Future Xiaomi flagship might come with an in-display fingerprint sensor

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Huawei and Vivo might not be the only companies that have managed to incorporate an in-display fingerprint sensor as another company might be releasing a phone that supports this feature as well.

The company in question is Xiaomi and the team over at XDA Developers have dug into the firmware that is powering the Mi 7 and found codes that shows the workings of the in-display fingerprint sensor. Unlike Vivo that went with Synaptics to get the fingerprint feature, Xiaomi is going with Goodix as some of the code is written as ‘googix_fod’ which could translate to “googix_fingerprint on display”.

Image Source: XDA Developers

When digging into the code for the lock screen, the XDA team managed to find a class by the name of “Gxzw” which refers to a type of fingerprint sensor. Searching in other places shows that there are coordinates on where the fingerprint unlock icon should be and sure enough, it was positioned somewhere close to the middle of the screen.

Image Source: XDA Developers

Above is the mock-up that was created by XDA of what the home screen of the Mi 7 might look like based on the codes. However, in the final firmware build, the codes have been deleted and we might not see the in-display fingerprint sensor on the Mi 7. nevertheless, we should not rule out that the feature might come to the phone, as it could be added back for future flagships that the company has in the pipeline.

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Futuremark has released a VR-specific benchmark tool called VRMark

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Futuremark is known for their 3DMark and PCMark benchmarks that would allow you to gauge how good your PC will be. Today, they’re introducing yet another benchmarking tools, this one being tailored specifically towards virtual reality purposes.

Appropriately called VRMark, the tool will help you stress test your PC in an attempt to see if your build is powerful enough to meet the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive’s requirements. Much like its other benchmarking tools, VRMark will put the PC through a series of tests, all of which designed to test various parts of the PC. As a VR headset isn’t required to run VRMark, you can use the tool to benchmark your PC before actually going out and buy a VR headset of your own.

VRMark will be available in three versions. The first is the ‘Basic Edition’ which comes with the Orange Room test which tests your computer against the recommended specs of the Rift and Vive headsets. A step above that is the ‘Advanced Edition’, a RM38 version that comes with the Blue Room test for computers that meet the recommended specifications of the Rift and Vive. Finally, there’s the ‘Professional Edition’ that is meant for business and commercial use. VRMark Basic can be acquired from
Futuremark’s own website
, while VRMark Advanced can be acquired from either Futuremark or
Steam
.

Source:
Upload VR

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G.SKILL introduces Trident Z RGB Kits that are specially for AMD systems

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G.SKILL has announced a new lineup of Trident Z RGB DDR4 memory kits with an enhanced compatibility on the latest AMD platforms. The kits were specially designed for the Ryzen and Threadripper platforms and now, there are options like DDR4 3200MHz CL14 or massive 8x16GB kits up to 2933MHz.

AMD offers configurations on the Ryzen that will support dual-channel with 2 or 4 memory modules and the Threadripper supports quad-channel memory with 4 or 8 memory modules. To add power to the already powerful processors, the clock speeds on the RAM will be best utilized by high-end graphics rendering systems and comes with a wide selection. The table below shows compatibility with the current AMD processors:

To identify the AMD-optimized Trident RAMs, look for the “X” at the end of the RAM’s model numbers such as the one below:

These new RAM sticks will also support OC profile support on compatible motherboards by simply enabling the OC profile in the BIOS to get the high-performance DDR4 memory speeds. The new G.SKILL Trident Z RGB RAM will be available through G.SKILL authorized distribution partners in October 2017

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G.SKILL unveils a DDR4 memory module with 4600MHz memory speed

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If you thought that your RAM with memory speeds of up to 3000MHz was fast, then G.SKILL is here to tell you that you are wrong because they have just announced a DDR4 RAM with a memory speed of 4600MHz.

Previously, to reach this speeds, one would need to do some extream overclocking using liquid nitrogen cooling, G.SKILL has managed to achieve this without the need of a cooling system and with a total capacity of 16GB in an 8GB x2 configuration. G.SKILL has also provided some screenshots of the product in action using the Intel Kaby Lake-X Core i7-7740X processor on the new ASRock X299 OC Formula motherboard.

This new RAM kit is designed with Intel XMP 2.0 support and the two variations of the memory kit, silver aluminium body and black aluminium body, is set to release at the end of September 2017 and will be available from all authorized G.SKILL distribution partners.

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G-SYNC is now available on notebook

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The announcement of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti graphics card will never cease to impress us fellow tech enthusiasts, as with every press event, NVIDIA has never failed to surprise us and this time, the company has announced the arrival of G-SYNC notebooks.

G-Sync monitors have a G-Sync module to receive a signal from the GPU to offer higher lag free refresh rates. Notebooks that come with G-SYNC technology will have its module built-in to the notebook screen itself and enables users to directly receive signals from the GPU.

With G-SYNC on notebook, you will now be able to see super smooth graphics and less tearing on your game when gaming on the go, while its refresh rate isn’t as high as G-SYNC monitors at 144Hz, NVIDIA has still managed to achieve a 75Hz refresh rates on the notebook displays, as they aren’t as huge as desktop monitors, you will see a significant difference in motion despite of a lower frequency.

Variable refresh rate is always a challenge for graphic cards manufacturer because of the frame rate inconsistency throughout a game. However, NVIDIA has figured out a way to make the frame to be synchronized with G-SYNC, hence you will still achieve full performance from the GPU without any latency issues because with G-Sync, every single frame will be handled by the module itself.

Different refresh frequency can also indirectly affect the screen color on most of the monitors because the algorithm is extremely hard to solve the problem and NVIDIA has resolved this by introducing the G-SYNC Variable Overdrive, which produces more LCD color response with the dedicated module on the monitor with the help of its built-in high speed memory.

One of the surprising features that NVIDIA announced is the windowed mode G-SYNC and this means that your G-Sync monitor is capable to handle your game in windowed mode even if you have multiple applications running. We have to commend NVIDIA on making this happen and this allows gamers to have better multitasking capabilities.

G-SYNC will first be made available to the following notebook make and models: Gigabyte Aorus X7-Pro-Sync, Gigabyte Aorus X5, MSI GT72-G, ASUS GT751, Clevo P770ZM-G, and Clevo P750ZM-G. On the other hand, NVIDIA has also announced a handful of G-SYNC monitors, giving gamers more choices to choose from: Acer XB271HK, Acer XB281HK, Acer X34, Acer Z35, ASUS PG279Q, ASUS PG27AQ, and ASUS PG34Q. Of course, we look forward to see G-SYNC Notebooks coming to our shores.


Gab shuts down due to Pittsburgh’s mass murder

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Gab, a social media site that is similar to Twitter was recently forced to shut down due to connections with the mass murder of 11 persons at the synagogue in Pittsburgh.

Robert Bowers, the suspected gunman that murdered the people was anti-Semitic and is a verified user on Gab, where he posted many anti-semitics statements on the site that directed hatred towards Jews. Not only did he murder 11 people, he also injured 6 policemen in which two are in critical states. The last post Bowers published on Gab hinted his anger towards HIAS and also an initiative to respond to the issue, though nobody would’ve expected it to lead to the mass murder.

Gab has up to 800,000 users in its site and revolves around “free speech” where it welcomes users who believe in total freedom of speech and those who think their postings might be censored by other social media sites. Payment providers such as PayPal and Stripe decided to break the partnership with Gab as the site has breached policies around hate speech and had not practice moderation policies which led to promotion of hatred, violence and negativity in the site. Gab’s domain registrar, GoDaddy and cloud-hosting company, Joyent has also decided to end the collaboration with Gab due to the breach of policies yet this is not the last of Gab.

Image credit : Gab

Gab’s CEO, Andrew Torba wrote a statement on gab.ai announcing that Gab is not going anywhere despite the recent complications. He insist that they will not be stopped even if they’re banned, smeared and without a platform. Gab is looking for a new hosting provider and until then, the site will be inaccessible, but Torba is looking at the bright side, as the site is getting lots of publicity, even if it’s bad publicity.

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Gadget Review – Episode 74 – Huawei Ascend Mate 7 (Amber gold)


Gadgets to increase productivity for the new year

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We are coming to the end of the year and it is time to prepare for 2016. Despite what your new year resolutions are, increased productivity is probably one of those things we would all want to focus on for the coming year. So we have compiled a list of interesting gadgets you might want to think about getting to encourage even better productivity whether at work or at school.

#1: ZUtA Portable Printer

If you’re someone who need to get things done on the go, then this is a really interesting gadget to have. This mini robotic printer looks compact but can actually print on paper of any size as long as it is of a standard size. It has a mechanical drive system to make it move as it prints, and it prints 1-1.5 A4 pages per minute. You can print from a myriad of devices, whether from a PC, laptop, tablet or a smartphone, as long as it has a WiFi connection. For now, the ZUtA printer only prints in black color. It can print several pages one after the other as it will stop once it reaches the end of the page and waits for you to align it to a fresh sheet before continuing.

It is available for pre-order at the price of
$249
 $199, but unfortunately it will only be delivered to you from May 2016 onwards. You can order the ZutA
here
.

#2: SCiO Molecular Sensor

If you’re planning to make losing weight one of your new year resolution, then this would be a nifty gadget to own. The SCiO molecular sensor is a no-touch, non-intrusive optical sensor that allows you to to analyze food, plants, medications and more. For instance, you can actually get nutritional facts about different types of foods such as dairy products, fruits and vegetables and even drinks and meats as its database expands. Of course something like this shouldn’t be used to test food out for allergies, but it is great when you are avoiding certain ingredients in your diet such as polysaturated oil. Now, the SCiO doesn’t only work for food, but can also be used to detect the well-being of plants. I suppose this way you can keep your plants from dying if you know what is it they actually need.

Priced at $249 for the sensor itself, and more if you want to develop apps for it. You can purchase it or learn more in detail at its
website
.

#3: Anker Astro Pro2

Somehow we realise that additional battery seems to be in almost all our lists. Since this time we are talking about productivity, here is a really slim external battery pack that has enough juice to power your laptop. The Anker Astro Pro 2 has a 20,000mAh capacity and weighs about 562g. With this amount of juice, you can charge your phone about 9 times, a tablet more than once or a laptop once.  You can choose between DC 12V / 4A, 16V / 3.5A, 19V / 3A and USB 5V / 2.1A, depending on what you want to charge, especially when it comes to different model of laptops.

You can buy this charger for $199.99 from
Amazon
.

#4: Lenovo ThinkPad Stack

Just like how we like things to be easily attainable at one place, we would also wish we have one gadget that can do many different functions. The Lenovo ThinkPad Stack does just that by “stacking” four popular accessories together, taking up less space yet offering multiple usages. The four accessories include a Bluetooth wireless speaker, a mobile power bank, a wireless router, and a hard disk drive. Well, technically it’s three accessories since the router and hard drive are a combo. You can connect or create your own mobile network, and can store your files in the drive even via wirelessly. With the powerbank you can charge up to two devices simultaneously, and with the Bluetooth speaker, you can have a party anytime you want!

This cool stackable gadget is going for $389.97, but unfortunately it is still not available in Malaysia. You can get it from
Lenovo US store
 though.

#5: Livescribe Smartpen 3

It is amazing how technology has advanced. With something like the Livescribe Smartpen 3, you can write and draw whatever you want on a paper, and it can be saved immediately into your smartphone or tablet. It isn’t a stylus per se; it is an actual ballpoint pen and a good looking one at that. It features an infrared camera, ARM processor, Bluetooth Smart chipset, flash memory and lithium ion battery. So whatever you write will be saved in its internal memory and can be synced with your devices later, whether on Android or iOS devices.

You can buy it
here
 for $149.95.

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Gadgets to pack if you are traveling light

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Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, it is no secret that we all need to bring just another gadget in case we might find a use for it. However, this might end with having to deal with overloaded luggage or a hand-carry that can break your back. So here we have compiled a few nifty essentials if you ever need to travel light, and yet have all the electronics you need for a pleasant journey.

#1: The Smartphone

This is the one essential item that is possibly the most necessary no matter where you’re headed to. These days, a phone is like a mini super computer that just happens to fit into your pocket. However, with so many devices in the market, what should you look out for if you’re planning to get a smartphone that can aid your travels? For one, it would be great if your phone supports dual SIM as that would be an asset when you’re travelling. You can keep your home SIM in its slot (just make sure to switch off data/call roaming), and insert your local SIM in the other slot, and you can make calls and get connected without having to verify your apps such as Whatsapp and Telegram. Another important feature your smartphone should have is productivity apps and support. If you’re someone who signs a lot of documents, it would be convenient to have a phone that comes with a stylus such as the Samsung Galaxy Note5. Or should you need to be working all the time, then a Windows phone would be convenient since it can sync files on your Windows 10 laptop and phone without any issues. Of course, the most popular feature of a smartphone is the camera. Most devices these days come with pretty decent cameras so you will definitely be spoiled for choice.

#2: The Camera

When I mention camera here, it doesn’t mean you need to pack a DSLR. Since you would be bringing your smartphone with you, and I can safely assume it has a decent camera. However, if you want to capture something more immersive, then it would be great to throw an action camera into your bag as well. An action camera like the HTC Re Waterproof WiFi action camera, or a GoPro Hero is small enough to not take up too much space. It can capture your moments on videos to share to friends later or for keepsakes.

#3: The Tablet

As much as the smartphone can do a lot of things a tablet can, the battery might not survive the flight, especially since you will need it to make important calls and messages. So instead of wasting your precious battery, pack in a tablet like the Huawei MediaPad X2 for entertainment, or like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 for reading. You can save movies in your tablet, or store your favorite books to survive a long dreary flight. Should you need to work, you can use a tablet instead of having to bring a heavier laptop, and if you pair it with a small foldable Bluetooth keyboard, typing would be even easier.

#4: The Chargers

Bringing a charger for every electronic device is really a space-waster. So instead of bring the adapters, all you need to bring are the cables and a multi-device charger. You can use something like the Arctic Charging Station or the Arctic 5 Port USB Charger to hook up multiple devices and charge them all with just one plug point. Not only do you not need to pack more things into your luggage, but you can avoid the problem of not having enough plug points at your lodging to change everything. On top of that, if you’re traveling to a country where you need a travel adapter, you don’t need to pack even more adapters to cater to each of your individual chargers.

#5: The Powerbank

This is quite an important support device as you won’t want to be running out of battery when you need it the most, especially when in a foreign country. There are so many types of powerbanks in the market right now, but to ensure you don’t need to be bringing multiple powerbanks which is extra dead weight, you need to look out for 3 things. Firstly, make sure the powerbank has at least 10,000mAh in order to do multiple charges on your device. Why this particular number? Well, most smartphone battery offers about 2,500 to 3,000mAh in capacity. So if you have a 10,000mAh battery, you can charge your phone approximately 3 times before having to recharge your powerbank. Secondly, check the output. To charge your phone faster, look for output of 2.1A instead of just 1.0A. Thirdly, the weight. Since you want to be carrying this around and you are afterall, looking to be traveling light, look for a powerbank that isn’t as heavy as a brick.

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GALAX 980 Ti HOF edition is coming to town soon

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GALAX, one of the premier manufacturer of performance graphics cards, today announced their strongest GTX 980 Ti – HOF edition, which can be pre-order with a ship date of 10th July. This new GTX 980 Ti HOF edition can take every benefit from the latest Maxwell technology to push even further on the core performance elements, including 30% more stream processors and double the VRAM with 50% faster interface.

Besides that, the GTX 980 Ti HOF is built with a highly optimized white PCB and have triple fan cooler, which similar to the 980 HOF, but features some additional refinements based on feedback from the overclocking community. The company also takes the existing design and redesigned to drastically increase airflow and improve heat exhaust by as much as 400%, thus resulting in significantly reduced ambient
case

temps.

The price is not available now, but the estimate of the availability in Malaysia will be early July.

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Galax GeForce GTX 960 Exoc White is now available in stores

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KFA2 aka Galax have announced an all-white variant of its GeForce GTX 960 EXOC graphics card and the color itself merely covers the cooler shroud and fans while the main PCB remains the same familiar sapphire blue color – the signature colour of KFA2 and Galax. The company has also installed a white colour backplate to complement the cooler as well.

Apart from having good looks, the GTX 960 EXOC White Edition has pretty decent clock speeds, offering a factory overclocked frequency of 1279 MHz core and a capable GPU Boost of up to 1367 MHz. It draws power from a single 8-pin PCIe power connector which also allows using a 6-phase VRM. The aluminium fin stack heatsink uses 8 mm-thick nickel-plated copper heat pipes, which make direct contact with the GPU. It has display outputs include two DVI, and one each of DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 2.0. If you are interested to buy one, this all-white graphics card is available over at
C-Zone
 and
Viewnet
at the price of RM 999.


Samsung Malaysia introduces Galaxy A01 Core, an Android Go phone for RM329

325

Want a cheap phone that comes with frequent security and software updates directly from Google? The Galaxy A01 Core will satisfy you that with a RM329 price tag, this is an Android Go device that features a 5.3″ HD+ TFT display, powered by a quad-core processor supported by 1GB RAM and 16GB of storage, it has a 8MP f/2.2 main and 5MP f/2.4 front camera.

Since the phone doesn’t come with Samsung’s suite of software, the Galaxy A01 Core’s main selling point is obviously its aesthetic as it has a slim and solid 8.6mm body with a textured back, the phone’s 3000mAh battery should easily last you a full work day with e-mails and social media browsing involved.

The Galaxy A01 Core ships with Android 10 Go Edition and will be available starting today nationwide in three colors – Blue, Black and Red, do visit your nearby Samsung Experience Stores and dealers to check it out.

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Galaxy A42 5G: Samsung adds 5G support to new midrange phone

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Samsung quietly launched the Galaxy A42 5G yesterday in Malaysia; the new 5G phone is a midranger that uses the Snapdragon 750G chip.

Specs

The
Galaxy A42 5G
 is available in Prism Dot Black and Prism Dot Gray, and has a 6.6-inch SUPER AMOLED screen with a dewdrop notch. It comes with a 20MP lens with f/2.2 aperture on the front, while its rear features a 48MP lens alongside an 8MP ultra wide lens, a 5MP depth sensor and a 5MP macro lens.

Under the hood, the midranger has 8GB of RAM paired with 128GB of storage. It also holds a 5,000mAh battery with 15W fast charging and runs on One UI based on Android 10. Although 5G isn’t ready in Malaysia yet, the Galaxy A42 5G is a future-proof phone that will offer 5G connectivity with support for the 700MHz and 3500MHz band when the time comes.

Galaxy A42 5G currently unlisted on Shopee

The Galaxy A42 5G is
available
 at RM1,599 on its official store on e-commerce platforms, but
Shopee
 has recently unlisted it while
Lazada
 has removed the product page – we’re not sure why, but it’s most likely that it’ll be made available again soon.

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Galaxy A5 2018 slated to have bezel-less display

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It was thanks to the likes of the Xiaomi Mi MIX, Samsung Galaxy S8 and the LG G6, which got the bezel-less display ball running. Now very much a trend, bezel-less displays are slowly making their way to mid range devices as well. The Vivo V7+ and the Huawei Nova 2i for instance, feature full screen displays with affordable price tag. While Samsung hasn’t done so with its non-flagship smartphones, it will next year.

Samsung’s Galaxy A series are typically the next in line after its flagship S series in terms of overall specs on paper. Catered for folks who aren’t willing to splash as much cash on technology, the Galaxy A series of handsets are definitely impressive in the own ways as well. Based on the results of a HTML5 test online, we now know that next year’s Galaxy A5 will sport a tall bezel-less display on the front.

The results show the resolution of the Galaxy A5 2018 at 412 X 846 pixels, which definitely won’t be the case for the upcoming mid ranger. But in terms of measurements, the pixels translate to an 18.5:9 display aspect ratio, just like on the Galaxy S8. It will likely be in Full HD+ resolution.

This also means that the Galaxy A7 2018 will be sporting a bezel-less display as well. The Galaxy A3 is a more humbly spec-ed device, so Samsung might just sit out on implementing a full screen display for that one. What do you think?

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Get RM100 rebate when you purchase the Samsung Galaxy A51 and Galaxy A30s in March

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Some may be waiting for the Galaxy S20 roadshow to get their hands on the S20 phones, but if you’re looking for a cheaper option, the Samsung Galaxy A30s and Galaxy A51 are on sale now!

For the whole month of March, you’ll get RM100 off the Galaxy A51 and the Galaxy A30s when you trade in your phone at the nearest participating store. Your phone will have to be checked and validated by Samsung staffs or else the RM100 rebate will not apply.

Image credit: Samsung

The Galaxy A51 and Galaxy A30s are both mid-range devices; the former comes with a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-O display, while the latter comes with a slightly smaller 6.4-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-V display. Both devices come with 128GB storage, but the Galaxy A51 has 6GB RAM while the Galaxy A30s has 4GB RAM.

Image credit: Samsung

Those who love macro shots should definitely go for the bigger phone as it also comes with a quad-camera setup that consists of a 48MP lens, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, a 5MP depth sensor and a 5MP macro sensor. On the other hand, if you can make do without a macro lens, you can get the Galaxy A30s with a triple camera setup that is slightly cheaper.

The Galaxy A51 is priced at RM1,299 while the Galaxy A30s is selling at RM999. For more information, check out Samsung’s official site.

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Galaxy A9 Pro benchmarks leaked

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The Galaxy A9 was released in January by Samsung, after announcing it last December. After the whole hype of MWC with the launch of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, an Antutu benchmark of an alleged Galaxy A9 Pro (SM-A9100) has surfaced on Weibo.

Based on the benchmark results, the Galaxy A9 Pro is sporting a 1920×1080 Full HD display, which is likely to be at 6 inches. It runs on a Snapdragon 652 SoC with 4GB of RAM, and a Adreno 510 graphics processor. Apart from that, 32GB of internal storage, expandable via a micro SD card slot. The A9 Pro will feature a 16MP rear camera and a 8MP front facing camera. All of these, powered by a 4,000mAh battery. Check out our specs comparison of the Galaxy A9 and the alleged A9 Pro below, note that the A9 Pro specs aren’t confirmed.

We are pretty certain that the release of the Galaxy A9 Pro won’t clash with the release of the S7 and S7 Edge, hence we are looking at April or a later date. According to SamMobile, the A9 Pro will likely be exclusive to the Chinese market. Leave us your comment below!

Source:
Antutu (Weibo)
  Via:
SamMobile
  Image Source: Venture Beat

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Galaxy Awesome Unpacked Event to reveal the Galaxy A52 and A72

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We aren’t expecting more events from Samsung so soon, but Samsung surprised everyone with its Galaxy Awesome Unpacked Event that will be held on March 17.

Galaxy Awesome Unpacked Event – a surprise?

The event is most likely for the
Galaxy A series
, even though Samsung usually don’t hold events for its midrangers. However, rumour has it Samsung is taking the upcoming A series phones very seriously by including monthly security updates and higher refresh rates.

Both the Galaxy A52 and A72 will have 5G connectivity

We will be expecting the Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72 during the launch — both phones will come with 5G support. The Galaxy A52 5G will be getting 6.5-inch screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 4,500mAh battery. Samsung will be using the Snapdragon 750G chip for this phone, in addition to offering two storage configurations — 6+128GB and 8+256GB.

Everything about the Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72 will be revealed on March 17 at 10pm, so stay tuned to Samsung’s
Facebook
 page.

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Galaxy Beta Program for Android Nougat now available for S7 and S7 Edge users

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Samsung first introduced the Galaxy Beta Program last year when it was testing out the then new Android 6.0 Marshmallow for its devices. The day has finally come where the South Korean company has reopened the Galaxy Beta Program, for Android 7.0 Nougat this time. This beta program is available but only limited to Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge users from selected countries.

If you happen to be from the United States, United Kingdom or South Korea and a Galaxy S7 series user, you’re eligible for the Galaxy Beta Program. Users from China will be able to take part in the program as well in the near future. Samsung has stated that applicants for the beta program are being accepted on a first come first serve basis. Succcessful program applicants will get a chance to taste Android 7.0 Nougat on their Galaxy S7 devices ahead of the rest, with the ability to experience Samsung’s new UX and software features based on the latest version of the Android operating system.

In order to be eligible, you have to be residing in the countries that were mentioned earlier, and you are required to possess an active Samsung account. Users can apply for the Galaxy Beta Program in two ways – by downloading the Galaxy Beta Program app via Galaxy Apps or through the Samsung Members app that is available on the Google Play Store. The announcement of the Galaxy Beta Program for Android Nougat is good news, meaning that the rest of the Galaxy S7 users will be getting their share of Android version 7.0 pretty soon. What do you think?

Source:
Samsung

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Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Review: Minimalist earbuds that sound really good

1.8K

Samsung did a great job with the Galaxy Buds Pro early this year, it is the company’s first earbuds that convinced me that they can finally make good audio gear worthy of the Sound by AKG branding, and more recently, the Galaxy Buds 2 has spoiled my ears with significant improvements over their regular Buds and I can tell you that they are worth auditioning.

The Buds 2 features a compact and minimalist construction that looks pretty unique, it comes in a new charging case that looks similar to the Galaxy Buds Pro’s and supports wireless charging, Samsung has even done a nice paint job inside the case that matches the colors of your earbuds.

Unlike the Galaxy Buds Pro, the Buds 2 and its charging case has a glossy finish which can get scratched over time if not well protected, while thankfully regardless of any color options you choose, the charging case comes in white so that you see less smudges on it.

In terms of comfort and fit, the Buds 2 will fit my ears properly and it is small enough that it doesn’t stick out of your ear like some others, Samsung offers two additional silicone ear tips in the box and they are pretty easy to swap out, they offer good seal for my ears and there’s very minimal sound bleeding that thankfully isn’t going to annoy someone sitting next to you if you turn up the volume.

The Buds 2 uses a capacitive surface for playback controls and they work pretty well, I’m particularly glad that it prevents accidental touches when I remove one of them from my ears, as most wireless earbuds would have skipped music tracks or activate your phone’s voice assistant as you remove them in the process, though the Buds 2 sadly doesn’t have ear detection that automatically pauses and play music like the Buds Pro.

What Samsung has always done well with its earbuds is in the software department, pairing the Buds 2 with Samsung phones is a breeze just like how you pair AirPods with iPhones, the Galaxy Wearable companion app is easy to get around and lets you customize how you want the touch controls to work, the Buds 2 supports the earbud fit test if you want to ensure the best listening experience, and if you own other Samsung devices, it can also quickly switch to the active device without requiring you to pair them again.

Active noise cancellation is one of the highlight features of the Buds 2 over its predecessor, though it isn’t the best that I have tested but I find it sufficient for reducing ambient noise when you are in a noisy café or office. When not playing music on the earbuds in our office, I can still hear muffled voices of people sitting six feet away from me and the clacking sound of clicky mechanical keyboards is 90% softer, so it really isn’t too bad.

However, the Buds 2 didn’t do well on the ambient sound mode just like most other earbuds, as background noise sounded unnatural like a poor microphone recording, but it will work fine if you merely need it to hear your surroundings when working outdoors.

Speaking of workouts, the Buds 2 is IPX2 certified against sweat and water, which means it only resists liquid when tilted up to 15 degrees vertically and is exactly the angle when it is worn on your ear, so don’t leave them in the rain or near the poolside if you can as it won’t survive splashes from other angles.

In terms of audio performance, the Buds 2 delivered a standard V-shaped sound and is generally suitable for listening pop music genres, it manages mid-bass and lower frequencies that gave songs such as MONEY by LISA the needed oomph, vocals are a little weak and high frequencies on instrumentals aren’t as strong, the overall sound signature is a pretty warm one that I can enjoy for long hours without feeling fatigue.

Gaming with the Buds 2 is decent when you have Game Mode turned on, I experience no delays in audio transmission and can’t detect any degrade in audio quality, which is probably all thanks to Samsung’s proprietary Scalable codec, on top of supporting AAC and SBC on other non Samsung devices.

Battery life is one thing that I think some might find it an issue if you are thinking to use it for long road trips or flights, as the Buds 2 can only last up to 5 hours with ANC On which I find it to be pretty accurate, I can hit 50% battery on them with 2 hours, but thankfully they charge really fast in the case and can get you 2 hours of listening time with a 10 minute charge, the charging case can offer approximately three additional charges which can get you up to 20 hours of listening time without ANC.

Overall, the Galaxy Buds 2 is a very compelling choice for those looking for a pair of small and minimalist wireless earbuds with good audio performance, especially for those who have smaller ear canals, the Buds 2 should be a great fit and they don’t stick out of your ear like most other wireless earbuds in the market. At RM499, the Buds 2 offers premium features and a great companion software that many other earbuds can’t, and for that, I’m convinced again that Samsung can make really good audio products.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2

Price:
 RM499

The Galaxy Buds 2 looks and sound good without asking for a premium price tag.

KLGadgetGuy

Design

8

Highs

7

Mids

7

Lows

8

Soundstage

8

Battery Life

7

Value

9

The Goods

Well balanced sound presentation

Inexpensive

Acceptable ANC performance

Wireless charging

The Bads

Glossy finishing

Ambient sound mode

 7.7

Average Score

galaxy buds 2
samsung
tws
wireless earbuds


Galaxy Buds Live: First Samsung earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation

407

Alongside the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and the Galaxy Tab S7, the company also introduced the latest wireless earbuds — the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live.

First open-type buds, all-day comfort fit

As leaked
previously
, the Galaxy Buds Live looks like a pair of beans and comes in a squarish case with a smooth finish. They are also the first open-type buds and Samsung claims that they’re perfect for all-day comfort fit.

Up to 21 hours of battery life

The Galaxy Buds Live also offers up to six hours of music playback and up to 21 hours with its charging case. It has a 12mm speaker and bass duct and comes with controls that are easy to use and customisable. It also comes with Active Noise Cancellation and features three microphones for better voice call quality.

Samsung also added a new feature that allows two Galaxy Buds Live to connect to a single device. This allows two users to listen to the same audio from a single source without sharing a single pair of earbuds.

The
Galaxy Buds Live
 are available in Mystic Black, Mystic White and Mystic and Bronze at RM699.

Galaxy Buds Live
samsung


Galaxy Buds Pro: Samsung ditches bean-like design

303

Samsung seems to have given up on its bean-like design — the upcoming Galaxy Buds Pro will revert back to its original look as seen on the Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Buds Plus.

Different design for earbuds, but same case

Image credit: Evan Blass X Voice

However, the design is not entirely similar — the Galaxy Buds Pro has a more rounded in-ear design and comes in violet, a hint of what next year’s Samsung Galaxy S21’s new colour will be. Despite the different earbuds design, Samsung will still stick to the
Galaxy Buds Live
’s squarish case design.

Galaxy Buds Pro will have ANC and better Ambient mode

According to
SamMobile
, the new earbuds will come with Active Noise Cancellation and an improved Ambient mode. It’ll also come with a 500mAh battery which is slightly bigger than the Galaxy Buds Live.

If reports are true, then the Galaxy Buds Pro will also be launching earlier alongside the next flagship phones from Samsung in January, 2020. However, these earbuds are not meant to replace its predecessors.


Galaxy Buds2 Pro Review: wireless audio is finally exciting again

7.4K

How does 24-bit audio sound like on a pair of wireless earbuds? That’s the immediate question when I unbox the Galaxy Buds2 Pro, it paired to my Galaxy Z Flip4 effortlessly when I open the case, I pop them into my ears and fired up the Apple Music app, played bad guy by Billie Eilish in Lossless quality, I was shocked by how well it sounded as if I was listening to wired audio on my favourite Intime Sora earphones.

Samsung has definitely made a huge leap in wireless audio since the last Galaxy Buds Pro, and the Buds2 Pro took that listening experience up a notch by delivering detail that I have never heard on a pair of wireless earbuds, but it doesn’t mean this pair of Pro earbuds is perfect either, which I’ll save that for later.

The Galaxy Buds2 Pro I got is the signature Bora Purple color and now comes with a matte finish case, which feels very nice when you run your fingers through it and isn’t prone to paint scraping like its predecessor, but the question of how long this type of rubbery material will last is still questionable especially when used in the Malaysian humid weather, as most gadgets with such rubbery surfaces will tend to get greasy after a while, so its best to get a protective case for it if you care about its cosmetics in the long term.

Galaxy Buds2 Pro
Galaxy Buds Pro

The earbuds has a slightly smaller form than the previous model and weighs 5.5g per piece, it is very commendable on how Samsung still managed to fit a two-way driver that comprise a 10mm woofer and 5.3mm tweeter on each side, I got a few friends with smaller ears to try out the Buds2 Pro and all of them liked how snuggly the ear tips fit them without feeling too much pressure when active noise cancellation is enabled.

Samsung has improved the touchpad’s sensitivity as I no longer find myself accidentally pressing the earbuds when I take one side out of my ears, though interestingly in-ear detection playback control only works when you take out and put on both earbuds, which is something to get used to if you usually take out one side expecting music to pause, but thankfully there really isn’t a need for me to do that all the time as the ambient sound mode kicks in as soon as it detects me starting a conversation with someone, which is a setting you can enable in the Galaxy Wearable app.

The pairing process of the Buds2 Pro is extremely straightforward for Samsung phone users, you pop open the case next to your phone and it instantly shows the pairing window to get you connected. For other devices, you will need to press and hold both earbuds’ touchpad while they remain inside the case, and one beautiful thing here is that you no longer need to initiate the pairing process every time you want to use it with previously paired devices, you simply go to your device’s Bluetooth settings and tap Connect, a chime will play to indicate a successful connection.

Despite that, the Buds2 Pro can’t connect to two devices at the same time despite having Bluetooth 5.3, which isn’t surprising but can be disappointing for those who wants to quickly switch audio sources between two devices, though with a secondary Samsung device such as a tablet, the earbuds does switch to the active audio source really intelligently just like Apple’s AirPods.

To the average user, 24-bit audio isn’t something that can be easily perceived even when you trying playing lossless music to their ears, not unless you are extremely familiar with how a particular music sound like before or care about the tiniest detail in instruments and acoustics, you are not going to find a big difference from other premium competing wireless earbuds.

The Buds2 Pro sound signature isn’t too different from the Buds Pro, where it is able to present low, mid and high frequencies without any bias, it will most certainly not satisfy the bass heads as low end bass sounded a little weak even when you set to the Bass Boost EQ preset, it is ultimately an all-genre pair of earbuds.

While I don’t consider myself an audiophile, I appreciate music and listen to lossless quality music on Apple Music almost every day, hence I am able to tell the difference when playing the same song with lossless quality on Apple Music and High Quality on Spotify, and man, I never want to use this pair of earbuds with Spotify if I can afford to, because the Buds2 Pro presents excellent clarity in details that makes vocals and every instruments brighter and like I mentioned earlier, it really feels like listening to a pair of wired earphones paired with an amplifier.

Unfortunately, this audio experience can only be exclusively enjoyed on Samsung phones due to the proprietary Samsung Seamless Hi-Fi Codec, and you will need to be at least on One UI 4.0 and above to have this feature supported, otherwise you will at most stream with the AAC codec.

With this Hi-Fi codec, it also means more data can be transmitted to the Buds2 Pro, which is the reason why you won’t detect any distortion or muddy frequencies in your music.

In addition, the 360 audio now feels more precise when I move my head around and it works with either music or movies, though I still very much prefer Spatial Audio on the AirPods Pro.

Other improvements in audio performance include much better active noise cancellation, which utilizes three microphones that cancels out more noise and even soft sounds like wind, its ambient sound mode finally feels on par with Apple’s transparency mode where my ears don’t feel that much of pressure as before.

While Samsung has greatly upgraded the audio performance of the Buds2 Pro, battery life is still similar to its predecessor with up to 5 hours with ANC On, while the charging case will extend that up to 18 hours, though I find it to be sufficient during the review period as my average listening per session only maxes out at 2.5 hours, this isn’t going to do well for those who are always on long-haul flights, it would have been great if Samsung had increased the battery capacity of the charging case to offer more charges though.

To be honest, its been a while since I have felt so excited about wireless earbuds, as most of them tend to compete with each other in terms of form and function, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro excites my ears with audio quality that’s hard to experience on others, and for the price of RM899, I recommend that you give it a go if that paltry battery life isn’t a big deal to you.

Grab the Galaxy Buds2 Pro on
Samsung.com,

Lazada
 and
Shopee
.

Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro

The Galaxy Buds2 Pro has significantly upgraded audio quality but only if you use it with a Samsung phone.

KLGadgetGuy

Galaxy Buds2 Pro

8

The Goods

Excellent design

24-bit audio sounds exceptional

Well-balanced sound

Works very well with Samsung phones

The Bads

No multipoint support with non-Samsung devices

24-bit audio limited to Samsung phones with One UI 4.0 and later

 8.0

Average Score

buds2 pro review
buds2 pro sound quality
galaxy buds2 pro


Galaxy C9 spotted on Antutu with 6GB of RAM

338

With Samsung’s reputation on the line after the great fall of its Galaxy Note 7, rumor has it that the company will be quick to push out its upcoming flagship – the Galaxy S8, which might see a very early launch next year. Meanwhile, a Galaxy C9 has been caught on the Antutu benchmarking app, and it seems like Samsung will soon be joining other manufacturers whose phones sport 6GB of RAM.

The Galaxy C9 spotted on Antutu with the model number SM-C9000 shows pretty impressive specs, though it will still belong to the mid range spectrum of smartphones. The phone will be featuring a 6-inch display at Full HD resolution, a Snapdragon 652 processor with a staggering 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. If this turns out to be true, the Galaxy C9 will be Samsung’s first ever 6GB RAM phone. Previous handsets known to be powered by 6GB of RAM are the VIVO XPlay5, the OnePlus 3 and the recently launched LeEco Pro 3.

Samsung appears to not hold back when it comes to the C9’s camera. According to the benchmark, the phone is said to be sporting 16MP rear and front cameras. The Galaxy C9 will be running on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box. These specs are pretty much all we need to know about a phone, apart from its battery capacity. But chances are that Samsung will be packing the C9 with a bigger than 3,000mAh battery for its 6-inch screen.

Unfortunately, Samsung’s Galaxy C series have known to only stay within mainland China, and that will most likely be the case for the Galaxy C9 as well. What do you think? What are the odds of Samsung packing 6GB of RAM into their phones?

Source:
Sam Mobile

6gb
antutu
c9
galaxy
ram
samsung


Samsung Galaxy Fold 2: Renders reveal bigger punch-hole display

453

The Galaxy Fold 2 is expected to launch alongside the
Galaxy Note 20 series
 and the
Galaxy Watch Active3
, but recent reports have revealed that this foldable device will be featuring a punch-hole display.

Bigger punch-hole display

The Galaxy Fold 2 will not only sport a punch-hole design, but it’s also bigger at 7.7-inch. In comparison, the Galaxy Fold has a 7.3-inch screen with a corner notch. Even when it’s folded, the Galaxy Fold 2 is said to be bigger than its predecessor. The first model came with a 4.6-inch display when folded whereas the successor will be getting a 6.23-inch screen in its folded state.

At first, I thought the hole location was strange, but then I thought about it carefully. This might be the most suitable location.
pic.twitter.com/r0PBtQGkhl

— Ice universe (@UniverseIce)
June 24, 2020

Other reports have also suggested that the phone will support a 120Hz refresh rate when it’s unfolded, whereas its folded state will only support a 60Hz refresh rate.

Internals and cameras

There’s a high chance that the Galaxy Fold 2 will be equipped with up to 12GB RAM and 512GB storage. Similar to the Galaxy Z Flip 5G that will be launched during the August event, the Galaxy Fold 2 will also be equipped with a Snapdragon 865 chipset that supports 5G connectivity. It will be paired with a 4,365mAh battery and come with a 64MP triple camera setup on the rear.

Foldable phone
galaxy
Galaxy Fold 2
samsung


Galaxy J5 Pro makes appearance in Thailand

257

Samsung has just unveiled the Galaxy J5 in select regions last month and there has been some form of development since. Earlier today, the company silently unveiled a pro version of the said device in neighboring country Thailand. The Galaxy J5 Pro only features upgrades in two aspects – RAM and storage.

The Galaxy J5 Pro features the same specs as the standard Galaxy J5 all around apart from the differences mentioned above. First off, a 5.2-inch display in 720p resolution on the front. Underneath the hood is Samsung’s own Exynos 7870 processor clocked at 1.6 GHz. RAM has been upgraded from 2GB to 3GB and Samsung has also doubled up on the internal storage as well, with 32GB from 16GB.

Camera department remains the same throughout – a 13MP sensors for both the rear and front shooters with impressive f/1.7 and f/1.9 apertures respectively. A bonus is that both cameras feature LED flash as well. The Galaxy J5 Pro packs a 3,000mAh battery but unfortunately still uses a micro USB port for charging, but it isn’t necessarily a deal breaker on its own.

The Samsung Galaxy J5 Pro carries a price tag of THB 9,990 (RM 1,262.19), which might seem pricey considering that it only has a 720p screen, but that is up to you to decide. What do you think?

camera
galaxy j5 pro
ram
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storage
thailand


Samsung Galaxy M33 5G spotted on Geekbench with Exynos 1200 & 6GB RAM

1.2K

We knew that
Samsung
 is working on its next M series smartphone but there weren’t any leaks on it until now. The benchmarks of the Samsung Galaxy M33 5G has been spotted by
Nashville Chatter
 on Geekbench along with some of its specs.

For its hardware, the Galaxy M33 5G houses a motherboard with the model number “s5e8825”, which is the company’s very own
Exynos 1200
 SoC. This SoC is said to be a powerful midrange chip created to succeed the Exynos 1080. Other than that, the device also sports 6GB of RAM.

Image Credit: Nashville Chatter

According to a report by
Gizmochina
, the Galaxy M33 5G is confirmed to pack a 6,000mAh battery as certified by SafetyKorea — better than its predecessor, the Galaxy M32 which is only equipped with a 5,000mAh battery (in  the international model; models sold in India sport a 6,000mAh battery).

Although there is no specific date when the Samsung Galaxy M33 5G will be unveiled, it is expected to be released by January 2022 so stay tuned as we provide you with more updates.

Source –
Nashville Chatter
 | Via
Gizmochina

6gb ram
exynos
Exynos 1200
samsung
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Samsung Galaxy M33
Samsung Galaxy M33 5G


Galaxy Nexus users get a chance to taste Google's Lollipop

313

More than four years down the road, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, produced in collaboration with Google may be considered obsolete by many, but that’s not the case with the community of developers at CyanogenMod.

Although Google has abandoned the early Nexus back in its Jelly Bean days, the CyanogenMod community is turning the tables by allowing Galaxy Nexus users to have a taste of Android Lollipop. Nightlies have been pushed out, but is expected to have many bugs as the builds are still in its initial stage.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which was released back in November 2011, runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich, powered by a well aged TI OMAP 4460 and 1GB of RAM. It sports a 4.65 inch 720p Super AMOLED screen, 5MP rear camera and 1.3MP front-facing camera. Although its specs are elementary by today’s standards, it’s certainly not forgotten by a handful in the Android development community.

Source:
XDA Developers
  Picture credits: XDA Developers

cyanogenmod
galaxynexus
lollipop


These are the best USB PD chargers for the Galaxy Note 10+

468

One of the most exciting features on the Galaxy Note 10+ is that it supports up to 45W of fast charging, which Samsung unfortunately didn’t include out of the box and you will need to purchase separately.

Fortunately, the Galaxy Note 10+ uses the USB Power Delivery standard instead of a proprietary fast charging solution, while it requires a 15V/3A output to realise its fastest charging speed, so here are a few USB-PD chargers that we’d recommend.

Tronsmart W2DT USB-PD Charger

Having both USB-PD and Quick Charge 3.0 ports, the Tronsmart W2DT is one of the very best charging bricks that supports a total power output of 48W, while it only charges your Galaxy Note 10+ at 30W with its USB-C port, you can take advantage of the 18W USB-A port to charge up another smartphone or gadget without compromising power.

Get the Tronsmart W2DT at
Lazada
.

UGreen USB-C 45W PD Charger

Featuring a USB-C PD port that juices up your Note 10+ with 45W of power, the UGreen USB-C 45W PD charger has a secondary USB-A port with a 5V 2.4A output that can juice up your secondary device without splitting wattage when two devices are charged simultaneously.

Get the UGreen USB-C 45W PD Charger at
Lazada
.

helpers lab Dual Type-C PD Travel Charger

I personally bought this particular one off Taobao and it is by far the only charging brick that comes with Dual USB-C PD ports and two standard USB-A ports with 5V 2.4A charging.

Although it isn’t as portable as the other two, one of its USB-PD ports supplies up to 60W of power output, which is sufficient for charging even a MacBook Pro 15-inch, let alone the Note 10+, the other USB-PD port is limited to 18W which can be used to charge other devices without splitting power.

Get the helpers lab Dual Type-C PD Travel Charger at
Lazada
.

Innergie Powergear 60C

The Innergie Powergear 60C may not have as many ports as the rest, but for its small and lightweight form factor, it can supply up to 60W of output with its USB-C port, which is great if you don’t want to have a chunky brick inside your bag when travelling around.

Get the Innergie Powergear 60C at
Lazada
.

charger
Galaxy Note 10
galaxy note 10+ charger
usb pd


Save up to RM799 when you get the Galaxy Note 10+ during Samsung’s 10th anniversary

359

If you’re still haven’t gotten the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ and you’ve been saving up for the past few months, then rejoice at the fact that the company is offering two bundles that will get you the Galaxy Note 10+ and more for a lower price.

In conjunction with Samsung’s 10th anniversary, the company has created two bundles for its fans: the Premium Bundle and the Eco Bundle. The latter will get you the Galaxy Note 10+ and the 44m Galaxy Watch Active2 for RM4,499 – that’ll save you RM799.

As for the Premium Bundle priced at RM5,599, you’ll get the Galaxy Note 10+, a silicone cover for the device, the Galaxy Buds, the 40mm Galaxy Watch Active2 and two watch straps to go with it. All these products total up to RM6,214, but by purchasing them in a bundle, you’ll be saving RM615.

This promotion will be applicable from November 29 to December 31, where you can get both the bundles via Samsung online store or Samsung Experience stores. For more information, visit
Samsung
.

Galaxy Buds
Galaxy Note 10
Galaxy Watch Active2
samsung


GALAXY Note 3 Neo to go on sale at RM850 for 3 days

264

It seems like not only Xiaomi Malaysia is starting a sale tomorrow,
Samsung
 isn’t just sitting there and wait to be defeated, the company has just announced that their
GALAXY
 Note 3 Neo is going on sale from 20 May until 22 May for only RM850 from an original price of RM1699.

The
GALAXY
 Note 3 Neo is a lower end version of the original
GALAXY
 Note 3, which features an Exynos 5260 Hexa Core Chip, 2GB RAM, 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display at 720p resolution, 16GB Internal Storage with MicroSD Expansion and supports LTE networks. The phone also gets a lower 8 Megapixel main camera and only supports USB 2.0 file transfer.

While the Note 3 Neo has some compromises, it is still worth buying if you’re only looking at its S-Pen features. However here’s the catch, there’s only 1240 units up for grabs and it is only available at Samsung Brand Stores nationwide. If you think you don’t have the luck to grab a Xiaomi Mi3 tomorrow, the GALAXY Note 3 Neo is probably a good choice if you’re urgently looking for a phone. Visit the source link for a list of
Samsung
 Brand Stores.

Source:
Link 1
,
Link 2


Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ might equip with 3000 mAh batteries

293

The
Samsung
 Unpacked event is just a few hours to go and the main stars will be the
Galaxy
 Note 5 and the
Galaxy
S6
Edge
+
. However, both of the devices enjoyed resulted in more than a few leaks and easily been identified, what the phones look like and what is under the hood. Still, there are a few unanswered questions remaining – that will be the battery capacity.

Fortunately, there are leaks that indicate both
Galaxy
 Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ will equip 3000 mAh batteries.  This will be a disappointment for most of the Note fans because this would be a downgrade instead of an upgrade. The battery capacity for both of the devices is very important because neither of the devices will offer replaceable battery. Eventually, all Samsung GalaxyNote 5 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ will require more juice rather than bringing a power bank around.

But, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the phablet will last less than the
Note
4
 and Note 3. Because the new
Galaxy
 phablet will be equipped with
Samsung
’s own Exynos 7420 SoC, which has more power efficient. Everyone knew that Samsung has a screen that can slash power consumption with each generation of Super AMOLED technology.

Let’s hope for the best because battery life has always been a key selling point of the Samsung Galaxy phablets series and it will be a shame for the Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+ to take a step backward on battery life.

android
note5
s6e
samsung
samsungunpacked


Galaxy Note 5 is a real looker judging by its teaser

320

While the heat on the
Galaxy
 S6 is still on the market these days, we are pretty close to the date that
Samsung
 will be revealing its true flagship for the year – the Galaxy Note 5, and as time approaches, we are already seeing leaks of a teaser video promoting the next note taking Android flagship from
Samsung
.

While we can’t really confirm that if this will be the final design of the phone, the
Galaxy

Note 5 should take a very similar design approach like the S6 this year, featuring a glass backcover and a metal frame that looks extremely stunning. Based on assumptions and speculations, the
Galaxy

Note 5 could sport a whole new premium like S-Pen with new note taking features, an Exynos processor is probably in place with 3GB RAM and we could also expect
Samsung

to omit removable batteries and expandable memory this time. Some earlier reports are also claiming that the
Galaxy

Note 5 could also come with a 4100mAh battery, a large 5.98-inch Quad HD display and a USB-C port.

The
Galaxy
 Note 5 is expected to be announced around late August this year, which is in conjunction to IFA 2015 in Berlin and we hope to be there in present to check out the device itself, only if we could.

Check out our
Galaxy Note 4 Review here
.

galaxy
ifa
note
rumors
samsung


Galaxy Note 5 leak tells us that it might just be a Galaxy S6 with an S-Pen

343

Recent reports have been suggesting that
Samsung

might speed up the
Galaxy

Note 5’s release next month and as time draws closer, we are getting an extremely clear look of the phone itself as leaked by Twitter user @OnLeaks. If this is what the
Galaxy
Note 5 is going to look,
Samsung

has pretty much continued using the very same design from the
Galaxy

S6, which makes a lot of sense as the company won’t want to waste its effort back in Project Zero.

While some folks might be happy that
Samsung

has brought the
Galaxy

S6 design over to the Note series, we are actually seeing the similar hardware omissions from the S6 – no removable battery and Micro SD expansion, we hope we are wrong on the storage expansion part though as there doesn’t seem to be a Micro SD tray around the phone’s trim.

In other hardware leaks, the
Galaxy

Note 5 is expected to come with an Exynos 7422 processor, 4GB of RAM and a Quad HD display, a new and improved S-Pen as pictured above. The Note series have always been Samsung’s true flagship and we hope to see more interesting hardware on the
Galaxy

Note 5, otherwise it would be one of the most boring product release ever.

galaxy
leaks
note
rumors
samsung


Galaxy Note 6 expected to be released before the iPhone 7

306

Since the release of the Galaxy S7 and the S7 Edge, both handsets have been taking the consumer market by storm. Of course, this isn’t much of a surprise, coupled with the fact that the S7 revived some of the S5’s features that were missing on last year’s S6. With Samsung’s sales already on a high, it seems that the company plans to release the Galaxy Note 6 earlier than the usual annual window.

The strategy is said to further boost Samsung’s sales before Apple releases its next iPhone, the iPhone 7. It looks like Samsung plans to grab every opportunity, and possibly convert some Apple fanboys or save Samsung loyalists from the grasp of the Cupertino company with the upcoming iPhone. Neil Mawston from Strategy Analytics claims that the Samsung Galaxy S7 is expected to be the world’s best selling Android smartphone this year, hence the expectation of such strategy by Samsung.

The Galaxy Note 6 is rumored to feature a QHD display at 5.8 inches, 6GB of RAM underneath the hood with possibly a newer Exynos processor, plus 64GB or 128GB of internal storage. Do take these rumors with a huge grain of salt since there are months to go before the release of the Galaxy Note 6, even if it’s an early one.

Source:
Bloomberg

6
7
apple
galaxy
iphone
note
samsung


Galaxy Note 6 to pack iris scanner, also water resistant

318

Since Samsung is predicted to push out the Galaxy Note 6 way sooner than expected, we have more rumors lined up for you guys, and boy do we love these new ones. The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge were launched with a return of some features from the S5, notably storage expansion and the lovely IP rating which meant that the new flagship can survive spills since it’s IP68 rated.

It is rumored that the Galaxy Note 6 will also be water resistant, with the exact same rating like the Galaxy S7 series. To be specific, IP68 rated handsets are said to survive “powerful water jets” and protected from long term immersion in water up to a specified pressure and also from total dust ingress. If the Galaxy Note 6 is sporting an IP68, then the rumored Galaxy S7 Active will probably be ruggedized to the brim in terms of protection.

Further rumors suggest that the flagship phablet will be packing an iris scanning biometric technology. That seems like a far fetch but can still be taken into consideration since it’s 2016 already. But that’s as far as rumors go for now. As usual, there are no changes for the Galaxy Note 6’s alleged specs – QHD display of 5.8 inches, 4 or 6GB of RAM and running on Android N with TouchWiz. What do you think?

Source:
Sam Mobile

5
biometric
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ip68
iris
note
resistant
scanner
water


Galaxy Note 6 won't arrive earlier

358

We’ve come across multiple rumors stating that the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 will be launched earlier than expected. Some say that the flagship phablet will arrive way before the launch of Apple’s iPhone 7 in order for Samsung to grab hold of the consumer market as much as they can before Apple steps in. However, popular leak source Evan Blass claims that there won’t be an early unveiling of the Note 6.

According to Blass on his Twitter account @evleaks, the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 is set to be released during the week of August 15th, which is a whole year after last year’s August 13th launch of the Galaxy Note 5 in the US. The Note 5 was however, released a month earlier than its predecessors from the past couple of years. Blass, being one of the most reliable sources in the tech world, could prove to be right again.

It looks like we won’t be expecting the Note 6 to arrive earlier as rumored before. Based on earlier leaks, the Galaxy Note 6 might sport a Snapdragon 823 processor, alongside 4GB or an unnecessary 6GB of RAM, with a 5.8-inch QHD display on the front. The phablet is said to retain the same camera optics from the Galaxy S7 series. What will you expect of the Galaxy Note 6?

Source:
Evan Blass

6
blass
evan
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launch
leak
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Galaxy Note 7 exchange 60 percent complete

272

While Samsung is still dealing with the huge stab from the issues surrounding its Galaxy Note 7 flagship phablet, sources claim that the global recall and exchange of the handset have been making good progress since they were carried out. The Korean manufacturer has reportedly recalled approximately 2.5 million units of the Galaxy Note 7 worldwide.

According to Android Central, 60 percent of the fire prone Galaxy Note 7’s in the United States and homeland South Korea have been recalled. In Singapore, 80 percent of users have managed to exchanged their units for new ones. Despite the tragedies that have occurred, most Galaxy Note 7 users have decided to stick with the Galaxy Note 7 and not jumping ship to another manufacturer. In fact, 90 percent of the users have chose to remain loyal to the handset. Having said that, the Galaxy Note 7 is indeed an impressive phone if not for the explosions.

Samsung is slated to re-open sales of the Galaxy Note 7 in South Korea this coming weekend, whereas the other regions worldwide are said to get the green light some time late October. The company is rumored to re-strengthen their position in India, by launching a huge ad campaign for the phablet on the same day when Apple’s iPhone 7 releases in the country. Sounds like positive news for Samsung so far, what do you think?

Source:
Android Central

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Galaxy Note 7 FE abbreviation revealed

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After months of speculation, we now know what the Galaxy Note 7 FE stands for. An easel poster was spotted in South Korea, with the image surfaced up on Chinese micro blogging site Weibo. It is more or less confirmed that the “FE” in the Galaxy Note 7 FE stands for Fan Edition.

The Galaxy Note 7 was one of the promising smartphones unveiled in 2016, but succumbed to its discontinuation due to multiple fire hazard incidents worldwide as a result of its unsafe battery. The phablet was initially issued with a recall before eventually discontinued.

The Galaxy Note 7 FE is said to be refurbished Galaxy Note 7 with a safer and smaller battery. The phone is slated to be unveiled in selected markets such as South Korea and India with a significantly lower price tag.

With that being said, Samsung should pace carefully with the Galaxy Note 7 FE, given the Note 7’s bad reputation as a result of its crisis. Another fire hazard and that will be the end of the Note 7’s revival. Regardless, the Galaxy Note 7 FE is expected to still be popular among potential consumers when it goes on sale on its rumored 7th July date.

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Galaxy Note 7 screenshot shows iris scanner option

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Samsung has recently trademarked the “Galaxy Iris” and “Galaxy Eyeprint” names, which will definitely be used for its iris scanning technology. The Korean manufacturer has recently launched the Galaxy Tab Iris in India, sporting entry level specs with iris scanning technology, targeted at government officials and corporate employees. This time, an alleged screenshot of the Galaxy Note 7 tells us that we might be seeing Galaxy Iris or Galaxy Eyeprint sooner than expected.

Rumors of Samsung’s upcoming flagship phablet sporting iris scanners have been shot down and revived a couple of times. The screenshot shows a message screen in Korean which appears to have “Use iris” as one of the options instead of fingerprint scanning. If this were to be true, the Galaxy Note 7 will feature an additional secure option to unlock the phone other than via fingerprint.

With recent trademarking by Samsung, coupled with the fact that it has launched the Galaxy Tab Iris, and this screenshot, the Galaxy Note 7 with iris scanning technology doesn’t sound so far fetched like it used to be. What do you think about iris scanning technology?

Source:
Price Raja

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Galaxy Note 7 use banned in 3 Australian airlines for precaution

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With all the drama surrounding faulty Galaxy Note 7 units, mainly due to poorly made batteries by Samsung SDi, the global recall that was announced by Samsung will never make up for the reputational damage done to what seems to be the company’s best phone ever made. Samsung’s reputation took another plunge when three airline companies from Australia has announced the ban on the use of the phablet in their flights.

The three airlines, namely Qantas, their budget subsidiary Jetstar and Virgin Australia have banned the in-flight use of the Galaxy Note 7. The ban wasn’t enforced or instructed by the country’s aviation authorities, but rather, as a precautionary measure by the three airlines. Numerous cases of fires involving the Note 7 have occurred in different regions, hence it is somehow reasonable that the airlines have taken such measures. The ban also extends to charging the device, such as via the USB ports made available with the in-flight entertainment system.

On the other hand, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will probably be acting on the Note 7 recall as well, said to be “working on guidance related to this issue”. Samsung’s recall of approximately 2.5 million units of the Galaxy Note 7 is still in its early stages, and the ban issued by these airlines has dealt yet another punch in the gut for the company. As a reminder, if you are a Galaxy Note 7 user, do contact Samsung regarding the replacement for your respective regions.

Source:
 Reuters

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This Galaxy Note 8 clone will feature Face ID

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The number of smartphone clones from Asian markets have gotten rampant recently. With some of them even being capable of emulating the Apple iPhone X, technology advancement has certainly reached a new level. Meiigoo, a Chinese company that has previously launched an S8 clone, has unveiled a Galaxy Note 8 clone that will feature facial recognition technology.

Meet the Meiigoo Note 8, which looks almost identical to Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 phablet. It sports a glass finish with an 18:9 full screen display on the front measuring at 5.99-inches. It does come in a lower Full HD+ resolution, but that’s what you get for a budget priced smartphone.

Underneath the hood is a MediaTek MT6750T processor, which is a mid range processor, along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The rear camera setup consists of a 13MP sensor and a 5MP sensor while the front facing camera is of 5 megapixels. Oddly enough the Meiigoo Note 8 will have a 3D facial recognition feature powered by the measly front facing shooter that will unlock the device instantly. Meiigoo will be revealing more details about the Face ID equivalent in the future.

The Meiigoo Note 8 is now available for pre-order on Gearbest for an affordable $189.99 (RM 780.31), which actually sounds alright for its specs and the fact that it looks just like the Galaxy Note 8. Thoughts?

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Galaxy Note 8 dbrand skins now available for pre-order

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Samsung will be launching the Galaxy Note 8 later this year. The company had a not so great year in 2017 when the Galaxy Note 7 crisis resulted in a discontinuation of the device shortly after it was launched. The phone however made a comeback with a safer and smaller battery with a different Galaxy Note FE title. Out of the countless leaked renders we’ve come across so far, this might just be the most accurate one yet. dbrand is currently accepting pre-orders for Galaxy Note 8 skins on its website, along with a preview of the said device.

The preview of the Galaxy Note 8 comes with a couple of minor disclaimers:

Regardless, the render looks like a legitimate one of the Galaxy Note 8. The front panel is a large 18:9.5 display surrounded by very minimal bezels. The dual camera setup is shown really clearly in the preview as well. This particular preview shows off the classy looking Mahogany skin by dbrand.

As far as rumored specs go, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is tipped to go with either a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or Samsung’s own Exynos 8895 processor underneath the hood. The dual rear camera setup is said to work the same as the iPhone 7 Plus’, and battery safety will obviously be taken into account.

The Galaxy Note 8 is predicted to be Samsung’s most expensive flagship yet, and is expected to be unveiled sometime late August.

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Some Galaxy Note 8 devices can’t charge after the battery is completely drained

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Remember the time where Samsung phones explode? Well, this time they seem to have issues with the Note 8 battery but it is not as severe as exploding batteries. Some users have reported that when the phone completely drained, the phones are unable to charge again which completely bricks the phone.

Samsung is aware of the issue and is replacing the units affected with the problem on a case-by-case basis, users have tried different methods to charge the phone, using different cables and charging bricks to bring the phone to life again but nothing seems to work. Some users even go as far trying to recover the phone using Safe Mode but that still does not work. Not only is the Note 8 having this problem, but some users are also reporting that their Galaxy S8 Plus is also having the same problem.

If you have a Note 8, be careful with completely draining the phone battery as you might encounter this problem, this is a big issue but at least the batteries are not exploding.

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Galaxy Note 8 to launch on August 26

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Samsung did not have a good year in 2016 when it came to its Galaxy Note line. The South Korean manufacturer launched the Galaxy Note 7, its flagship phablet of last year. The Note 7 had the highest potential to be the best smartphone of 2016, but was unfortunately plagued by a series of fire incidents, which led to a global recall for its battery faults, before eventually succumbing to a permanent discontinuation.

Samsung’s only flagship of 2016 turned out to be the Galaxy S7 series. The Note 7 on the other hand, is slated to make a return some time next month as refurbished units, with safe and smaller capacity batteries. South Korean news outlet Naver has reported that the Galaxy Note 8 will launch on August 26 at an event in New York.

The Galaxy Note 8 has been rumored to feature a dual camera setup, which will be the first ever on a Samsung smartphone. It is also said to be larger than the Galaxy S8+, while retaining the same near bezel-less screen design.

Like most of its predecessors, the Galaxy Note 8 will be launched and begin selling before Apple storms in with its upcoming iPhone series for 2017. What do you expect from the Galaxy Note 8?

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The Galaxy Note 8 to be priced at RM3,999, preorder comes with RM888 worth of gifts

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If you have been dying to get your hands on the Galaxy Note 8, our friends over at Mdroid has managed to acquire the pre-order promotion brochure of the phone, Samsung Malaysia will begin taking preorders starting September 5-10 and throughout the period, customers will receive giveaways worth RM888 in total, including a cash rebate of RM321, Samsung Protection Plus accidental warranty worth RM298, a 5100mAh battery pack and a free clear cover in box, the Galaxy Note 8’s official retail price tag is reported to be RM3,999.

The Galaxy Note 8 preorder is pretty interesting this round, particularly the RM321 cash rebate, while we weren’t able to make out what’s in the fine print, we can probably assume that Samsung is giving an instant RM321 rebate on the phone’s retail price or it could be just a voucher to purchase other Samsung products, let’s hope the former is the real deal. Furthermore, Samsung hasn’t limited the number of preorders this round, hence all you need to do is to place your preorder at www.samsung.com/my/note8preorder when the time comes. Would you buy a Galaxy Note 8?

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The Galaxy Note 8 teaser asks us to expect “bigger”

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Samsung is gearing up for the launch of the Galaxy Note 8 in a little over a week’s time. The South Korean manufacturer will be unveiling its flagship phablet of the year this coming August 23rd at a New York City launch event. We’re currently 8 days away from the big show and Samsung has released a teaser video to remind us what to expect with the Galaxy Note 8.

[vimeo 229520503 w=640 h=360]

Do_Bigger_Things_Teaser
 from
Samsungmobilpress
 on
Vimeo
.

To be brutally honest, the teaser video is mainly to generate the hype without revealing the actual device at all. In fact, the video only consists of words that are being replaced with “greater” or “better” ones. For instance, “bigger” instead of “big”, “do” instead of “think” and “leap” instead of “step”. These definitely point to a somewhat revolutionary device to be expected.

In other words, Samsung is probably aiming for the stars with its upcoming Galaxy Note 8. We all do know that the Note 8 will be sporting an Infinity Display, plus the dual camera setup will probably be one of the main highlights of the highly anticipated phablet. We would also expect some form of improvement with the S Pen as well that will come paired with the Galaxy Note 8. What do you think?

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The Galaxy Note 8’s display is unparalleled

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Some of you might disagree since the Galaxy Note 8 looks very much like Samsung’s Galaxy S8 series, even down to its Infinity Display. While we could agree on these general opinions, the folks at Display Mate have been working really hard to give us consumers an in depth analysis of the Galaxy Note 8’s display, and it is the best smartphone display to date.

The Galaxy Note 8 features a 6.3-inch Infinity Display at 2960 x 1440 QHD+ resolution, which although just a tad larger than the screen on the S8+, is 20% larger in screen area when compared with the regular S8 and 14% larger than the displays of previous Galaxy Note phablets. While the Galaxy S8’s display might have been the brightest display ever seen on a smartphone, the Note 8 brings that to new heights, smashing records with over 1200 nits of peak brightness on its screen. This translates to virtually no problems when it comes to viewing the display outdoors.

Not only that, other areas such as color accuracy and viewing angles have been improved upon. The Note 8 even sports a tougher Gorilla Glass 5 curved glass which is more resistant to scratches. The phablet also features new dual ambient light sensors which will improve the automatic brightness feature.

It is only after some serious testing that Display Mate crowns the Galaxy Note 8 to have the best smartphone display ever to date, scoring the highest A+ grade so far. Samsung’s display technology for smartphones have always been unmatched, and this is another perfect example of that.

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Galaxy Note 8’s dual camera to feature 2x optical zoom

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The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is set to make its long awaited appearance a week from now at a New York City launch event. Given the poor demise of the company’s previous Galaxy Note 7 which was ill fated to face a fire hazard crisis, the bar has been set pretty high for the Note 8, and the excellency of the Galaxy S8 series has pushed that a step ahead.

Rumors and leaks surrounding the Galaxy Note 8 have been pouring in as early as several months back, and they have been getting more consistent as they come. So far, one of the notable highlights of the upcoming Samsung phablet is that it will feature a dual camera setup. Now we have news of its more specific details in the optics department.

News outlet ET News has reported that the dual rear camera setup of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will consist of 12MP and 13MP sensors respectively. The 12MP shooter is a dual lens pixel sensor and the 13MP will be the telephoto lens. ET News further points out that the dual camera configuration will be capable of producing 2x optical zoom for the Galaxy Note 8.

The report also states that the Galaxy Note 8 will be the pioneer of Samsung’s implementation of dual cameras on its devices, meaning that future flagships from the South Korean manufacturer will most likely sport dual cam setups as well. What do you think of Samsung’s venture into the dual camera game?

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[UPDATE] The Galaxy Note 8’s front face looks like a stretched out Note 7

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August is an exciting month to start with, we will have the
next iPhone
 coming up and soon, the Galaxy Note 8 would be out in the public, but right before Samsung’s unveiling of its new Note flagship, tech reporter Evan Blass aka @evleaks has managed to show the front face render of the upcoming Galaxy Note 8 in Midnight Black. If the render is true then we are very much looking at married design of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 7, a combination of a bezel-less and squared design.

Samsung Galaxy Note8 (in Midnight Black)
pic.twitter.com/QZii9xFarQ

— Evan Blass (@evleaks)
July 31, 2017

Samsung will be launching the Galaxy Note 8 this August 23rd, recent reports have speculated that the Note 8 would purportedly come with a dual camera setup that offers 3x optical zoom, the S8’s awkwardly positioned fingerprint scanner has also been seen removed on the Note 8 in some other renders. As for specs, let’s hope Samsung make things different from the S8 especially in the RAM department, as we have found back in our Galaxy S8 review, 4GB of RAM is simply not sufficient in today’s flagship standards.

UPDATE: Finally, this is how the Galaxy Note 8 will look like

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The Galaxy Note FE might go global

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The long rumored Galaxy Note FE finally launched in South Korean market just recently. “FE”, which stands for Fan Edition, is basically a refurbished unit of the Galaxy Note 7 from last year. The ill fated phablet headed for the axe after multiple fire incidents and hazards which sparked a global recall and eventual discontinuation. A report by The Investor states that there is a possibility whereby the Galaxy Note FE will head for a sale worldwide.

Samsung has rolled out a total of 400,000 Galaxy Note FE units on home soil South Korea. A Samsung representative has claimed that Samsung has no plans to increase on its inventory for more units of the Note FE, despite the fact that it has been selling well in local outlets. However, sources say that the popular phone could head out of South Korea to be sold in other regions worldwide in late July.

The Note FE has been selling in local South Korean stores for 20 percent less than the Note 7 when it was launched last year. The phone sports a smaller battery and despite it being a year old, the Note FE is still very much selling fast with Blue Onyx and Blue Coral color models being the popular ones among the rest. Would you get the Galaxy Note FE if it were to be sold at a store near you?

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Be a Pro photographer with these Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G features

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With such a powerful camera system and performance, the Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G is undoubtedly one content creation workhorse that empowers anyone’s creativity anywhere, anytime. However, there’s more to just having a great photography device in your hands as there are tools and features to help you become a better photographer, here’s a few things you should definitely try out.

Food Mode – Show off your foodie adventure

Always fumbling which filter is the best to show off your awesome café food? Simply enable Food mode on the Camera app and you will be guided to frame your food while colors are automatically made more vibrant, you can also adjust the color temperature depending on lighting conditions, and creating a realistic blur around the corners to make your food subject stand out, no food porn photo will ever go wrong with this.

AR Doodle – Photos made more creative with S Pen!

OK, why not doodle for a more epic photo? Whether you are just feeling cute to take a selfie or see something amazing that you just want to doodle on the photo on the fly, simply pull out your S Pen and tap AR Doodle on the Air Command menu, make sure your subject is aligned within the frame, hit that big ‘Record’ button and start doodling on the big screen, tap the capture button next to it as much as you want.

There you have it, a different kind of photo that only the Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G can do.

Grid lines – Guide for a Perfect Picture

A must enable feature when taking any ‘Instaworthy’ photo, as it provides you a guide line to frame your shot properly, this is a pro tip from most influencers out there, simply hold up your Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G in portrait to your eye level, ensure your entire human subject is in the middle square of the grid, then hit that ‘Capture’ button, such framing will give an ‘Instafeel’ as it automatically fits your subject into the 1:1 frame in the app.

Single Take – Freestyle Photography Redefined

It’s always hard to think of a pose when you have found the perfect photo or selfie spot, that’s when you take advantage of the Single Take feature, which is available for both the front and main cameras. Once the shutter button is pressed, the Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G captures every single action you have done in the next few seconds with all three rear cameras, which then intelligently sorts out the best picture ready for you to show off to everyone.

What pose should you do? Well, our recommendation here is that you simply don’t look into the camera, pose with any style that you think you look super cool, or simply walk down the lane and have your cameraman walk back, just try not to look into the camera, and let the Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G do its job of picking the best photo for you.

Get started as a pro photographer the easy way with the Galaxy Note20 Series, their retail prices are listed as below:

Galaxy Note20 – RM3,899

Galaxy Note20 5G – RM4,299

Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G – RM5,199

Find out more about the Galaxy Note20 Series
here
.

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Galaxy S10 5G users experience face recognition failure after new Samsung update

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If you’re a proud owner of the Galaxy S10 5G, here’s a PSA — don’t download the latest update yet.

It’s an issue that only occurs with the Galaxy S10 5G

Unlike the
Galaxy S10
 that only had a 10MP selfie lens, the 5G model has an extra TOF lens that’s supposed to help in face authentication. However, some users have reported failure in face recognition after updating their S10 5Gs to the latest update. It didn’t matter whether you’re in a bright or dark lighting, the phone simply won’t unlock via face recognition.

Samsung doesn’t have a solution yet

If you’ve downloaded the July 2021 update by Samsung on your Galaxy S10 5G, then your only options now are to key in your passcode or depend on your fingerprint for authentication.

This issue has been acknowledged by
Samsung’s forum moderator
 a few days ago, but the company has yet to come up with a solution. Our advice is to wait for Samsung to announce the bug fix before you proceed with getting the latest update.

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The Galaxy S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite goes official

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It’s rather uncommon of Samsung to announce new phones during CES, but we are now officially being introduced to the Galaxy S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite, which the company has claimed to be budget friendly variants of their flagships.

Galaxy S10 Lite

The Galaxy S10 Lite features a much larger display at 6.7-inch compared to the other S10 models, display resolution is however set at FHD+, which is still reasonable considering that it is a budget device.

The triple camera system is different from the S10, where the main wide angle camera is now a 48MP f/2.0 unit with OIS and is supported by a 5MP f/2.4 macro lens and a 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide lens. The front camera however has been upgraded to a 32MP f/2.2 lens for a sharper selfie.

Specs wise, the S10 Lite is powered by a Snapdragon 855 instead of an Exynos chip and gets paired to either 6/8GB of RAM with 128GB of internal storage than can be expanded up to 1TB with a microSD card, battery capacity is huge at 4500mAh and supports the faster 25W charging that came with the Galaxy Note 10.

While everything still doesn’t sound like a ‘Lite’ device at this point, the S10 Lite does omit features like IP68 dust and water resistance, wireless charging and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Galaxy Note 10 Lite

It does make perfect sense for Samsung to introduce a cheaper version of its Note 10 as opposed to the S10. Similar to the S10 Lite, the Note 10 Lite gets the same 6.7″ Super AMOLED Infinity-O display with a FHD+ resolution, which looks like a win from the standard Note 10 that has a 6.3″ display.

Being a ‘Lite’ device, the processor it uses is the Exynos 9810 from the Galaxy Note 9, the S-Pen lacks the 6-axis sensor that lets you do gesture controls, while the triple camera setup also gets a downgrade – a 12MP main sensor with OIS but no dual aperture, a 12MP f/2.4 telephoto sensor with OIS and a 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide sensor. The front camera is the same 32MP f/2.2 sensor as the S10 Lite.

Like the S10 Lite, the Note 10 Lite also doesn’t have water resistance and wireless charging, it also gets a 4500mAh battery and supports 25W super fast charging.

Are these devices really necessary?

Considering Chinese smartphones like the realme x2 pro is being priced that aggressively with an attractive specs sheet, it is understandable that Samsung would want to make their flagships more affordable than usual by sacrificing a couple of small features to better compete with the smaller brands.

While I get it why Samsung would want to make a cheaper Note 10 as it still make a difference with the S-Pen, the S10 Lite seems to be a weird decision as they already have the S10e to cater for the budget conscious users.

Now, all Samsung needs to do next is to surprise us how low it could go with these ‘Lite’ devices.

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Samsung Galaxy S20+ Review: The Default Android Flagship

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Buying the latest flagship is no longer an easy task these days, especially when phone manufacturers tend to come out with a few models to choose from, that has become the case with Samsung last year with the Galaxy S10, it continues to be the same for this year.

My colleague Yvonne has reviewed the Galaxy S20 Ultra, which I personally don’t like due to its boring chunky form despite its more capable camera and 5G connectivity, so I thought I’d have a go with the Galaxy S20+ and had the opportunity to take it for a spin during my trip to Western Australia (fortunately before the COVID-19 movement control order is enforced).

It turns out after two weeks of having the Galaxy S20+ with me, it has become one of my favorite flagships this year, and one I’d recommend owning over other S20 siblings, it is the default Samsung flagship you should buy this year.

After reviewing several Samsung phones recently, I can’t say that I’m excited about the S20+’s design, it is still a well-built device like you’d expect from a Samsung flagship with an aluminum and glass construction. While most people will likely complain the aesthetic of the new camera module on the back, the most welcoming design change is perhaps the camera cutout on the front, it is noticeably smaller than the Note 10+’s and not as obstructive as the S10+’s cutout arrangement.

One beautiful thing about the S20+ you can’t deny is the 6.7″ Dynamic AMOLED display, which now gives you the option to bump up to a 120Hz refresh rate, albeit at Full HD+ resolution and not enabled by default, the best thing about it is that it stays bright even when used under direct sunlight, battery life did take a slight hit and switching back to 60Hz does help preserve a little more power for the day, but it’s hard to switch back once your eyes are treated to (or spoilt by) the buttery smooth transitions on a beautiful display.

Although Samsung didn’t bring back a physical fingerprint reader on the Galaxy S20+, the in-screen fingerprint reader has been significantly improved over the last year, though setting it up for the first time requires more scans than usual, it has rarely failed to read my thumb throughout the period, needless to say it saved me from embarrassment when I need to use Samsung Pay.

The Galaxy S20+ ships with One UI 2.1 based on Android 10, not much has changed in terms of usability and features, although I noticed that Samsung has included more ringtone choices, which I really appreciate as I got sick of people around me having the same ringtone and notifications. If you are upgrading to the Galaxy S20+ from an older Samsung device, you will appreciate the ease of switching over your device with Samsung Smart Switch, though it still isn’t as comprehensive as Apple’s iCloud backup, it does at least let you restore your home screen layout, call logs and installed apps from your previous device to save time on setting your phone all up again.

I must admit that I have gotten jaded when every new smartphone talks about how they are taking smartphone photography to the next level, not that I detest these claims but sometimes the improvements in image quality just isn’t that significant from their predecessors.

Of course, this brings us to the Galaxy S20+’s cameras.

Galaxy S20+ Camera Samples

Unlike the Galaxy S20 Ultra, the S20+’s main camera shoots at a modest 12MP resolution with a fixed aperture of f/1.8, however it has a significantly bigger pixel size of 1.8μm as compared to the S10+’s at 1.4μm, which would explain why the dual aperture feature is dropped on the S20+ as it is perfectly capable of taking photos at any given lighting conditions.

I can testify the main camera’s low light capabilities as you can see in the camera samples above, which I shot using Night Mode, the larger pixel size helps ensure that details are still retained even when images are taken in low light.

[sciba leftsrc=”https://klgadgetguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/S20PlusZoom10x-scaled.jpg” leftlabel=”S20 Plus 10x Hybrid Zoom of the Perth skyline” rightsrc=”https://klgadgetguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/S20PlusZoom30x-scaled.jpg” rightlabel=”S20 Plus 30x Hybrid Zoom of the Perth skyline” mode=”horizontal” width=””]

The telephoto lens is the most impressive out of the three lenses, which Samsung has gone all out with a 64-megapixel sensor that offers 3x hybrid optical zoom, it can also digitally zoom up to 30x of its focal range but that’s something you’d probably do to just show off to friends, given with good lighting, I have to say that I’m impressed with the image quality of the maximum zoom range. Also, a higher resolution sensor also means that you can further crop into the image while retaining some detail even if you don’t use the digital zoom.

[sciba leftsrc=”https://klgadgetguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/S20PlusWide-scaled.jpg” leftlabel=”Wide Angle” rightsrc=”https://klgadgetguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/S20PlusUltraWide-scaled.jpg” rightlabel=”Ultra Wide Angle” mode=”horizontal” width=””]

Taking ultrawide landscapes has been improved over the S10+ with lower noise levels and better clarity, you also don’t find any soft focusing spots in photos, which is rather common on such lenses, this is due to its larger 1.4μm pixel size on a 12-megapixel sensor, it also supports Samsung’s Super Steady video feature in 1080p.

As usual, Samsung has a new camera software feature to show off in its flagships every year, and I think this time Samsung has finally pulled it off with Single Take, a really ingenious camera mode that takes advantage of the phone’s processing power and all cameras to produce a set of photos and short videos once you tap the shutter button, all you need to do is to pose as many actions as possible, it will highlight its best shot and some others that it thinks you may like.

I applaud Samsung to be the first to include 8K video recording on the Galaxy S20 series, however at the expense of no video stabilization it looks worse than a 1080p video if you don’t have steady hands, what video content creators will finally appreciate is the return of the Pro Video mode, which Samsung removed back on older flagships after releasing the first One UI update, it allows you to change image settings such as ISO, shutter speed, exposure value and colors before you start shooting a video.

Unfortunately, there is still no stabilization for 4K videos even at 30 fps.

The Galaxy S20+ might not share the same spotlight as the S20 Ultra, but it is by all means still an extremely capable flagship with the bells and whistles you’d expect from a modern flagship, best of all it is significantly more affordable than the Galaxy S20 Ultra and what you are only losing out is 5G connectivity and that ‘100x space zoom’ camera, which you probably won’t get to use the former till next year and when that time comes, it still isn’t too late to be an early adopter of 5G.

The Good

Beautiful 120Hz display

Much better in-screen fingerprint reader

Single Take is extremely useful

Great camera system

The Not so Good

128GB of internal storage (Malaysian variant)

8K video recording is bad

Unattractive design

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