in a shot, or if the image is blurry.

The Note’s stylus will now have Bluetooth, allowing people to control phones and apps from up to 30 feet away. This will let people control music or snap selfies just by clicking the stylus.

Samsung also said the popular shooter game “Fortnite” is coming to Android and will be exclusive to Samsung phones until Sunday.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Samsung Messages app randomly sends photos to phone contact list

Samsung Galaxy owners have complained about unauthorized texts and photos being sent out at random from their smartphones through Samsung’s Messages app.

Users’ complaints on the official Samsung forums and Reddit indicated that their Samsung devices including the more recent models Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S9 have been texting contacts at random without any notification. These text messages also included photos stored in their respective devices, reports Gizmodo.

Furthermore, the messages do not leave any trace that they were sent, leaving phone owners clueless on what just went out of their devices.

Users theorize the issue has something to do with the recent Rich Communication Services (RCS) update, which rolled out on American mobile carriers like T-Mobile. RCS was meant to update the old short messaging system (SMS) protocol with new features. These features include improved media sharing, read receipts and typing indicators. Unfortunately, these updates may have interacted badly with Samsung’s Messages app, according to the report.

Observations from some users showed the issue did not happen on other messaging apps.

Samsung acknowledged an inquiry from Gizmodo that it was aware of the bug and that it is currently working on a fix. T-Mobile, on the other hand, insisted it was not an issue from their end.

For now, Samsung smartphone users are advised to revoke storage access permission from Messages through the device’s app settings until the bug can be patched up.   Alfred Bayle /ra

source: technology.inquirer.net

Leaked video purports to reveal Samsung Galaxy Note 9 design

New video and images, claimed to be factory leaks, along with speculations, are starting to offer a picture of what to expect from the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, believed to be set for an August reveal. So far, the exterior appears to be a clone of the Galaxy Note 8, while tech fans are analyzing the clues to figure out what will be found under the hood.

A set of 3D renders of what is supposedly the new model were published Thursday on 91mobiles, along with a 360-degree video, confirming Bloomberg’s report that the Note 9 “will look similar to last year’s model.” Almost a month ago, noted leakster @UniverseIce tweeted two images of devices side by side, one being the likely version that will be unveiled, a Note 8 lookalike, the other a slightly wider version with less top and bottom bezel captioned, “Samsung can achieve this design…But still gives us such a design” (on the lookalike model). The poster hypothesized that such a similar design “may be to save manufacturing costs.” Another tweet projected that if “lucky, you will see 8GB RAM and 512GB ROM Galaxy Note 9.”

The dimensions of the upcoming model are thought to be 161.9 x 76.3 x 8.8 mm, “around 6.3-inches,” which means it’s slightly shorter, wider, and thicker than the Note 8,” as reported by 91mobile, who have partnered with @OnLeaks, another industry tipster, to glean “concrete info about the Note 9.”



The Note 9 might arrive with a slightly thinner bezel, Infinity Display and supposedly the same buttons and ports as seen before: volume and power buttons on the left, dedicated Bixby button on the right. Users not ready to lose their wired headphones will be happy to see that the 3.5mm jack port is likely to stay on the base, alongside the microphone, USB Type C port, speaker and silo for the ejectable S Pen.

The back is where the design seems to have been reworked. Note 9 may have its fingerprint scanner below the camera module, which suggests that there won’t be an under-display fingerprint scanner.

As for other expected specs, nothing has been confirmed although multiple tech blogs are expecting the device to be powered by the latest Samsung Exynos 9810 or upgraded Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC, depending upon the region. As for the cameras, chances are that the Galaxy S9 will lend its latest rear-camera setup to the Note 9, offering better low-light performance and the ability to record slow-motion video at up to 960 frames per second (at 720p resolution).

Unless more puzzle pieces are leaked in the next coming weeks, to see the full list of specs Samsung fans will probably have to wait until Aug. 9, the date tipped by Bloomberg as the unveiling. JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 rumors are big, we’re talking terabytes

An industry insider claims that Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will have double the internal storage and 8 gigabytes of RAM of the current Note model.

Samsung confirmed the existence of a Galaxy Note 9 when Gray G. Lee, Head of the AI Centre Under Samsung Research told The Korea Herald “that the upcoming flagship smartphone model in the second half of the year would feature the advanced Bixby platform,” following the brand’s press conference to announce its vision for AI earlier this month.

Apart from knowing the Galaxy Note 9 and its stylus are on their way, very little has been confirmed. There are however a few rumors, one of which is making big headlines. And by big, we’re talking 512 gigabytes big, with the possibility of more via the microSD slot.

The “industry insider” who goes by the Twitter handle @UniverseIce told his followers on May 26 that “If you are lucky, you will see 8GB RAM and 512GB ROM Galaxy Note 9.”

That’s a notable upgrade from the current options of 64/128/256 gigabytes accompanied by 6 gigabytes of RAM for last year’s Galaxy Note 8.

Forbes picked up on the rumor from the “ever-mysterious yet consistently accurate” tipster and noted that “the Galaxy Note 9 will retain a microSD slot (compatible with up to 512 gigabytes) which means this could be the world’s first mass-market 1 terabyte-capable smartphone.”

Meanwhile, tech blog T3 claims that other expected features could “include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 CPU for the US and an Exynos 9810 in the UK. There should also be a microSD slot capable of taking 2TB cards.”

Presuming some of it’s true and there will be at least a capacity for 1 terabyte, that would mean thousands of mp3s, photos and videos for users.

T3 also writes “Expect Samsung to launch the Galaxy Note 9 around late August or early September time,” which could make sense as the Note 8 was released that time last year. JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

AI head: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 to feature Bixby 2.0

Gray G. Lee, head of the AI Center under Samsung Research, said Thursday the upcoming flagship Galaxy Note 9 will adopt an upgraded artificial intelligence platform, Bixby 2.0.

To the question of the expected launch of Bixby 2.0, Lee told The Korea Herald that the upcoming flagship smartphone model in the second half of the year would feature the advanced Bixby platform, after a press conference to announce Samsung’s vision for AI.

According to his remarks, Bixby 2.0 will be upgraded with enhanced natural language processes, improved noise resistance capability and quicker response times.


Samsung is preparing to unveil the Galaxy Note 9 in August, which will be one of the attention-grabbing high-end smartphones to be launched in the second half of this year.

To improve its AI platform and technologies, Samsung plans to expand its workforce that specializes in AI to up to 1,000, continue creating AI centers in different parts of the world, and consider mergers and acquisitions of promising AI businesses, Lee said.

“Samsung’s AI vision has five directions: user centric, always learning, always there, always helpful and always safe,” Lee said.

Samsung plans to connect a total of 14 million units of its products with the Bixby platform this year, and aims to connect all by 2020.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Samsung launches new S9 phone with augmented reality features

BARCELONA, Spain — Samsung unveiled its new flagship smartphone on Sunday with a focus on augmented reality features as it seeks to keep its title as the world’s biggest smartphone maker.

The South Korean firm showcased the Galaxy S9 on the eve of the official start of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which comes after a year of flat smartphone sales.

With no other major handset maker using the annual event, the world’s largest phone show, to launch a new flagship device this year, Samsung had the opportunity to grab the spotlight.

The S9 features essentially the same design as last year’s previous flagship, with the full screen and curved glass edge of the S8, which was followed by Apple’s iPhone X and others.

But it includes louder sound, a faster processor and software that turns selfies into animated emojis, which will appeal to consumers who are increasingly preferring to use their phones to send text messages rather than talking.

Samsung also included a dual lens camera on the Galaxy S line for the first time, which will improve low-light capture and enhance slow motion video, which is popular on social media.

A service powered by artificial intelligence (AI) allows users to point its camera to instantly translate a sign in a foreign language.

It is also one of the few flagship phones left that still comes with a standard headphone jack.

“Despite these incremental innovations, Samsung will have to smartly leverage its brand and marketing machine to correctly position the new smartphones to a target audience,” said Forrester analyst Thomas Husson.

Global smartphone sales fell by 6.3 percent in the fourth quarter due to slower than expected Christmas sales, according to research firm IDC.

Overall global smartphone sales for 2017 were virtually flat — down 0.1 percent at 1.47 billion units — as phone makers struggled to come up with innovations that encourage customers to upgrade their devices.

Cost concerns

Samsung suffered a humiliating recall of its Galaxy Note 7 device in 2016 after several devices exploded, but its Galaxy 8 smartphone was a consumer and critical success.

While it kept its lead over Apple as the world’s biggest seller of smartphones in 2017 with a 21.6 percent market share, up from 21.1 percent in the previous year, Samsung faces stiffer competition from Chinese rivals like Huawei and Xiaomi that offer cheaper handsets with many high-end features.

The S9 will sell for 859 euros ($1,055), a price which analysts warned could turn off many consumers.

While the S9’s camera is “markedly different” in quality from older smartphones that people already own “consumers may delay purchase because of rising flagship prices,” IHS Markit said in a research note.

“Samsung must work hard to market the benefits of these designs to counter negative pricing perception.”

Huawei unveiled a new laptop and tablet in Barcelona earlier on Sunday but will present its new flagship smartphone — the P20 — on March 27 in Paris.

Thomas said this will allow it to “fine tune its marketing message based on how the new Samsung S9 devices are perceived by consumers”.

Earlier on Sunday South Korea’s LG unveiled the V30S — an updated version of its flagship V30 smartphone launched six months ago — which features higher memory and artificial intelligence-based technologies that focus on photos and voice recognition.

More than 100,000 people are expected to descend on Barcelona for the annual show, which features driverless carmakers, social media giants and chip companies in addition to handset makers. /cbb

source: technology.inquirer.net

WATCH: Samsung Galaxy S9 launch video breaks into the internet ahead of sked

Samsung Galaxy S9’s reveal video broke into the internet one day ahead of the Galaxy Unpacked 2018 event which was scheduled for Feb. 25. in Barcelona, Spain.

The video uploaded on YouTube channel Slashleask on Feb. 24 banners the S9 tagline of “The Phone. Reimagined.” and goes on to explain the various features that Samsung included in its new flagship device.

One of the highlights of the new smartphone is an upgraded version of the S8’s Samsung DeX Station, which turned the phone into a makeshift desktop computer through a special dock.

Augmented reality appears to be another selling point for the S9. The video shows how AR could be used for the work environment rather than just for playing games.

The S9, as shown, have both facial recognition and fingerprint scanning features as security measures. However, it may be worth noting that the fingerprint scanner could be seen on the back of the phone instead of being embedded in the front screen.

Finally, there’s the Enterprise Edition of the S9. The video claims it as an adaptation for the modern mobile workforce to provide better data security and reliability. Software updates could be controlled by a company’s IT administrators, which Samsung hopes would better protect its phones against cyber attacks.

All in all, the video geared the Samsung Galaxy S9 as a productivity tool meant to help modern mobile workers get more done with a single tool. The use of AR as a tool for work reminds us of how Microsoft marketed their Hololens AR headset. How people will actually use the technology in the real world remains to be seen, until the S9 hits store shelves. JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Galaxy Note 8 showcase slated for August

One of the iPhone’s contenders in the smartphone market, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, is expected to be launched soon in  New York.

Korean news site The Bell reports that Samsung’s latest device will be unveiled at around mid-August at a showcase in New York. Sales are expected to start some time in September.

Past Galaxy Note devices were launched at the Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (IFA), a consumer electronics and home appliance trade show annually held in September. However, given rumors that the iPhone 8 is to be launched in September and likely sold a month later, Samsung’s August showcase of the Galaxy Note 8 could be part of the strategy to give the device a market advantage. It would be the sole premium device in the smartphone market for much of September until the iPhone 8 becomes available globally.

Coincidentally, Galaxy Note 8 is going to be released in the same month the Note 7 was introduced a year before.

Industry sources did not reveal any more information, but past rumors suggested that the Galaxy Note 8 will come with a 6.3-inch display and other high-end features, including Samsung’s voice assistant Bixby. A dual camera system is also expected to be packaged with the Note 8 which would allow for both regular and wide angle shots.

There are also speculations on whether the Galaxy Note 8 will come with a fingerprint sensor embedded on the display. If it does, the Note 8 is expected to become a stronger contender to the much anticipated iPhone 8 that is also rumored to come with the same biometric technology. Alfred Bayle/JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Customers seeing red on Galaxy S8, Samsung promises software fix

While most new owners of the Galaxy S8 are satisfied with their purchase, a few have reported seeing red on their devices. Thankfully, Samsung is quick on its toes in addressing these concerns.

The Korea Herald reports that a few Galaxy S8 phones have been showing a distinctly red hue on their screens. Samsung then confirms that a software upgrade will be rolled soon to address the reports of “dissatisfied customers.”

“Because there are some complaints about the red-tinted screens, we decided to upgrade the software next week for all Galaxy S8 clients,” says a Samsung spokesperson to The Korea Herald.

Furthermore, another update will come out by the end of April for a more minute tweaking of the color revisions.

Considering what Samsung has been through, a little red on the screen should be easily remedied with an OTA update. Alfred Bayle/JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+ supports two Bluetooth headphones

Samsung’s new flagship Galaxy S8 is chock-full of new technologies, including the new Bluetooth 5.0. Thanks to this, the device can support two Bluetooth headphones at any given time.

The new Bluetooth 5.0 standard is a big improvement over its predecessor. It transfers data faster while using up less energy.

TechRadar reports that through this technology, users will be able to hook up two separate bluetooth headphones to the Galaxy S8 and S8+.

Someone listening on a pair of Bluetooth headphones will now be able to share music with another bluetooth device without having to untether his own headphones.

Apart from the potential for greater wireless audio, the convenience offered by tethering two Bluetooth headphones at the same time is certainly a welcome edition. Alfred Bayle/JB

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source: technology.inquirer.net

Samsung Galaxy S8 rumored to have 6-inch screen

Evan “Evleaks” Blass has done it again. As Samsung tries to keep the lid tight on its upcoming flagship smartphone, a mostly complete spec sheet has been leaked by the prominent phone leaker.

Engadget reports that while the leaked spec sheet is still very much in rumor territory, Blass has had a good track record so far. That said, it’s interesting to see that the Galaxy S8+ will be getting a very large 6.2-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED display. That is just 0.1mm shy of Lenovo’s 6.3-inch monster-of-a-phone, the Phab2. It’s even larger than the retired Galaxy Note 7.

Unlike the Phab2, the supposed Galaxy S8+ might actually be a lot smaller, thanks to Samsung’s super slim bezel design. After all, previous reports stated that Samsung is not quite done with the Note line and a phablet-sized flagship phone would essentially render any Note device in the future redundant.

The rest of the items listed on the spec sheet are hardly attention grabbers. An iris scanner, LTE connectivity, 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage, and a 12-megapixel rear camera are all fairly standard for high-end devices.

Since Samsung won’t be launching the Galaxy S8 at the Mobile World Congress next week, we’ll just have to wait and see what innovations and gimmicks they will come up with to differentiate their device from the crop of flagship phones fresh from the congress. Alfred Bayle/JB

source: technology.inquirer.net