Samsung’s first ever mid range dual camera smartphone is out

397

Just recently, Samsung’s Note line of smartphones was brought back to life with the unveiling of the Galaxy Note 8. Apart from its top notch specs, and its somewhat unfortunate resemblance to the Galaxy S8 series, the company’s latest flagship phablet is the first ever Samsung device with a dual camera setup. That has changed as the company has launched another dual camera smartphone, this time a more affordable one.

The Galaxy J7 Plus has been leaked lately and it has finally been silently launched by Samsung. The entire spec sheet speaks mid range, starting with the 5.5-inch AMOLED display on the front. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio P20 processor instead of a Snapdragon chip, and features 4GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage.

While the Galaxy J7 Plus is a mid ranger compared to the Galaxy Note 8, the dual rear camera setup of the former device shouldn’t disappoint at all. The Galaxy J7 Plus sports a setup of 13MP and 5MP sensors with f/1.7 and f/1.9 apertures respectively. The front facing 16MP camera will definitely suit selfie enthusiasts as well. It packs a 3,000mAh battery and runs on Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.

Samsung’s second dual camera smartphone is currently available on its official Thailand website for pre orders. The Galaxy J7 costs 12,990 THB (RM 1,667.79) and by the looks of it, should be made available in Malaysia pretty soon.

dual camera
galaxy j7 plus
mediatek
mid-range
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thailand


Samsung’s flip phone poster emerges online with outrageous design

488

A poster of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip foldable phone has emerged online and it takes its name quite literally.

We know at this point that the phone folds in a clamshell fashion, but the poster depicts a phone that folds in the shape of a ‘Z’ – this surely has to be stylized to put emphasis on the Galaxy Z brand. There’s no way Samsung would make a phone with two hinges…. right?

Image credit: Weibo

Imagine the phone unfolded – what a sizeable device that would be; way too big and long (hey, hey) to be practical. A part of us think that someone got the original poster for the Galaxy Z and decided to play around with Photoshop, adding the second hinge and fold.

So with this, if you ignore the bottom part of the device, we could very well be seeing the official poster of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. Plus, Samsung CEO DJ Koh had already announced the concept for the device in CES 2020, so more official news should come pouring through soon.

android
dj koh
fold
Galaxy Bloom
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poster
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Samsung’s foldable smartphone to be officially announced this month

285

Foldable smartphones are apparently a thing now; Xiaomi teased their prototype foldable smartphone last month, while Samsung Galaxy Fold will be the Korean manufacturer’s take on the idea.

According to TechNave, the Galaxy Fold is set to be officially unveiled at Unpacked 2019. Samsung teased the news on their twitter page via a 15 second video. In the clip shows the sentence “The Future Unfolds”, followed by the date February 20 – suggesting that the word “Unfold” hints at a reveal of the Galaxy Fold. But take this news with a grain of salt as nothing has been confirmed yet.

The future of mobile will unfold on February 20, 2019.
#SamsungEvent

pic.twitter.com/MHvwrt7Rf4

— Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile)
February 11, 2019

A graphic of the number 10 could also be seen – so it’s possible that the Galaxy S10 will be unveiled alongside the Galaxy Fold.

According to TechNave, the Galaxy Fold will feature Samsung’s Infinity Flex Display which will measure at 7.3-inches a secondary screen measuring 4.6-inches. The phone is also reportedly going to cost a whopping RM6,931.

galaxy
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Samsung’s FrameTV will double as an artwork

404

Samsung has always been known for taking out beautiful TVs that fits your home along side your furniture and now, the company included FrameTV which idea is to double as an art piece. This TV comes with LCD, UHD panel, Tizen OS smart TV features and a wall-mounting system that Samsung says you do not need to hire someone to mount it for you.

What makes the TV more appealing is that the company worked with famed Swiss industrial designer Yves Behar, who is the curator of some of the artwork you can display on the TV in ‘art mode’. The TV comes with 100 art pieces preloaded with categories ranging from landscape, action, architecture, drawings and wildlife and of course you can upload your own images via USB. The frame of the TV can even be change and art mode lets you change the border colours for each art piece, combined with a sensor in the TV, it can adjust the brightness depending on the lighting of the room, making digital images look like they are printed out.

The FrameTV will be available in 55 and 65 inch when it starts shipping in early June, sadly there is no announcement on the pricing of the TV but expect to hear some news when the shipping date comes closer.

art
artwork
frametv
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Samsung’s Galaxy A30 and Galaxy A50 are officially available in Malaysia!

395

It’s that time of the year again where the big guns in the mobile industry flex their mid-tier muscles. This time around, it’s Samsung who’ve stepped up to the plate with two new additions to their A-series of products – the Samsung Galaxy A30 and the Galaxy A50.

Both devices get a 6.4-inch FHD+ Infinity-U display, a 4,000mAh battery, and support for fast charging of up to 15W. Both phones come with Android Pie as well as Samsung’s One UI.

That’s where the similarities end for both devices. Taking a look under the hood, the A30 comes with the Exynos 7904 chipset, 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM. The Galaxy A50 gets a beefier Exynos 9610 chipset along with 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM.

Moving on to the back, the Galaxy A30 comes with a standard dual-lens setup (16MP main + 5MP ultra-wide lens); while the Galaxy A50 gets a triple-camera setup (25MP main + 8MP ultra-wide + 5MP depth sensor).

Moving to features, the Galaxy A30 gets a back-mounted fingerprint sensor, while the Galaxy A50 gets a sleeker in-screen scanner. Both devices support face unlock, which is a plus. The Galaxy A50 also supports voice-command wake up which the Galaxy A30 doesn’t.

You’ll be able to get both devices starting tomorrow; three colors are available – black, white and blue (no special color names here). The Galaxy A30 is priced at RM799 while the Galaxy A50 will set you back RM1,199.

a30
a50
android
galaxy
samsung


Samsung’s Galaxy A53 5G will not ship with a charger

1.3K

We reported previously that Samsung will not be shipping a power brick with their new Galaxy A series, and one leaked unboxing video of the Galaxy A53 5G has confirmed that Samsung will indeed ship the phone with a slimmer box due to the omission of a charging brick.

The phone will also not come with a protective case, but you still get a USB-C to USB-C cable and a SIM ejector PIN.

As Samsung is set to have an ‘Awesome Galaxy A Event’ on March 17th, the leaked unboxing video also gave us a quick glimpse of the Galaxy A53 5G’s design, you basically get the same polycarbonate back that is on the current A52s 5G, a quad-camera array and a rather small punch hole front camera cutout.

While the A53s 5G is considerably a higher end model in the Galaxy A series line up, it’d make sense for Samsung not to include chargers in the box as they aren’t budget smartphones, but that can’t be said for the same for the A0x and A1x models, as they are targeted at the budget conscious customers and without a charger, it could be deal breakers as such customers might just don’t want to purchase a charger separately.

We are definitely excited on what Samsung will be releasing in the coming days, as the current Galaxy A52s 5G has delivered stellar features for the price such as IP67 water resistance and stereo speakers, and if the A53 5G turned out to be awesome, we might probably forgive the company for omitting the charger.

Source:
SamMobile

galaxy a52s 5G
Galaxy A53 5G
samsung


Samsung’s Galaxy A60 will come with a 6.7-inch display and 4,500mAh battery

260

While we’ve previously mentioned the Samsung Galaxy A10, A30 and A50, the company is actually releasing more devices in this particular series. There’s also the premium mid-range device, the Galaxy A90 and the recently leaked device, the Galaxy A60.

The Galaxy A60 is said to be the model between the A50 and a rumoured Galaxy A70. It will have a huge display of 6.7 inches with a U-shaped notch and comes with a Super AMOLED panel, in addition to getting the on-screen fingerprint sensor.

Under the hood, the Galaxy A60 will sport a Qualcomm SM6150 processor paired with 6/8GB RAM and 128GB storage. Though it is not stated in the specs sheet, we are expecting the A60 to ship with Android 9 Pie. Battery wise, the phone will come with a hefty 4,500mAh battery that hopefully will support fast charging.

Image credit: SlashLeaks

In terms of cameras, the A60 will come with triple rear cameras and a 32MP front camera. The rear cameras consist of a 32MP main camera, a 5MP camera and a 8MP camera that is assumed to be an ultra wide camera.

Samsung is really on a roll this year with all the devices the company has already launched and all the devices it plans on releasing within the year. We’ll have to wait and see if the A60 will be coming to Malaysia.

Galaxy A60
samsung


Samsung’s Galaxy A7 has three cameras and a feature from the Note 9

361

We are still looking forward to what Samsung has in store for us this
October 11th
, but before that excitement kicks in, the company has announced the all new Galaxy A7, which comes with three cameras at the back and a high resolution selfie camera.

It isn’t uncommon of Samsung introducing new features to its mid-range devices before the flagships get them. For instance, the Galaxy C9 Pro launched last year was the first Samsung device to come with 6GB of RAM and a 4000mAh battery.

For starters, the Galaxy A7 features a 6-inch Super AMOLED 18:9 display with a FHD+ resolution, it is powered by an unmentioned Exynos Octa-Core processor clocked at 2.2GHz and supported by 4GB RAM and 128GB of storage.

As for the three cameras at the back, it plays a totally different game from the Huawei P20’s tri-lens solution, there’s a 24MP standard angle and 8MP 120-degree wide angle sensor, supported by a third 5MP depth lens for Live Focus aka bokeh. The 24MP lens is claimed to offer superior low light performance by combining four pixels into one pixel, the Galaxy Note 9’s Scene Optimizer feature is also present.

Another first on the Galaxy A7 is a side positioned fingerprint scanner, which isn’t new on smartphones as Sony XPERIA smartphones have done that for some time. Other premium features include Dolby Atmos sound technology, Bixby, Samsung Pay and Samsung Health. In terms of connectivity, the Galaxy A7 has WiFi AC, Bluetooth 5.0, and surprisingly, a Micro USB port.

With devices like the vivo v11, OPPO F9 and Huawei Nova 3 in the market, the Galaxy A7 seems to be Samsung’s answer to compete with these devices, and more will be revealed on October 11th as the company is set to announce an all new smartphone. The Galaxy A7 is set for a Fall release.

galaxy a7
galaxy a7 2018
samsung
samsung malaysia


Samsung’s Galaxy A70, with its massive 6.7-inch display and 4,500mAh battery, is now available in Malaysia

367

It’s here – the much-anticipated mid-ranger from Samsung has hit the shelves in Malaysia. The phone in question is the Samsung Galaxy A70, which was announced alongside the Galaxy A80 a month ago.

For a device that has a sub-RM2000 price tag, the Galaxy A70 packs some impressive specs. The phone comes with a massive 6.7-inch Infinity-U display with a drop-notch that houses the phone’s impressive 32MP selfie camera.

At the back is a triple-camera setup (32MP main + 8MP ultra-wide + 5MP depth sensor) that’s mounted on a 3D Glasstic body. Under the hood is an octa-core processor along with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. With these specs, the Galaxy A70 looks to be a capable device that’s worthy of being anyone’s daily driver.

Powering the device is a massive 4,500mAh battery that supports fast 25W charging via USB-C. The A70 also comes with an in-screen fingerprint scanner, and it runs on Android 9 while sporting Samsung’s much-lauded One UI.

In Malaysia, the phone will only be available in three colours – blue, black and white, and is priced at RM1,999. You can purchase the phone at all Samsung Experience stores and autohrised dealers nationwide.

android
galaxy
samsung
samsung galaxy a70


Samsung’s Galaxy A8s beats Huawei in the release of an Infinity-O display smartphone

284

Just when we thought Huawei will beat Samsung in releasing the first smartphone with Infinity-O display on 17 December, Samsung surprised everyone with its announcement on Weibo, stating that the Galaxy A8s will be launched earlier than Huawei’s Nova 4 because it’ll be revealed on 10 December, which is in less than a week’s time.

Samsung posted on its Weibo account, revealing a teaser poster that confirms the Galaxy A8s will not only be arriving with an Infinity-O display, but also be arriving faster than Huawei’s first Infinity-O display smartphone. It will be launched in Beijing, China and the Chinese words on the poster suggests that future Samsung devices will also be integrated with the Infinity-O display, which many are expecting to be the Galaxy S10 series.

Image credit: Samsung

While it is not confirmed, rumour has it that the A8s will come with 6.3-inch LCD display, and the hole on the display will house a 24MP front camera. It will also come with a USB Type-C port and might be Samsung’s first device to ditch the headphone jack.

The phone will also be expected to use Snapdragon 710 considering it’s a midrange smartphone, and come with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The smartphone will also be seen with a triple rear camera setup that might be of 25MP+5MP+10MP, and the battery is assumed to be of 3500mAh.

For now, it’s a definite win for Samsung in the race between Samsung and Huawei but what matters most is the quality of the smartphones that will be discovered when both devices are available to consumers.

A8s
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Infinity-O display
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Samsung's Galaxy J2 (2016) has a really huge notification light (ring)

307

Samsung’s new J series smartphones are decent when it comes to specs and value, unfortunately they all lack of a notification light, which is an important feature to some as it tells you the events happening on your phone without turning it on. Therefore, Samsung has added a really huge notification ring surrounding the camera ring of the Galaxy J2 (2016), which the company calls it the Smart Glow feature, this latest J series member has some decent entry-level specs as well, such as a 5-inch HD Super AMOLED display, a quad-core processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, an 8-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front camera, LTE support and a 2600mAh battery. Furthermore, the phone will come preloaded with Android Marshmallow, which is a step up from the other new J series smartphones.

The Smart Glow notification ring will allow users to configure up to four alerts, which users can choose to create and choose the color that they desire, it can also be assigned to specific contacts and used for positioning the rear camera for taking higher resolution selfies. Sadly, the Galaxy J2 (2016) will only be available in the Indian market starting July 14th and it retails at Rs.9,750 (RM578), which is slightly more expensive than the entry-level Galaxy J1 (2016) but with a richer set of features, but lets keep our fingers cross that the local Samsung folks would bring in the device at a later time, given that entry-level smartphones do tend to sell really well in Malaysia.

galaxyj2
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Samsung’s Galaxy M10 and M20 are their first smartphones to feature notches

322

Phones with display notches are a trend that not many phone makers can resist, not even the mighty Samsung. This is apparent as Samsung India had just released the first of their new range of Galaxy M series smartphones, the M10 and M20 – both of which sport notches.

Image credit: SoyaCincau

The M10 and M20 are mid-ranged devices that aim to give users a bang for their buck. The pricier M20 variant costs 10,990 Rupees, or around RM640, and features a whopping 6.3-inch Full HD+ Infinity-V display, an Exynos 7904 Octa-core processor, an option of either 3GB or 4GB RAM and more.

The phone runs on Android 8.1 out of the box and sports a 13MP dual-camera setup. Samsung also boasts good battery life for the model, claiming that on a full charge you can watch 28 hours’ worth of videos.

Image credit: DroidHolic

Meanwhile, the cheaper M10 is priced at 7,990 Rupees, or RM462, and comes equipped with a smaller 6.22-inch HD+ Infinity V display, an Exynos 7870 processor, an option of either 2GB or 3GB RAM and more. The M10 will also run on Android 8.1 and get the same 13MP dual-camera setup.

The M10 and M20 are currently only available in India, but it could soon make its way to local shores and would make for worthy competitors to their mid-range counterparts.

android
samsung
smartphone


Samsung’s GALAXY Note 4 specs leaked by retailer, it really is supercharged

344

We know
Samsung
 will be debuting its
GALAXY Note 4
 in its upcoming UNPACKED event at IFA Berlin, a
cellphone
 retailer in Indonesia has apparently leaked the specs of the phone that looks very legit. Things we should be seeing include a Snapdragon 805 quad-core CPU or an Exynos Octa Core depending on networks and regions, a 5.7-inch Quad HD display, 4GB of RAM, up to 64GB of built-in storage with expandable storage, 16 Megapixel main camera with O.I.S, dual band WiFi AC, Bluetooth 4.0 LE and microUSB 3.0.

Of course there will be additional software features which isn’t mentioned here, if the source is accurate, the
GALAXY Note 4
 will become the most powerful smartphone ever and first announced phone to come with a Snapdragon 805 CPU with 4GB of RAM. One last thing that we want to know, will the
GALAXY Note 4
 actually feature the new design language found on the recently announced
GALAXY Alpha
 and an improved faux leather backcover? We assume so and we’ll wait patiently for IFA to come. Bring it on, Sammy!

Source:
Erafone

Via:
TechnoBuffalo
,
Phandroid


Samsung's Galaxy S8 A.I. assistant will work with all native apps

346

We’ve known for a while now
 that Samsung’s Galaxy S8 will come with its own A.I. assistant made by Viv Labs. Today, leaks regarding this assistant’s capabilities were leaked, and it appears that this assistant will be much more prominent that expected.

According to
SamMobile’s
 sources, it appears that the Galaxy S8 assistant, which is reportedly called Bixby, will be available in almost all native apps. Bixby’s capabilities itself is similar to that of Google Assistant as you can ask Bixby to show you pictures and videos that fulfill certain criteria when you’re inside the Gallery app for example. In addition to that, Bixby is said to be able to offer answers and actions based on the context, something both Google Assistant and Siri is capable of.

Besides Bixby, the sources have also reveal some additional information about the S8. For one, Samsung has updated most of its native apps with a new UI that makes them look similar to one another. The company has also make it so that the status bar on the Galaxy S8 will always be visible, meaning you’ll no longer need to swipe twice to access notifications and quick setting toggles.

Source:
SamMobile

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assistant
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Samsung's Galaxy S8 to have whopping 6GB of RAM

336

With the image of Samsung’s best phone to date – the Galaxy Note 7 still in our minds, the phablet’s sales and production had to be ceased due to explosion tragedies and fire incidents surrounding it. Rumor also has it that Samsung has been rushing to push out the Galaxy S8 to make up for all the losses sustained with the Galaxy Note 7. Latest claims tell us that the S8 will be sporting a 5.5-inch display instead.

The latest rumor originates from Chinese micro blogging site Weibo, claiming that the S8 will feature a Super AMOLED screen with QHD resolutio, plus a staggering 6GB of RAM. Smartphones with 6GB of RAM in 2016 are usually by Chinese manufacturers, till Samsung launched its first 6GB RAM handset, the Galaxy C9 Pro in the Chinese market. Having said that, 2017 seems more like the right year to start implementing 6GB of RAM underneath the hood of smartphones.

Other rumors include a new Snapdragon 830 or Samsung’s own Exynos 9985 depending on the region. Apart from that, the upcoming flagship is also expected to come with Google DayDream VR support, plus a Samsung USB Type-C Gear VR headset. The Galaxy S8 is slated to make its debut at MWC 2017 next year. What do you think?

Source:
Weibo

6gb
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qhd
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Samsung's Galaxy S8 will come with an A.I. assistant

349

With the Note 7 pretty much dead and buried, Samsung’s mobile division is moving on to its new target: the Galaxy S8. In a report by the Wall Street Journal, Samsung’s Vice President of Mobile Lee Kyeong-tae has revealed some details about the upcoming smartphone, and some of the additions made to the phone looks to be interesting.

As is expected of a new phone, Lee has mentioned that Samsung will be revamping the S8, giving it a “slick design and an improved camera.” However, the big feature that will be coming to the S8 is artificial-intelligence, as Lee stated that the phone will receive an “enhanced artificial-intelligence service.”

Lee did not specify what exactly this A.I. service is, but seeing as Samsung has
recently purchased Viv Labs
, an educated guess can be made that Samsung will be introducing its own A.I. assistant (e.g. Siri, Cortana) with the S8. As Samsung has previously mentioned that the company is looking to integrate A.I. into its other products, the S8 could very well be a test drive for Samsung’s own digital assistant.

Samsung is currently looking to release the S8 early next year. Hopefully Samsung’s decision to rush the S8 out won’t come back to bite them in the rear.

Source:
The Next Web
,
Wall Street Journal

ai
assistant
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Samsung's Galaxy S8 will have an S8+ variant with a 6.2" screen

314

Another day, another piece of information about Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S8 smartphone gets leaked. Today, we get our first bit of information about the other variant of the S8, and from the looks of things, this particular model could potentially be bigger than expected.

Samsung Galaxy S8+ spec sheet. Impress your friends, confound your enemies…with knowledge.
pic.twitter.com/lHrHge8BUa

— Evan Blass (@evleaks)
February 22, 2017

Well-known leaker Evan Blass has managed to get his hands on the specifications sheet of the S8+, and it reveals that the S8+ will sport 6.2″ “full rectangle” QHD Super AMOLED display. Taking into account the curved screens that the S8+ will most likely have, then the screen size of the phone is measured at 6.1″. While the screen size is definitely bigger than the standard S8, it is possible that the S8+ would have the same, if not slightly bigger footprint than the normal S8.

Other information revealed about the S8+ includes a 12MP Dual Pixel rear camera, 8MP front camera, IP68 rating, Iris Scanner, Samsung Knox security etc. While we don’t have the full specifications list just yet, the S8+’s components will most likely be identical to the regular S8.

Source:
The Verge

galaxy
leaks
s8
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Samsung’s Galaxy S9 and S9+ to receive minor design update

508

The Galaxy S8 had one of the best smartphone designs last year, and it managed to inspire a number of knockoffs to. As we are closing in the launch dates of the new
Galaxy S9
 and S9+, @evleaks has once again leaked renders of the new devices just like it did last year with the Galaxy S8. Judging on the renders, we can notice that there are still visible forehead and chin bezels like the S8, but we can’t quite make it out if Samsung has increased the bezel thickness on the sides due to reflections on the render.

Given that the S8 is the first device to receive a design update since the S6, it would make a lot of sense for Samsung to refine the current design rather than designing an entirely new one, both phones’ screen size are also expected to remain the same as the S8 and S8+, which is at 5.8″ and 6.2″ respectively. As for specs, we are expecting either a Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 chip, a 4GB/64GB and 6GB/128GB storage configuration for the S9 and S9+ respectively, the camera is also teased to have a variable aperture range of f/1.5-f/2.4. Evan Blass has also noted that the Galaxy S9+ could also receive Stereo Speakers, which hasn’t been present on a Samsung phone for the longest time.

February 26 is the date to lock on to your screens, as Samsung will be unveiling the Galaxy S9 and S9+ on its UNPACKED event, which you can catch it on
its official live stream
.

galaxy s9
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Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A has support for S-Pen and arrives in Malaysia

276

Some folks have always complained that
Samsung
 hasn’t made its S-Pen available across its devices and you’ll need to shell out a huge amount of cash to be able to purchase a Galaxy Note series product. Today,
Samsung
 Malaysia has finally announced the availability of its Galaxy Tab A series and yes, they come with S-Pen support and LTE connectivity.

Available in both 8 and 9.7 inches, the
Galaxy Tab
 A comes with a quad-core 1.2GHz processor with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of flash expandable via MicroSD, 5-megapixel main and 2-megapixel front cameras and comes preloaded with Android Lolllipop out of the box. What’s disappointing with these two devices is that despite of its acceptable performance internals, their screen resolutions are limited at XGA (1024×768) however with a 4:3 screen aspect ratio, they both serve as quite a good reading device if you aren’t too particular about that resolution.

The
Galaxy Tab
 A tablets are the first of its kind to support the company’s S Pen out of the Note product line up, which users are able to take notes with accuracy and capture screenshots with ease and save them with
Samsung
’s useful S-Note software. To complete the device’s value, Samsung is also offering 100GB of free Microsoft OneDrive storage for two years and offering freeGalaxy Gifts downloadable content.

Thinking to grab a
Galaxy Tab
 A, head on to Samsung retail stores and authorized resellers now as both the 8 and 9.7-inch model of the tablet is available at RM1,299 and RM1,599 respectively with LTE connectivity and inclusive of GST. They are available in colors of Sandy White, Sandy Black and Smoky Titanium, take your pick folks.


Samsung’s GALAXY Tab Active is a rugged tablet for professionals

372

After announcing its flagship
GALAXY
 Note 4 yesterday,
Samsung
 continues to introduce a rugged
tablet
 for business, meet the
GALAXY
 Tab Active, an 8” tablet that comes in mid-range specifications. The tablet comes with an anti-shock covering that is able to withstand a 1.2-meter drop with the protective cover on, it is also IP67 certified water and dust resistant which will be very useful for users who wants to bring a tablet to tough environments without worrying about damaging it.

In terms of specs, the
GALAXY
 Tab Active sports an unnamed Quad-Core 1.2GHz processor, 1.5GB RAM, 16GB built-in storage with MicroSD expansion, 8” WXGA (1280×800) TFT LCD display, 3.1MP AF/1.2MP main and front cameras, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and a 4450mAh battery. The
tablet
 will come preloaded with Android 4.4 KitKat. In addition,
Samsung
 also includes the C-Pen stylus at the tablet’s protective to cover for using the
tablet
 should users aren’t able to operate the tabletwhen wearing gloves, Samsung’s enterprise grade KNOX platform is also available on the tablet as well.

Lastly,
Samsung
 is also throwing in a Mobile Care Service for the
tablet
 that delivers an extended basic warranty period up to three years and a Smart Tutor Service that gives every users a safe and seamless access to technical support. Availability and pricing has not been stated by Samsung officials, the tablet will come in bothe WiFi only and WiFi+LTE variants.


Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S2 could have Galaxy S6 inspired design and measures 5.5mm

316

Samsung’s
Galaxy
 S6’s drastic design language change is sure to be used on some of the company’s products this year and it seems that the upcoming product could be the
Galaxy
 Tab S2, which according to Twitter user @OnLeaks, the
tablet
 could feature a dimension of 237.17 x 169.58 x 5.5mm and a Galaxy S6 inspired design.

Since last year’s
Galaxy
 Tab S features the very similar design as the
Galaxy S5
, we won’t see no reason for
Samsung
 to continue that trend to implement the Galaxy S6’s premium design on their flagship tablet. If that 5.5mm thinness is true, the Galaxy Tab S2 is set to become the world’s most thinnest
tablet
 out there. While details are still scarce, we can assume that Samsung will continue to use its Exynos 7420 system-on-chip mated to 3GB of RAM, up to 128GB of storage and hopefully this time, a MicroSD slot will be available for storage expansion.


Samsung’s Galaxy Tab Year-End Promotion offers free 128GB MicroSD card

264

In conjunction with the celebration of the season, Samsung is organising the Samsung’s Galaxy Tab Year-End Promotion, and the promotion will last throughout the month of December.

Samsung will be giving away a free 128GB MicroSD card with purchases of the Samsung Galaxy tablets from the Tab S and Tab A series. However, the promotion is only available for selected tablets, and the tablets include the Galaxy Tab S4 10.5”, Galaxy Tab S3 9.7”and Galaxy Tab A 10.1” which are all inclusive of the S Pen. Other than that, tablets that does not include the S Pen but also comes with the free 128GB MicroSD card are the Galaxy Tab A 10.5” and the Galaxy Tab A 8.0”.

Image credit: Samsung

Aside from that, if you purchase the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 7.0”, you’ll be entitled to get a free 64GB MicroSD card. Compared to the rest of the tablets mentioned, the Galaxy Tab A 7.0” is the cheapest in which it is priced at RM659. On the other hand, the priciest Samsung table mentioned is the Galaxy Tab S4 that comes with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage and has a 10.5-inch Super AMOLED display. The tablet costs RM3,099 and comes in Black or Grey.

Do note that the promotion is only available while stocks last, so you will only get the free gift if you’re quick enough. The promotion is only applicable to participating outlets, so make sure that you visit a Samsung authorised outlet or visit Samsung’s online store to get the free MicroSD card when you purchase the selected tablets.

Galaxy Tab
samsung
Samsung Galaxy Tab A
Samsung Galaxy Tab S


Samsung’s Galaxy Watch6 series come with larger displays and improved sleep tracking

4.5K

Introduced alongside the Galaxy Z Foldables, Samsung has officially launched the Galaxy Watch6 and Galaxy Watch6 Classic, designed to aid users in adopting healthier daily habits. The Galaxy Watch6 series incorporates holistic health features and impressive performance, encased in an elegant, modern design that showcases a larger vibrant display and a slimmer bezel.

A notable feature of both models is the inclusion of a larger selection of versatile watch faces and new band options, which further empower users in their wellness journeys. “With the new Galaxy Watch6 and Galaxy Watch6 Classic, we are delivering advanced health monitoring tools, now accessible right from the user’s wrist,” stated TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience at Samsung Electronics.

The Galaxy Watch6 series includes various features that promote healthier sleep patterns. Users receive personalized insights and actionable tips to improve their sleep, focus on building better habits, and create a conducive sleep environment. It offers a detailed analysis of sleep score factors such as total sleep time, sleep cycle, and awake time to ensure optimal physical and mental recovery.

Further enhancing its wellness offerings, the series introduces an extensive array of personalized fitness features. Through a collaboration with Whisk, users receive tailored nutritional tips alongside comprehensive body composition measurements. Additionally, the new Personalized Heart Rate Zone feature allows users to customize their workout goals according to their individual capabilities.

In terms of design, the Galaxy Watch6 series sports a 20% larger display, enhanced processor, and memory for smooth, quick interactions. Both models come with a slimmer rotating bezel and over 704 unique combinations of watch faces and bands, available for customization on Samsung’s website.

To support its larger and brighter display, the Galaxy Watch6 series is equipped with a larger battery and optimized battery consumption. Other notable features include the new Samsung Wallet, WhatsApp integration, and exclusive Google Calendar and Gmail apps on Wear OS.

Samsung also ensures robust security measures with the Samsung Knox security platform to secure personal data on the watch. The Galaxy Watch6 and Galaxy Watch6 Classic will be available in Malaysia from August 18, 2023, with multiple color options and prices ranging from RM1,099 to RM1,799. Prices are listed as below:

Models

RRP

Colours

Galaxy Watch6 Classic

47mm LTE

RM1,799

Silver, Black

Galaxy Watch6 Classic

47mm BT

RM1,499

Galaxy Watch6 Classic

43mm LTE

RM1,699

Galaxy Watch6 Classic

43mm BT

RM1,399

Galaxy Watch6

44mm LTE

RM1,499

Graphite, Silver

Galaxy Watch6

44mm BT

RM1,199

Galaxy Watch6

40mm LTE

RM1,399

Graphite, Gold

Galaxy Watch6

40mm BT

RM1,099

galaxy watch6
galaxy watch6 classic
samsung
samsung malaysia


Samsung’s Gear A round smartwatch is just around the corner

358

It’s been a while since
Samsung
 releases their own smartwatch and GSM Arena reported
Samsung
 will be releasing their first round smart watch with a codenamed – Orbis or Gear at. It will be unveiled together with the Galaxy Note 5 with an expected date of August 12, 2015. It’s been a while that the watch has been in the news quite a lot recently, with a few details about it have been revealed.

The Orbis will be powered by an Exynos 3472 chipset with a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and a 450 MHz Mali-400 MP4 GPU. Besides that it will have 768 MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, Bluetooth 4.1 and a 250 mAh battery. Then, you will get a GPS, accelerometer, gyro, barometer, heart rate monitor and a built-in Wi-Fi (802.11n).

Apparently, this smart watch also will be featuring a new and special version of Tizen that will have an interface designed specifically for a round screen with a resolution of 360×360 on a screen size of 1.65-inch. Surprisingly, the Orbis bezel ring will be used to control the UI and this element shows it might affect how big the screen itself can be in order for the watch reasonably fit as many people’s wrists as possible.

The price of the
Samsung
 Gear A haven’t been unveiled, but the release date might fall on August 12, 2015.

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Samsung's Gear S3 will be available for purchase on the 8th of December

274

Samsung smartwatch fans rejoice as Samsung Malaysia has officially announced that the Gear S3 will be making its entry into the Malaysian market on the 8th of December.

Both variants of the Gear S3 will be available in Malaysia of course. The first is the modern Gear S3 classic, the smartwatch that pays homage to the minimalist, elegant styles embodied by traditional timepieces. The other is the Gear S3 frontier, the smartwatch that is built with durable materials that fuse form and function, perfect for the outdoorsman.

While the styles of the Gear S3 are different, the interior components are mostly the same as both watch runs on a dual core 1.0GHz processor, 768MB of RAM, and run on the Tizen-based wearable platform 2.3.1.

Those who purchase the Gear S3 at launch will receive two additional watch straps in different colours as well as a limited edition watch collector box. Both freebies are available while stocks last so you’ll want to get watches ASAP. This offer is available when you purchase the Gear S3 either through Samsung SES stores, Samsung authorized dealers, or through Samsung’s online store on Lazada and 11street. Both the Gear S3 frontier and Gear S3 classic edition will retail for RM1,399.

classicedition
frontieredition
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Samsung’s largest 105-inch Curved UHD TV will cost you a house or luxurious car

263

If you’ve been watching our gadget reviews, you’ll notice that
Samsung
 has got a 65-inch Curved UHD TV here that boasts great display quality and viewing angles, while most consumers here still haven’t adapt to a curved display form factor, the company has actually introduced an even larger 105-inch to its Curved UHD TV portfolio.

The 105-inch UHD TV would most likely feature the similar features as found on the U9000 Curved UHD TV, except that it might come with more input ports and powerful processing unit onboard. The 105-inch curved UHD TV will retail at $120,000.


Samsung’s likely to integrate new AI chip into Galaxy S10

402

Mobile chip manufacturers are harnessing the power of AI, Huawei has done it with their Kirin chips, Qualcomm with their Snapdragon and even Apple with their A12 Bionic chip. Samsung wants to be more prominent in the AI chip market and will apparently be releasing a new SoC which will be implemented into the Galaxy S10 when it releases.

The company has completed the development of the second-generation Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for daily usage and Visual Processing Unit (VPU) for the camera, it is expected to come as the Exynos 9820 and it will be used in next year’s phones and tablets. This is not Samsung’s first attempt to use AI, the company has been using it in their Exynos 9180, equipped on phones like the Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ and The Galaxy Note 9. It is unsure if the new chip will live up to the Kirin 980, which come with dual-NPUs and is considered the most advance AI-based processor in the market.

Whether Samsung plans to stick to the Exynos processor for the international market is still unknown, however there might be a chance they will do so as it would financially benefit the company if they use their own processor in their own phones.

Exynos 9820
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Samsung’s Master Dual is an elegant flip-phone for the Korean market

263

Its been a while since we see some nice feature phones in the market, most of them are probably dead by now but you can’t deny that they are still the best phones around when you simply needed on that doesn’t have problems such as a slow processor or paltry amount of RAM. Enter the
Samsung
 Master Dual, this is the King of Android’s latest flip and feature phone made for the Korean market, it features a 2.2-inch external display and a pretty nice 3-inch display on the inside, both have QVGA (320×240) resolution so this is very much an entry level smartphone.

The Master Dual also have stuffs such as a 3 Megapixel main camera, FM radio, a built-in GPS and 1000mAh of battery power, it will only support 2G networks which is pretty sufficient for those who doesn’t need to go online. Granted, there are still some parts of Korea that doesn’t have that much of smartphone penetration so the Master Dual will probably do well over there. The Master Dual in our opinion is a beautiful hardware from
Samsung
, which makes us think why the company hasn’t utilize such form factor in its
GALAXY
 smartphone line ups, the phone will be available at a very pricey 300,300 Korean won (approx $280), if you simply love Samsung’s flip phone form factor, you probably won’t mind paying the price for it.

Source:
Samsung Tomorrow


Samsung’s mid-ranged Galaxy M20 could be coming to Malaysia

368

Let’s all cool down on the Galaxy S10 hype for a bit and shift our focus onto the upcoming Samsung Galaxy M series, Samsung’s first line of smartphones to feature notches.

The Galaxy M10 and M20 were released in India just two weeks ago and we were cautiously optimistic about its availability in Malaysia – and according to SoyaCincau, it seems likely we can get our hands on them soon.

Image credit: SoyaCIncau

The Galaxy M20 was seen on SIRIM’s database with the model number SM-M205, suggesting that the phone could arrive to local shores alongside the Galaxy S10.

Based on what was revealed in India, we know that the M20 is a mid-ranged product that is supposed to give users a bang for their buck.

Image credit: Samsung India

We also know that the Galaxy M20 will feature a 6.3-inch Full HD+ Infinity-V display, an Exynos 7904 Octa-core processor, an option of either 3GB or 4Gb RAM and more.

The phone comes with Android 8.1 out of the box and sports a 13MP dual-camera setup. We don’t know if the Malaysian versions of the phone will come packed with anything different from it’s Indian counterparts; but in any case, the phone looks promising and folks looking to spend around RM1000 or less on a new phone should keep an eye out on the Galaxy M20.

galaxy
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Samsung’s new 8K QLED TV is almost all picture

303

Samsung has taken to CES 2020 its TV-focused line-up of products this time around and one of the standout products debuted by the Korean company is a QLED 8K TV that offers 99-percent picture  real estate.

Dubbed the Q950TS, the TV is considered bezeless but actually has a 2.3mm metallic frame that is not noticeable when the panel is turned on. According to pictures, it really appears like you’re just looking at all picture and no frame – impressive.

Image credit: The Verge

Plus, the TV is surprisingly thin measuring at only 15mm even when it’s packed with a local dimming LED backlight setup. There aren’t a lot of 8K content out right now, so you’d be hard-pressed to find a reason to buy this thing, but we say let companies innovate – in time, 8K will eventually become the new normal, and TVs like this could more living rooms then.

That’s especially likely since Samsung has equipped the TV with AI ScaleNet, a tech that improves content streaming by preventing data loss from servers. It also supports object tracking sound plus (OTS+) which recognizes moving objects within in the content, and adjusts the direction of the sound coming from the TV based on the location of the object.

There’s no word on how much it’ll cost yet, but we know it’ll be set for a release some time this year.

8k qled tv
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Samsung’s new app auto replies your text messages while you’re driving

326

Texting and calling while driving on the road has been a serious issue in this modern day and age, with some cases leading to fatal accidents. Samsung intends to curb the raising issue with an app that produces auto replies to texts and calls when you’re on the go. In-Traffic Reply by Samsung is made to reduce smartphone distractions while users are on the road.

The cool part about how In-Traffic-Reply works is that it will use your phone’s GPS connection to determine whether you’re driving. The auto reply mechanism will then kick in if it realizes that users are driving. At that point, all incoming calls and texts will be responded automatically with a text that says, “I’m driving, so I cannot answer at the moment.” Users can also customize the auto reply to an animated image or a custom message.

In-Traffic-Reply sounds like the perfect solution to deal with distracted driving, but it is uncertain as to how will the app work if you’re a passenger instead. Regardless, there’s probably a way to manually deactivate the app at will. The app is currently being tested in the Netherlands and is slated to roll out to the Play Store next month.

Source:
The Verge

app
auto
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Samsung’s new budget J Pro Series has arrived in Malaysia, comes with screen crack insurance

331

The Samsung Galaxy J Pro Series has finally reached our shores and Samsung is nice enough to include a worry free bundle package that includes a free one-year extended warranty and one-year screen crack protection with every purchase of the phone from now till 30 September 2017. This device is made to cater to all age groups, whether it’s a college student purchasing their first smartphone or grandparents who want to stay connected to their loved ones who prefer simple technology.

The new J Pro Series boasts improved features in design, camera, functionality, battery life and internal storage. It is also fashioned with a 2.5D glass and metal body that resembles its flagship counterparts and improves users mobile photography experience, especially in low light conditions. The expanded external memory and RAM offers more space and seamless performance, wheater its staying in touch, capturing important memories and keeping up-to-date with the latest social media news.

The Galaxy Pro Series is available at all Samsung Experience Stores and comes in four colour options, Blue Sliver, Pink, Black and Gold. The J3 Pro will retail for RM699, J5 Pro for RM1,149 and the J7 Pro for RM1,299. To finish off, from now till 30 September 2017, each purchase of the phones will entitle a free one-year extended warranty and one-year screen crack protection. For more information on the phone and the promotion visit Samsung’s official website
here
.

j3
j5
j7
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Samsung’s new Chromebook might be detachable and comes with a stylus

319

The rumoured Samsung Chromebook laptop, codename Nautilus, will come with a detachable keyboard and a stylus. This information appeared in the Chromium Repository which mentioned there is a tablet mode and a base that it can connect to which hints a detachable laptop.

Chrome OS has been getting some really decent updates that makes it worth to own, and some of these updates have enhanced the OS for touch which is something Samsung aims to take advantage off and it could give users a better experience compared to using an Android tablet. Chrome Unboxed indicated there is a stylus and a place to store, as removing the stylus will bring up Chrome’s stylus menu. If there is a stylus with the laptop and Samsung will be producing it, it might be a very decent stylus as they have made the S-Pen which performs well on the Note 8.

Not much information has surfaced about the Nautilus Chrome laptop as Samsung has not released any information on the laptop, but if it does come it might be a good alternative to the Pixelbook as it comes with a stylus as well.

chromebook
detachable
nautilus
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Samsung’s new eUFS 3.0 chips could be four times faster than SSDs

334

Samsung are stepping up their game by unveiling works on mass-producing embedded Universal Flash Storage (eUFS) 3.0 chips that could boast read and write speeds similar to that of powerful laptops.

According to Engadget, Samsung’s older eUFS 2.1 chips recorded read and write speeds of up to 860MB/s and 255MB/s respectively. The new eUFS 3.0 chips are reportedly able to reach significantly improved read and write speeds of 2,100MB/s and 410MB/s respectively.

Image credit: Samsung

Engadget also reports quotes by Samsung saying that the new eUFS 3.0 chips are 20 times faster than a regular microSD card and could even be four times faster than a SATA SSD.

SanDisk and Micron have recently unveiled their 1TB microSD cards, and with news of Samsung’s ultra-fast chips, we’re heading into uncharted territories for mobile storage options in terms of capacity and speed – and we can’t be happier about it.

chips
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Samsung's new Gear 360 finally works with iPhone and non Samsung phones

275

The Gear 360 was a great 360 camera that takes brilliant images, but it is sadly limited to be used with Samsung phones. At the Galaxy S8 launch today, Samsung has unveiled the second generation Gear 360 camera, it will now shoot true 4K 360 videos, while being able to stream live 360 videos at 2K resolution, most importantly it now supports iPhones and probably other Android phone models at a later time, just make sure that your iPhone is running at least iOS 10 and above.

Despite of these rather welcoming changes, the new Gear 360 does have some downgrades from the original one, for instance its dual fisheye camera lenses are now 8.6-megapixel lenses, a step down from the original 15-megapixel, while its battery size has been slightly reduced from 1,350mAh to 1,160mAh. However, if we look at it optimistically, the new Gear 360 is now a more pocketable camera and can stand up pretty well with its flat base, unlike the current one which is as huge as a golf ball and uses a three legged stand as its base.

No pricing has been announced yet for the new Gear 360, however lets hope Samsung keeps the price friendly and drops the price of the current Gear 360 once it becomes available.

SOURCE:
Engadget

galaxys8
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Samsung’s new ISOCELL Slim 3T2 is the smallest image sensor made for smartphones with in-hole displays

462

Samsung has announced its smallest image sensor called the ISOCELL Slim 3T2 and it’s known to be the smallest image sensor on the market for now.

The ISOCELL Slim 3T2 offers high-resolution images despite having a small form factor. The image sensor measures at only 1/3.4-inches, yet it’s able to deliver 20MP resolution with its pixel size of 0.8μm. This is ideally made for the current trend whereby newer phone designs are bringing in punch-hole displays for a notch-less experience.

In addition, the image sensor is also using the ISOCELL Plus technology that allows more absorption of light information despite have tiny pixels. Paired with the Tetracell binning technology, the ISOCELL Slim 3T2 can combine four pixels into one for better results in low light condition, so the image sensor can increase its light sensitivity to resemble that of a 5MP unit with 1.6μm pixels.

The ISOCELL Slim 3T2 can also serve telephoto purposes where it adopts an RGB colour filter array instead of the aforementioned Tetracell technology. The 20MP ISOCELL 3T2 is also capable of rationing 60% higher effective resolution at 10x digital zoom compared to a 13MP sensor, in addition to the tele-camera module being reduced in height by around 7% when it’s compared to Samsung’s 1/3-inch 20MP image sensor.

The ISOCELL Slim 3T2 is going to be in mass production this quarter itself, so we can expect it to make an appearance in quite a number of smartphones this year.

ISOCELL
ISOCELL 3T2
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Samsung’s new smartphone patent shows they are joining the notch hype

369

Samsung a company that has dodged the notch hype that has been going around with all the other manufacturers for quite a while now, but it did not take long for the Korean manufacturer to cave in and join the notch hype.

The patent for the phone was filed in China’s SIPO patent office last month and was spotted by a Dutch website Mobielkopen. In its design images, the front comes with a full body display and a notch which is rather big compared to the other smartphones with notches. The back as a different design from other Samsung phones as the dual camera is not in the centre, but on the top left of the phone. What is most interesting is that there is no fingerprint sensor visible on the front or back, which could mean that the phone does not have one, or Samsung has finally figured out how to implement an under-display fingerprint sensor.

Lastly, there looks to be a headphone jack on the bottom of the phone next tot he USB port, and the button placements on the sides are similar to the Galaxy S8 and S9 phones. There could be a chance that we might not see this phone or it might be a China exclusive phone. Best not to keep your hopes up.

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Samsung’s Note line is back in business again with the Galaxy Note 8

360

Samsung is trying its best to make us forget the demise of its Galaxy Note 7 last year with its latest phablet offering in the market. The Galaxy Note 7 was recalled after numerous fire incidents caused by its battery. Replacement units were also recalled as the Note flagship of 2016 was discontinued permanently at second attempt. Painful lessons were learnt but we can now forget about yesteryear’s events as Samsung has finally launched the Galaxy Note 8 as it takes the world by storm.

Most of you have probably screened through a ton of leaks prior to Samsung’s launch event of the Galaxy Note 8 at New York City today. The wow factor has definitely died down a little since most of the leaks and rumors were accurate. Nevertheless, the Galaxy Note 8 has retained the general more rectangular design which the Note line is known for compared to the Galaxy S series. Hence, the Galaxy Note 8 is definitely more square-ish in design when compared to the Galaxy S8 and S8+.

It has a larger screen size as well at 6.3-inches, only larger by 0.1-inches when you pit it up against the Galaxy S8+. The display is still curved on its sides, but lesser than that on the Galaxy S8 series, and it is an Infinity Display, a huge upgrade from the Note 5 (even the Note 7). Like Samsung’s earlier flagships of 2017, the Galaxy Note 8’s display is of QHD resolution at a tall 18.5:9 aspect ratio.

Underneath the hood is where you’ll find the Note 8’s contents to be less surprising – a Snapdragon 835 processor. The 6GB of RAM is a welcome upgrade from the previous Samsung flagships, allowing more room for multi tasking and background processes, something which will be more common from next year on instead of 4GB of RAM. Storage comes in three options as well – 64GB, 128GB and 256GB which can be further expanded via micro SD.

One of the main differences you’ll discover is when you take a look at the rear panel of the Galaxy Note 8. The Galaxy Note 8 is Samsung’s first flagship to be equipped with a dual camera setup. Given the impressive performance of the Galaxy S8’s single 12MP rear shooter, we expect the Note 8’s dual 12MP + 12MP setup to bring smartphone photography to the next level. A plus point is that both these sensors have OIS, which translates to very steady image capture even when zoomed in, also a better performance under low light conditions. Like most dual camera setup, the one on the Galaxy Note 8 will allow you to capture shots with bokeh effects and blurred background. Users are able to tweak around with the depth of field as well. The front facing selfie camera should function with excellence too, at 8 megapixels with an f/1.7 aperture.

Samsung has definitely not forgotten about what makes the Galaxy Note a Note device – the S Pen. The slightly more enhanced S Pen can now take up to 100 pages of notes when you’re in Screen Off Memo. Users can also draw somewhat animated images or handwriting to be sent as messages to their friends with the power of the S Pen. Samsung’s Bixby is also present with the ever controversial dedicated button on the Note 8 as well. The phone will also support DeX, which brings the phone into a desktop experience with Samsung’s dock.

The battery of the Note 8 is of 3,300mAh, which can hopefully keep that huge QHD display going throughout the day. Like the Galaxy S8 series, the Galaxy Note 8 will be charged via the USB Type-C port, and will support wireless charging as well. The Note 8 is also water and dust resistant with an IP68 rating. It will run on Android 7.1.1 out of the box.

The pricing of the Galaxy Note 8 hasn’t been announced just yet, but for us Malaysians, you can pre-order the device from Samsung Malaysia from 5-10 September. The phone will go on sale beginning mid September and will be offered in Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Maple Gold and Deepsea Blue colors.

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Samsung’s patent suggests a retractable solution to foldable phones

270

Samsung’s Galaxy Fold is still nowhere to be seen, but Samsung has a new patent that reveals another way to turn their phone into a tablet.

Renders from
LetsGoDigital
 shows a Samsung patent where its hidden screen can be pulled out from the side of the device, turning it into a tablet. So, instead of a foldable solution, Samsung may be taking a new approach to preventing the problems that are caused by folding its smartphone screen.

Image credit: LetsGoDigital

Unfortunately, the patent did not reveal how the new approach actually works. For all we know, it could be slide out, roll out or even be a layer that is hidden behind the primary screen. However, we did notice that the phone patent sports dual front cameras.

As it’s only a patent, it might be possible that it will never reach us consumers, though it does look like a promising solution to the easily broken Galaxy Fold. We’re not going to get our hopes up because we know it’ll just be another pricey device not everyone can afford.

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Samsung’s product lineup for 2022 leaked!

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If you follow tech news, you’d know that leaks often happen whether it is product renders, device specs or even its price. This time, Samsung’s plans for 2022 have been revealed by Korean electronics media company,
TheElec
.

Thanks to leakster
FrontTron
, we now have a translated version of the list. Neatly listed in the table are six tablets, three laptops, a smartwatch, and two wireless earphones.

Image Credit: @FrontTron on Twitter

As shown on the image above, there will apparently be four variants of the Galaxy Tab S8 namely the S8, S8+, S8 Lite, and
S8 Ultra
. The S8, S8+, and S8 Ultra are scheduled to go into production around Q2 whereas its Lite variant will follow up during Q4. Aside from the S8, there are also two entry-level tablets
–
 Galaxy Tab A8
 and A7 Lite which is scheduled throughout Q1 to Q4.

Image Credit: OnLeaks and 91Mobiles

Moving onto the laptops, there are three including the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360, Book2 Pro, and Chromebook Go. For the smart wearables, there will be 4.8 million units of Galaxy Watch5, 3.1 million units of Buds Pro2, and 3.3 million units of Buds Live2 in production. All these are set to be produced by Q4 2022.

Although these products are launching next year, stay tuned as we bring you more updates.

Source

Galaxy Book2 Pro
Galaxy Buds
Galaxy Tab
Galaxy Watch
leak
samsung
smartwatch


Samsung's Q4 earnings score a record high despite Note 7 death

324

Samsung finally revealed the causes of its Galaxy Note 7 fire cases last year, which extended to its replacement units as well. Numerous fire incidents surrounding what might have been the best phone of 2016 forced Samsung to put a halt to the sales of the Galaxy Note 7 and eventually issuing a global recall, deeming the flagship phablet as unsafe for daily use.

Many have speculated that Samsung will be suffering a big blow due to the fateful Galaxy Note 7, but the truth is the South Korean manufacturer’s performance for Q4 2016 turned out to be the most profitable quarter in three years. The earnings were mainly contributed by its display panels and memory business. The strong greenback against the Korean Won has also reflected positively on Samsung’s earnings.

Samsung’s profits from its mobile division have also increased due to the ongoing high demand of the flagship Galaxy S7 series, which led to a solid sales performance throughout the quarter. The improved results were also fueled by the fact that the company’s entry level and mid range devices were more profitable. It sure looks like Samsung didn’t have to “bounce back” from its losses. Instead, the company delivered excellently in terms of sales figures despite the discontinuation of the Galaxy Note 7. What do you think?

Source:
Samsung

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Samsung’s removable battery smartphone gets quiet launch – packs decent specs too

394

Yes, we know we’ve been bombarding you with a lot of news from Samsung of late, but you can’t deny that they’ve been busy during the course of the CES 2020 convention these past few days.

One news however, that has come out of left flank is the introduction of the Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro – a smartphone that, get this, has swappable batteries – amazing, we know.

Hot-swapping batteries on smartphones are a thing of the past – but Samsung reckons there’s still a need for something the feature. The Galaxy XCover Pro succeeds 2017’s XCover 4. It sports a more updated look with a 6.3-inch IPS LCD display.

Image credit: Pro Android

There’s also a punch-hole selfie camera that shoots at a 13MP resolution. The phone keeps the series’ rugged aesthetic tradition with a matte black finish and thick bezels. Over on the back, you’ll find a dual camera setup – 25MP main + 8MP ultrawide.

Under the hood, you get an octa-core Exynos 9611 chipset with 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The battery itself is a 4,050mAh pack that supports up to 15W fast charging. As mentioned, the battery can be swapped, and with an IP68 water and dust resistant rating, the phone can take a beating.

The phone is priced at 499 Euros (RM2,268) and will be available in Finland first on January 31, while the rest of Europe could get it in February. There’s no word on whether it’ll be in Malaysia at all, but we think it’s still a cool device even if just nostalgic.

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Samsung’s innovative smartwatch: Rollable display & camera

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Samsung has always been committed to providing innovative tech to its consumers and you can say that it has already mastered its Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold series but the company will not stop there as it is working on bringing rollable displays to its smartwatches as well.

According to reports, Samsung has filed not one, but two patents to the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) back in June for smartwatches that make use of flexible displays.

Rollable display with camera

As shown in the image below, this smartwatch can extend in two directions with its final form being a 40% bigger oval-shaped display. There are two ways to expand or retract the smartwatch’s display and you can do so by pressing the crown or utilizing a ‘pinch-and-zoom’ action.

Image Credit: LetsGoDigital

Once extended, it will reveal the camera (or cameras, depending on how Samsung decides to develop this) that’s being held by the middle frame of the watch. You’ll be able to take both photos and video with this camera and it is even equipped with a flash.

If you’re interested, you can check out the 96-page Korean patent document
here
.

Rollable AND rotatable smartwatch display

Instead of the usual circle display seen on the Galaxy Watches, this one will sport a square display instead that can fit up to 12 icons when ‘unrolled’. To extend the display, you’ll have to make use of the touch-sensitive display whereas the crown on the side can be pulled for the watch to rotate clockwise.

Image Credit: LetsGoDigital

When fully-extended, the screen will be twice the size and you can choose to rotate it to a more comfortable position for yourself. The watch will also come with a camera, more specifically — an under-display camera that can capture both photos and videos as well.

Image Credit: LetsGoDigital

The 113-page

documentation
 also mentions the watch being compatible with a stylus pen. With a smartwatch display this big, it’s no surprise that Samsung will try to make it usable with a stylus for convenience.

So far, a previous
leak

of Samsung’s 2022 product lineup indicates that the Galaxy Watch5 will be produced during Q3-Q4 next year so we’ll just have to wait till then to see if it will make use of this technology.

Source – LetsGoDigital
(1)

(2)

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Samsung’s Sound on Display technology is likely to appear in CES 2019

303

Technology is never going to stop advancing, and its recent results offered full-display smartphones, multiple camera setups and in-display fingerprint scanners. There’s also the recent Infinity-O display that Samsung’s newer devices have started adopting.

According to BGR, the Electronic Times reported that Samsung will be displaying its Sound On Display OLED panels at CES 2019, though it was already revealed earlier this year, showing how the sounds are being emitted from the display instead of speakers like most of the smartphones seen now.

The company’s Sound on Display technology works through the use of vibration and bone conduction, so that the component for sound emission can be placed right under the screen’s surface, eliminating the holes for speakers that are often seen on the bottom and back of the phone.

Image credit: olednet

With this new technology, Samsung might even equip the Galaxy S10 series with it, though others say it seem unlikely. However, as the Galaxy S10 series is very significant to the company, it might be possible for Samsung to provide it with all the greatest technology they can come up with, such as the ultrasonic sensor technology by Qualcomm and the Infinity-O display.

ces
oled
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Sound on Display


Samsung's standalone VR headset may be called the Odyssey

305

For months, we’ve heard that Samsung has been working on a standalone VR headset that has nothing to do with the Gear VR. Today, reports are coming out that Samsung has applied for a registration of a trademark, and it appears that the product in question may be said headset.

According to Sammobile, Samsung has filed for the registration of the Odyssey, presumably Samsung’s standalone VR headset. According to the description provided for the application, this device is mentioned as a “virtual reality game headset” and “virtual reality game software.”

The filing of this trademarks pretty much confirms that Samsung will be producing a VR headset that would compete with both the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive. While not information was given as to when we can expect the Odyssey, it’s probably safe to say that this particular headset will be launched after Samsung’s next iteration of the Gear VR.

Source:
Sammobile

gearvr
headset
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Samsung’s truly wireless Galaxy Buds are cheaper than Apple’s AirPods, and last longer too

481

During Samsung’s Unpacked 2019 in San Francisco, the Korean phone maker giants released a host of new products – including the Galaxy Buds. We already know all about the popular Apple AirPods (probably through internet memes), and it appears that Samsung’s very own take on wireless in-ear headphones are set to rival that of Apple’s.

The Galaxy Buds are upgraded versions of Samsung’s Gear IconX – Samsung’s latest entry sports a 58mAh battery which Samsung claims can last up to 6 hours with usage of Bluetooth and 5 hours of voice calls.

What sets the Galaxy Buds apart from Apple’s AirPods is its ability to charge completely wirelessly. The ear pods come in an egg-shaped case that acts as the charger. In keeping with the wireless approach, the pods can we charged by your Galaxy S10 by simply playing the buds on the back of the phone, pretty nifty huh?

On to the design, its curvy, small form factor should make them comfortable to wear. According to The Verge, the pods feel “soft and pillowy” when worn.

Image credit: The Verge

In terms of sound quality, the Galaxy Buds can be tuned by American-based AKG, who’re known for their acoustics engineering prowess.

You’ll have three colors to choose from – black, white and yellow. The Galaxy Buds will cost $129 (RM525), which is cheaper than Apple’s $159 (RM647) AirPods. Given its price, battery life and wireless capabilities, we expect the Galaxy Buds to give Apple a run for their money when it hits stores this March 8.

airpods
android
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Samsung's UFS cards are here to succeed MicroSD cards with super fast speeds

294

Data transfer speeds in memory cards are finally seeing a breakthrough with Universal Flash Storage (UFS) cards, Samsung is the first manufacturer to have announced these new removable memory cards based on the JEDEC Universal Flash Storage 1.0 standard, storage capacities are available in 32GB, 64GB, 128GB and 256GB, it is designed for use with high resolution mobile shooting devices such as DSLRs, 3D VR cameras, action cameras and drones.

Samsung claims that the 256GB UFS card could achieve data transfer speeds of 530MB/s sequential read and 170MB/s sequential write, which is rather impressive considering the small size. For such trnasfer speeds, Samsung has claimed that the 256GB UFS card will be able to shoot 24 large/extra fine JPEG photographs continuously (1120MB equivalent) in less than 7 seconds with a high end DSLR camera. No release dates and pricing have been mentioned on the new UFS cards, however it is clear that this would be the future for removable storage on smartphones, current smartphones such as the Xiaomi Mi 5 and Samsung Galaxy S7 have already adapted the UFS standard for internal storage, let’s hope that we will finally see UFS removable storage in smartphones next year.

SOURCE:
Samsung

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Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S8 might sport an edge-to-edge display

294

Yet another batch of rumours about the Samsung Galaxy S8 has leaked, and this leak focuses on the general design of the phone. According to Bloomberg’s sources, it appears that the upcoming phone from Samsung will be sporting a bezel-less display.

While the specifics won’t be available until Samsung decides to unveil the S8 itself, the sources have mentioned that the S8 will sport wraparound displays that uses OLED technology. To accomodate the bezel-less display, the sources mentioned that Samsung will indeed be removing the physical home button, choosing instead to embed a virtual home button underneat the glass in the lower section of the phone.

Other information that has been revealed by said sources includes the fact that the S8 will be available in two variants, a 5.1″ S7-like model and a 5.5″ S7 Edge-like model. Selected models of the phone will run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 chip while others will use the Exynos processors. As for the release date, Samsung is looking to launch the phone in March. However, the company’s recent problems with the Note 7 could see Samsung push the S8 to April in order to run more quality assurance tests.

Source:
Bloomberg

bezel
display
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Samsung’s W2019 is powered by Snapdragon 845 and has a bigger battery

503

Samsung launched its flip phone in China a few days back, the successor to the W2018 which comes at a high-end price.

The W2019 has 4.2-inch SUPER AMOLED Full HD dual displays, one like the traditional flip phone and one on the exterior of the phone. It supports dual-sim and comes with a fingerprint sensor on the side but differing from the traditional flip phones, the W2019 does not have a headphone jack.

Image credit : Samsung

Besides that, it comes with dual 12MP cameras with f/1.5 aperture that also supports OIS and 2x optical zoom whereas the front camera has a 8MP lens. The cameras are capable of shooting 4K videos and also supports Samsung’s Super Slo-Mo mode.

The flip phone runs on Android 8.1 and is powered by the Snapdragon 845 processor, in addition to having a 6GB RAM and either 128GB or 256GB internal storage. It has a 3070mAh battery and charges through USB-C port.

Image credit : Samsung

The W2019 comes in Rose Gold and Platinum, and costs around CNY 18,999. It is currently only released in China and South Korea, and if it’s like its predecessor, it will not be officially available to other countries.

flip phone
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W2019


Samsung Galaxy A21s launched – affordable 48MP camera smartphone below RM1,000 | KL Gadget Guy

557

The Samsung Galaxy A21s is Samsung’s latest entry into the midrange segment; priced at GBP179 (RM943) it goes up against a
list of good
smartphones
 that also cost
below RM1,000
.

Display

The Galaxy A21s comes with a sizeable 6.5-inch HD+ Infinity-O display; its
competitors –
 think the likes of the vivo Y19, and
realme
 6
 and
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9s
 – all come with FHD+ displays. So despite Samsung’s reputation for fantastic displays, the Galaxy A21s loses out in this department.

Cameras

However, it redeems itself with an impressive-looking 48MP quad-camera setup – alongside the main lens are an 8MP ultrawide lens, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2MP macro lens. For selfies, you get a reliable 13MP shooter. As it’s a Samsung, you also get useful camera features too such as Live Focus, Live stickers, and more.

Hardware

Image credit: Ultimate Pocket

Under the hood, there’s an
Exynos
 850 chipset which should be powerful enough for daily browsing and light multitasking. The phone comes with a measly 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage, which you can expand via a microSD card.

The Galaxy A21s also packs a massive 5,000mAh battery with support for up to 15W of fast charging. It ships with Android 10 with Samsung’s One UI layered on top. The phone features a facial
recognition
 feature for unlocking your phone, or you can also opt to use the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner to do the job.

Availability

The Samsung Galaxy A21s will be available in Black, White, and Blue. Orders open from June 19 in the UK, however there is
no
 word on its local availability and pricing yet. For what it lacks in the hardware department, it makes up for with its cameras and software.

000
48mp quad camera
5g
best phones below RM1
budget smarpthone
exynos 850
midrange smartphone
samsung
samsung galaxy a21s
samsung uk


San Bernardino victims to support the government in encryption case

304

Last week, various tech companies in America supported Apple in its
refusal to provide the FBI backdoor access
 to iOS 8. Today, the FBI is getting support of their own as well, and it comes from the victims of the San Bernardino shooting.

According to Reuters, some victims of the San Bernardino attack will file a legal brief in support of the U.S. government’s attempt to force Apple to unlock the encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the shooters.

Stephen Larson, the lawyer representing the victims of the San Bernardino attack, says that the victims he represents have an interest in the information which goes beyond the Justice Department’s criminal investigation. Larson has said that he would be filing an amicus brief on behalf of the victims by early March.

With this development, the FBI has gained an important ally in its fight to compel Apple to grant them access to the iPhone of one of the shooters. In a letter released on Sunday, FBI Director James Comey has stated that the agency’s request to Apple was so that they could have “the chance, with a search warrant, to try to guess the terrorist’s passcode without the phone essentially self-destructing and without it taking a decade to guess correctly”.

Apple is expected to file its first legal arguments on Friday to contest California’s federal court decision against Apple which ordered Apple to assist the FBI in their investigations.

Source :
Reuters
,
Tech.Mic (Image)


SanDisk and Micron introduces their 1TB microSD cards; SanDisk could cost more than RM1,000

302

“More, more, more”
demands the people; so
“Ask and you shall receive”
 says SanDisk and Micron. During MWC 2019 in Barcelona, the two flash memory manufacturer giants unveiled their own take on a 1TB microSD card.

According to The Verge, the UHS-I microSDXC products from both manufacturers differ in read and write speeds – SanDisk cites 160MB/s read speeds as opposed to Micron’s 100MB/s, while in terms of write speeds, Micron takes the cake with 95MB/s, 5MB/s more than SanDisk’s.

A majority of consumers use microSD cards on their phone, but right now, smartphones can support up to 512GB only. It begs the question if these 1TB cards will be popular among the masses.

According to The Verge, the SanDisk card will be available this April for $449.99 (RM1,832) while the Micron has no confirmed price tag yet, but is expected to be released during the second quarter this year.

micron
microsd
mwc
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storage


SanDisk Announces High Capacity iNAND 7232 Storage Solution

286

SanDisk
 Corporation, one of the leader in flash storage solutions, today introduce the iNAND 7232 storage solution which is a new and advanced embedded flash drive (EFD) optimized to deliver best-in-class imaging performance and superior storage capacity in flagship mobile devices. The iNAND 7232 storage solution enables original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to introduce smartphones, tablets and other connected devices that feature sufficient storage to meet the need of increasing consumer content.

In addition, the combination of iNAND 7232’s advanced application architecture and innovative storage technology, both enhances popular photography capabilities and allow for a breakthrough application experience. Apart from that, the iNAND 7323 storage solution features SanDisk’s second-generation SmartSLC technology, an innovative new storage architecture that quickly and intelligently responds on demand to mobile users’ requirement.

The iNAND 7232 capable to boast sequential write speeds of up to 150 MB/s, a 25% increase from the previous generation product. The sequential write speed can further increase in the intelligent iNAND 7232 storage solution for an impressive write speed of up to 1.2 GB/s and it can help to provide fast, responsive mobile device experiences, including easy 4K Ultra HD video capture, quick downloading via 802.11ac/802.11ad and RAW photography capture even under low-light conditions.The iNAND 7232 features a slim form factor just 11.5 mm x 13 mm in size and as thin as 0.9mm

Samples of the iNAND 7232 storage solution are currently available to customers in capacities of 32GB to 128GB.

7232
emmc
inand
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SanDisk changes the consumer mobile storage game with the SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick

316

SanDisk has added a new player into its mobile storage lineup with a new wireless mobile flash drive. The SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick, which features a higher capacity of up to 200GB, enables easy sharing, transferring and sharing of photos and videos between computers and mobile devices, along with an introduction of a new app.

Users of the SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick will have more freedom to save and access files from WiFi compatible devices. With features such as high-quality photo capture and Full HD video, SanDisk provides a range of capacity options to suit consumer’s storage needs.

The wireless device allows users to wirelessly stream HD videos and music from up to three mobile devices at a time. SanDisk claims that the device is able to support a single stream for up to 4 hours on a single charge. The SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick also has a USB connector for direct transfers between computers.

The new SanDisk Connect app enables easier management of the Wireless Stick’s content across different devices and platforms. With features such as auto-backup, the SanDisk Connect app is available for download in the App Store and Google Play Store.

The SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick comes with a two year warranty and is now available at various retail stores at capacities ranging from 16GB at RM129 to 128GB at RM499. The 200GB variant will be made available later this year.

flashdrive
sandisk
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wireless


SanDisk debuts the world's first 1TB SD card

317

How big can you go with SD cards? Well, SanDisk’s got the answer as it has just announced the “world’s first” 1TB SD card.

SanDisk’s new 1TB SDXC card is part of the company’s Extreme PRO line, whose maximum storage capacity SD card so far sits at 512GB. While this 1TB SD card is just a prototype, meaning it is not available for purchase just yet, SanDisk claims that this SD Card will be able to handle 4K, 8K, VR and 360-degree videos. As the SD card is still a prototype, little information is known about the card aside from its storage capacity.

Prices for the card have yet to be announced, but going by the fact that the 512GB Extreme PRO SD card that SanDisk currently sells is priced at around USD300 (RM1,242), do expect to fork out a pretty significant sum of cash to get it.

Source:
Engadget

1tb
extremepro
sandisk
sdcard


Sandisk introduces 128GB MicroSDXC card

310

Not having enough storage for your phone or
tablet
 despite already having a 64GB memory card?
Sandisk
 today announced the world’s first 128GB microSD card for your devices, which costs USD$199 and equivalent to paying the price for a SSD (solid-state disk) rather than a usual SD card. It’s really amazing to see such amount of storage packed into a small size and Sandisk promises transfer speeds of up to 10 megabytes-per-second. You probably wondered how can Sandisk pack such amount of storage into a microSD card,Sandisk mentions that they achieve this by developing a proprietary technique for virtually staking 16 die, “each shaved to be thinner than a strand of hair”.

The 128GB Ultra MicroSDXC card supports Android smartphones and tablets and
Sandisk
 has also released a new version of the
Sandisk
 Memory Zone app in Google’s Play Store with a new feature called Optimem that aims to transfer photos and videos from the phone’s internal storage to the memory card. This memory card is available from today in BestBuy and Amazon, so if you’re staying in the US and want to expand your device memory without considering the costs, head over to those online stores now. We expect the product to arrive in Malaysia soon.

Source:
Sandisk


Sandisk introduces 256GB capacity model to the Ultra and Extreme MicroSD cards

378

While 256GB memory cards are nothing new, they are relatively expensive to own. Sandisk has introduced such storage capacity to its Sandisk Ultra and Extreme family, which is commonly used for smartphones and action cameras, therefore if you are thinking to store lots of media content in your smartphone or tablet, you can finally purchase one of these ‘mobile friendly’ memory cards easily from stores.

But…

They are still not really affordable despite not being the super high end memory cards, the slower 256GB Sandisk Ultra will retail at $149.99 (RM608) while the faster Sandisk Extreme is priced significantly higher at $199.99 (RM800). In terms of performance, the Sandisk Ultra is able to deliver up to 90MB/s of read and 45MB/s of write speeds, while the Sandisk Extreme will offer even higher data transfer speeds at 100MB/s read and 95MB/s write, which justifies the price jump over the Ultra. Last but not the least, these MicroSD cards will have the common protection features such as waterproof, temperature-proof, shock-proof and x-ray proof.

The 256GB Sandisk Ultra and Extreme will be available in August, so make sure to hit up your nearby IT stores if you ever want that much of storage for your devices.

256gb
microsd
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westerndigital


SanDisk introduces the new iXpand Flash Drive to Malaysia

490

To those of you who lament over the storage space of your iPhones and iPads, we have good news for you. Today, SanDisk has revealed the new iXpand Flash Drive, a flash drive that is tailor made for both the iPhone and iPad.

Available in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB capacities, the iXpand Flash Drive is a mobile storage device designed to help people quickly and easily free up space on their iDevices. The flash drive itself sports a new, modern design that fits with most iPhone and iPad cases, as well as a USB 3.0 connector for faster transfer speeds to Mac or PCs.

One of the key features of the iXpand Flash Drive is the app that accompanies it. With this app, iDevice users are able to transfer, backup and even copy files from their devices to the drive with ease. Prices for the iXpand Flash Drive begins at RM179 for the 16GB variant with the 128GB variant costing RM529.

Alongside the iXpand Flash Drive, SanDisk has also taken the opportunity to refresh their other storage line up. For the microSD card line, SanDisk has revealed the SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC USH-II card which enables action camera, drone and smartphone users to offload huge video files at unprecedented speeds. Available in 64GB and 128GB capacities, the SanDisk Extreme PRO is capable of delivering 275MB/s transfer speeds, allowing you to offload your Full HD and 4K Ultra HD videos within minutes. The SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC USH-II card will be available in Q2 2016 for RM599 (64GB) and RM1,199 (128GB)

Finally, SanDisk also has the Ultra USB Type-C Flash Drive that is designed specifically for next-generation devices. Featuring a powerful and versatile USB Type-C connector, the Ultra USB Type-C Flash Drive has comes in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB variants and is able to transfer files at a rate of 150MB/s, making this device SanDisk’s fastest and highest capacity USB Type-C offering. The SanDisk Ultra USB Type-C Flash Drive is now available for RM49 (16GB), RM69 (32GB), RM109 (64GB), and RM169 (128GB).

ipad
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Sandisk introduces the world’s first 512GB SDXC Card on its Extreme Pro Model

292

Having a
128GB MicroSD
 card introduced a few months back is already exaggerating enough,
Sandisk
 just simply can’t stop here and they’ve introduced the world’s first 512GB SDXC Card onto its Extreme Pro family. Similar to other storage options, the new 512GB Extreme Pro SDXC card will be able to record 4K videos up to 95 MB/s read speed and 90 MB/s write speed. The price for the 512GB SDXC card isn’t cheap though and will sell at $799.99 (RM2430), you can pretty much buy a SSD, new camera, or even a decent PC with that price.

So, when shall we see a MicroSD card boasting a 512GB storage? Bring it on, Sandisk.

Source:
DPreview


Sandisk iXpand Base Review: For those who doesn’t trust the cloud

330

Though cloud storage services have become a lot reliable in recent times, coupled with fast Internet connection speeds, a lot of my friends aren’t entirely convinced to store personal photos and files on the cloud. I have to admit that I belong to that group of users, as I still think storing backups of photos and files in a physical hard drive is still a much safer solution, even though I have depended and worked on the cloud these days. However, when you want the convenience of backing up your data, this is where most physical storage devices will not be able to offer. In this case, gadgets such as the Sandisk iXpand Base comes in as a useful tool for backing up your photos, videos and contacts on your iPhone, while charging your phone at the same time, but is it worth paying over RM500 for the solution?

Hardware and Design

Sandisk has always made good looking hardware, and the iXpand Base is no exception. As the name suggest, the device comprises mostly of a rubber pad on the top that lets you place your iPhone on top while it charges, it also serves as a great cable management feature when you lift up the rubber cover, which can definitely help protect that expensive Lightning cable. In terms of ports, you get a Micro USB port for power and data transfer, and a standard USB-A port that charges your iPhone.

Initially, I was under the impression that the iXpand Base houses a built-in battery and storage, but that sadly turns out to be the other way round, it requires to be powered by a brick provided out of the box and it uses a relatively entry-level grade 128GB Sandisk Ultra SD card to be its storage medium, which the latter costs less than RM300 to purchase and comes with a slow write speed. Although I appreciate the fact that the storage can be easily upgraded, it is definitely hard to accept the cheap storage solution Sandisk provides when you are paying over RM500 for backup storage.

While the iXpand Base is clearly designed to stay on your desk, I understand the decision not to include a built-in battery. Yet again, for a RM500 device, it really doesn’t kill to include even a 2000mAh battery to charge the iPhone, I mean, it is portable enough to fit into any bag so I definitely do not see any reason not to include that. To conclude, I’m glad that this isn’t some cheap looking hardware, but the features that it offers as an iPhone backup storage solution just isn’t impressive for what you are paying for.

Software and Functionality

If you are fine with paying what Sandisk has to offer on a hardware level, you shouldn’t have any problem with the operability of the device. In fact, the process of backing up photos on your iPhone through the device is way easier than connecting the iPhone to your Mac or PC, all you need to do is to download and launch the iXpand Base app, connect your iPhone and it starts backing up everything you have in your gallery, including any screenshots or images received in messaging apps, while at the same time juicing up your battery. Though photo and video backup remains the most important feature, the iXpand Base can also backup contacts in your phonebook if don’t trust syncing them with iCloud.

Despite all the rants I have for the iXpand Base, I’m glad that the device itself can be used as a SD card reader without connecting an extra power source, all you need to do is to connect a standard MicroUSB cable to the device and the other end to your computer, and you will be able to browse your photos like you generally do on a storage device. The really good thing about the iXpand Base, is that if you happen to lose your iPhone accidentally, you get to restore all the original resolution photos back to your iPhone without needing to download them from iCloud, which saves up a lot of time if you don’t have a fast Internet connection.

Verdict

Convenience is the key feature that Sandisk wants to sell on the iXpand Base, this is a gadget made for those who doesn’t trust the reliability of cloud storage services and don’t want to pay for a monthly subscription. However, the retail price of RM529 for the iXpand Base 128GB model doesn’t appeal as a value for money storage product, for that price you could actually get a 2TB WD My Passport hard drive, or top up a little extra cash for the 3TB WD My Passport Wireless Pro that does a better job at backing up both SD cards and smartphones. Furthermore, iCloud storage is also more affordable than even if you were to pay RM39.90/month for the 2TB storage plan, and there hasn’t been an occasion that I encountered data loss when using iCloud. If you must own the iXpand Base, then you really must be a person who values the automatic backup feature when you charge your iPhone, or if you don’t have a great Internet connection for backing up your stuffs to the cloud.

The Good

Extremely simple backup solution

Upgradeable storage

Charges iPhones at 15W

Can be used as a SD card reader

The Not So Good

Expensive

Cheap SD card provided

Backup feature limited to iPhones

apple
ios
iphone
ixpand base
ixpand base review
sandisk


SanDisk releases SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick

490

SanDisk
 Corporation once again expands its mobile storage portfolio with a new wireless mobile flash drive –
Sandisk
 Connect Wireless Stick. This device allows easy sharing, transferring and accessing of photos and videos between mobile devices and computer with their favorite Wi-Fi enabled devices. Besides that, the SanDisk’s new wireless storage device is designed to meet their quickly storage need with an affordable price that attract many consumers.

You are also able to use this device in a pocket, bag, and briefcase or far distance because the new drive allows users to wirelessly access media or transfer large files for save and share photos, videos or stream HD videos and music to and from mobile devices. Apart from that, the stick features an intuitive app –
SanDisk
 Connect app, which enables nearly effortless management of content. Luckily, the app support most of the platform nowadays includes – iOS App Store, Android Google Play Store and Amazon Appstore for Android, which allows users to use an auto backup of photos and videos from the camera to the drive.

The SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick price from USD 29.99 (approx. RM 114) for 16GB, USD 39.99 (approx. RM 152) for 32GB, USD 59.99 (approx. RM 228) for 64GB and USD 99.99(approx. RM 380) for 128GB. All these models already available to be purchased at Amazon,
BestBuy
.
com
 and
SanDisk
.
com
 with one year warranty.

pendrive
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wireless


SanDisk USB Type-C Flash Drive released

315

Many mobile devices have been adopting USB Type-C ports lately. The new USB standard is predicted to be on many smartphones this year. Samsung, however, has held back on USB Type-C on its new flagship line – the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. Contrastingly, LG went on to include the USB standard with the LG G5. Nevertheless, SanDisk has unveiled a USB Type-C flash drive to keep the competition in check.

SanDisk is expecting to see more USB Type-C supported devices this year. In order to provide a wider ecosystem of compatible products, the company has released the SanDisk Ultra USB Flash Drive. This flash drive comes in capacitites ranging from 16GB to 128GB, making it the highest capacity offering from SanDisk. It is also capable of read speeds up to 150MB/s, making it the fastest by the company as well.

According to the company, they have a steady increase in the new USB standard, which is dubbed as a game changer in the years to come and they will be expecting more products like theirs to be released to the consumer market. The SanDisk USB Type-C comes with a five year warranty and is available worldwide through Amazon.

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flashdrive
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usb


Sandstone Black OnePlus 5T to launch January 5th

269

OnePlus is not only known for its controversial flagship killers and invite systems. When the company launched its first ever smartphone the OnePlus One, it came in rather unique color options and textures. First off is the Baby Skin White, which features a soft touch material in white, and Sandstone Black, which has stone but almost sandpaper texture to it. OnePlus carried on the Sandstone legacy to the OnePlus 2, but decided to go with aluminium from the OnePlus 3 onwards. It looks like Sandstone Black will be making a comeback.

OnePlus did not entirely kill off its signature Sandstone Black, retaining that through its own OnePlus cases. The Chinese manufacturer has teased on its Weibo page and Twitter account that something special will be unveiled on January 5. The post on Weibo is pretty much a give away as it also features a Chinese character which means “stone”, suggesting a Sandstone comeback.

It makes the most sense for OnePlus to launch a Sandstone Black variant of the OnePlus 5T, which also brings the question of whether that variant of the OnePlus 5T will have a plastic build instead of a metal build. Or maybe OnePlus is launching another product in Sandstone. Thoughts?

oneplus
oneplus 2
oneplus 5t
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sandstone black


SAPPHIRE announces its own 8GB Radeon RX 480

333

First teased back at Computex, AMD’s entry into the mainstream graphics market, the RX 480, is finally here. Today, Sapphire is announcing that they will be releasing the 8GB vesion of the RX 480 starting from today.

So what can you expect out of the 8GB RX 480? Well, for one, this card comes with 2,304 stream procesors with the engine clocked at 1126MHz. The 8GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit wide bus clocked at up to 2,000MHz means that the RX 480 is not only futureproof, it is also capable of premium VR experiences at low power.

The technology breakthrough of FinFET and the low power consumption that comes with it means that the SAPPHIRE Radeon RX 480 offers a new standard of power efficiency and work culture while still leaving a solid headroom for overclocking. The AMD-designed blower cooling remains quite and dissipates the heat outside of the computer’s chassis.

As the RX 480 is a Polaris-based card, it comes with a slew of display engine advancements such as High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology. The RX 480 will also support HDMI 2.0b and DisplayPort 1.4 to enable support for the lastest monitors. It also features hardware encoding/decoding for 4K recording using H.265 codec up to 60 FPS, making high-quality streaming and gameplay recordings possible without any performance drawbacks.

The Sapphire RX 480 is now available at selected SAPPHIRE retailers and retailers worldwide.

graphicscard
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