Samsung Galaxy S22 series will come with up to 6.8-inch display size based on leak

It seems that details regarding the Samsung Galaxy S22 series might have been spotted on slashleaks.com, giving us a better idea of what to expect from Samsung this year. While not much is known about the Malaysia release date, it gives us a better idea of what to expect when it is available in the local market.

Based on the leak, it seems that the Samsung Galaxy S22 will come equipped with a 6.1-inch display, while the S22 Plus and S22 Ultra will come with a 6.5-inch and 6.8-inch display, respectively. However, do take every bit of information with a grain of salt because Samsung has yet to provide an official statement on the leak.

Not only that but there’s also no news on the local pricing and exact tech specs for now. What are your thoughts on the screen sizes of the Samsung Galaxy S22 series? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Android One-powered Xiaomi Mi A1 is now available in Malaysia for RM1099, hands-on pics included

Xiaomi or Mi Malaysia recently announced that the stock Android power Xiaomi Mi A1 will be available in Malaysia for RM1099, starting from today on Lazada.com.my. Initially announced for 14999 rupees (~RM997), the Mi A1 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage and 12MP dual rear cameras. The full tech specs, hands-on pics and features list can be seen below:

Virtually identical to the Xiaomi Mi 5X, the Mi A1 is Xiaomi's first Android One phone offering a pure stock Android experience minus all the usual bloatware. This should improve performance somewhat but just like the Google Pixel, we expect it to have less customized features. The Mi A1 currently is powered by Android 7.1.1 Nougat but since it is an Android One phone, it should get the Android 8.0 Oreo update sooner than most other smartphones, but Xiaomi say we should expect it by the end of 2017.

In related news, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 also made an appearance and Mi Malaysia have confirmed that it will be coming to Malaysia soon. No details as to any exact Malaysia release dates or pricing details yet but this is good news for those of you who missed the Mi Mix. Is RM1099 just the right price for the Mi A1? Let us know in our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for all the latest tech news and reviews.

Here's the Mi Mix 2, coming soon to Malaysia!


Samsung Galaxy S22 series will continue to have punch-hole front camera

Next year, Samsung is expected to launch its Galaxy S22 series in January. But even if you are hoping to see some new features, some things will remain unchanged. That seems to be the case for the rear camera, and possibly for the front camera too.

According to Ice Universe, the Galaxy S22 series smartphones will use a punch-hole front camera. This lines up with a previous report, which claimed that the camera specs will be largely the same. It means that Samsung might not equip its upcoming flagship series with its new 200MP camera or an under-display front camera. In fact, the leaker also claimed that the camera design for the new models will remain the same.

It can be confirmed that the Galaxy S22 series still uses Hole, and still uses the same camera area design as the S21

Interestingly, another source claimed that the 10MP telephoto camera would see an upgrade from 1.1x to 3x optical zoom. Samsung's focus next year might be more on incremental improvements and tweaks, rather than upgrading the hardware of its flagship series. By optimising the design and software of the Galaxy S22 series well, the company can entice buyers who didn't upgrade to the Galaxy S21 series this year.

Of course, we're mostly speculating here, so take this news with a grain of salt. Having said that, would you upgrade to the Galaxy S22 series based on what's known so far? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Samsung Galaxy S22 series will maintain 25W fast charging for all models

As Samsung gets ready to launch the Galaxy S22 series next January, rumours about it continue to pop up frequently. We already got the news that the batteries for the new model could be smaller. But it looks like charging speeds might not get any upgrades either.

According to GSMArena, the Galaxy S22 series smartphones have been listed on China's 3C website. The listing reveals that all three models will have 25W wired fast charging. For your information, the Galaxy S20 Ultra supports 45W wired fast charging. But Samsung dropped it back to 25W for the Galaxy S21 Ultra, and it looks like the Galaxy S22 Ultra will be the same.

Note that these listings are for the Samsung Galaxy S22 series smartphones in China. For other regions, Samsung is expected to ship the phone with the Exynos 2200 chipset, which could still be 45W wired fast charging. Samsung could also maintain all variants at 25W so that it only has to manufacture and keep track of one type of charger.

Mind you, there's no official spec sheet to confirm any of the above, so take the news with a grain of salt. Having said that, would a lower fast charging speed be a deal-breaker for you? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more updates about the Galaxy S22 series.


Samsung Galaxy S22 to include a vapour chamber in its cooling system

The Samsung Galaxy S22 is already stirring things up before its arrival. Other than featuring an Exynos 2200 with AMD's RDNA 2 architecture, the smartphone series is also bringing numerous powerful tech specs and features for a chance to win next year's flagship competition. Now, it's reported that Samsung might also include a vapour chamber in the devices for cooling purposes.

Vapour chamber cooling uses a small vacuum-sealed canister where liquid changes from liquid to gas to dissipate heat, and it's an appealing way for power-hungry phones to solve problems such as overheating. The cooling method can also be seen in most gaming smartphones nowadays to battle the heat.

However, this will not be the first time Samsung uses the technology. The company has actually put it on the Galaxy S10+ but stopped doing it with the successors. According to Greg Kramer, a thermal systems engineer, the vapour cooling was appealing to Samsung not just because of its literal cooling powers, but because of its figurative 'cool' factor. He said that he was told that the Korean tech giant expected to sell up to 1 million (additional) phones because of the novelty of having a vapour chamber.

Let us know what you think about the feature of the upcoming Galaxy S22 on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more exciting smartphone news.


Samsung Galaxy S22 to use vapour chamber cooling technology?

Based on a statement by digitimes.com, it seems that there is a high possibility that Samsung could be equipping their upcoming Samsung Galaxy S22 series smartphones with a vapour chamber cooling system. Because of that, the upcoming series will most likely have much better gaming performance compared to its predecessors.

However, do take every bit of information with a grain of salt, due to the fact that Samsung has yet to provide an official statement on the leak. Not only that, but there’s also no news on the Malaysia release date, local pricing, and exact tech specs of the upcoming series for now.

With all that said, what are your thoughts on Samsung potentially equipping their smartphones with a vapour chamber cooling system? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Samsung Galaxy S22 will continue to skip under-display camera

The Galaxy S22 series will be Samsung next year's first fighter in the flagship war. Before it launches, rumours are already hyping us with the impressive tech specs such as AMD graphics, vapour chamber cooling technology, 65W fast charging and more. However, it looks like a highly-anticipated feature won't come with the devices, and it's the under-display camera.

Although Samsung has adopted the technology on the already launched Galaxy Z Fold3, the company might think that it's still not mature enough to appear on its mainstream flagship devices. Under-display camera technology is the only way that we can leave the hole-on-screen era. However, it seems like there is still no smartphone manufacturer that can proudly present it without some shortcomings.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3's under-display camera

Besides that, the Galaxy S22 series is also expected to have two variants as usual. Recently, it's reported that the one featuring Exynos 2200 will be available for the US market. Meanwhile, India will be getting the one with Qualcomm Snapdragon 898. As a country in the same region, we could be getting the Snapdragon variant too, which means no AMD graphics for us.

Did you give high hope to Samsung Galaxy S22 having an under-display camera? Let us know your opinion on this news by leaving a comment. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more smartphone updates.


Samsung Galaxy S22+ will sport the Snapdragon 898 chipset with 8GB of RAM

There are lots of rumours coming out about the Samsung Galaxy S22 series recently and one of them which we reported will be the smaller battery on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus compared to its predecessor. Today, the Samsung Galaxy S22+ appeared on GeekBench 5 with its benchmark scores.According to the source, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus comes with the model number of SM-S906U which indicates the phone is an US version. The benchmark scores shows It sports the Qualcomm upcoming chipset, the Snapdragon  898 chip that scores 1163 points and 2728 points in the single and multi-core tests respectively. The phone runs on Android 12 with 8GB of RAM.

Based on the leaks, the Galaxy S22+ will sport a flat display with symmetrical bezels and flatbacks just like on the previous models. While the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s outlook design has also been spotted, it has a totally different rear camera design than the two Galaxy S22 and S22+.As of now, there’s still no official confirmation on the official release date and tech specs for the Samsung Galaxy S22 series yet, So do keep an eye for the upcoming news and stay tuned for more tech news updates on TechNave.com


Samsung Galaxy S23 FE spotted getting 3C certification, features 25W charging

We previously covered the alleged leaked renders of the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE, though Samsung itself has yet to officially announce the device’s existence. Well, it looks like the smartphone is, in fact, real and may be set for launch soon as it was spotted getting 3C certification in China.

According to MySmartPrice, a listing on China’s 3C certification site showed that the upcoming device has the model number SM-S7110. Alongside details of the device’s manufacturer and certification application and approval date, the listing also showed some of the Galaxy S23 FE’s specs.

These include 5G connectivity and 25W fast charging support. Unfortunately, that’s the only specs that the 3C certification entails, hence we’ve got to wait for the official announcement by Samsung to find out more about the device.

So, what are your thoughts on the Galaxy S23 FE? Are you excited about the lineup’s return after the company skipped one generation? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more trending tech news such as this.


Samsung Galaxy S23 Series Roadshow kicking off soon in Selangor, Penang, Johor Bahru & Sarawak

The first sales launch of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Series is happening soon in two days and there will be a few roadshows for it across Malaysia. From 24 until 26 February 2023, the public will get to experience first-hand the latest Samsung flagships in Selangor, Penang, Johor Bahru and Sarawak.

Besides getting to play around with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Series, there will be rewards and activities for the public and fans. Should you purchase one on the spot, you can bring home a free Galaxy Watch 5 (40mm) that's worth RM1099. Moreover, you can also get up to 30% OFF purchase-with-purchase on Samsung Accessories, Samsung Care+, Galaxy Tablets, Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Buds series, as well as trade-in your old device to enjoy up to RM650 rebate.

On top of that, you can also choose to play Spin & Win and stand a chance to win prizes worth up to RM2599 with the purchase of the Galaxy S23 series in a single receipt. You can even get a free RM50 e-voucher if you take a photo at the roadshow and upload it on your social media with the hashtags #Send2MeLah and #SharetheEpic, and get free ZUS coffee + McDonald's voucher when you redeem with Samsung Rewards points.

Additionally, Hakken, a popular Malaysian cosplayer will make his appearance at 1 Utama Shopping Mall on 25 February 2023 at 2 PM for an exclusive meet and greet session. The other designated roadshows are Gurney Plaza (Penang), AEON Mall Tebrau City (JB) and Vivacity Megamall (Kuching). You can register your interest in the Galaxy S23 Series Roadshow through the link here and redeem RM20 Touch ‘n Go eWallet credit.

For more information on the Galaxy S23 roadshow, you can visit the official webpage here. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is reportedly set to feature a 200MP main camera

The Samsung Galaxy S23 series is expected to be released in early 2023 and based on reports coming from South Korea, it will be featuring an upgrade in the camera department. In fact, the main camera will be upgraded to feature a whopping 200MP, the first significant improvement in some 4 years.

As reported by South Korean tech publication Korea IT News, the information was shared by Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Experience (MX) division with its major camera partners. Moreover, the report also claims that Samsung has commissioned companies to develop the 200MP camera parts and that the latter has initiated developing the necessary parts.

Of course, Samsung won’t be the first to feature a 200MP camera on its smartphone as the feat has already been done by Motorola with its X30 Pro smartphone. Nevertheless, given Samsung’s position in the tech world, the introduction of a 200MP camera by a company of its stature would definitely help in advancing camera technology on a smartphone.

The report further said that only Samsung’s highest-end flagship, the Galaxy S23 Ultra will be equipped with the 200MP camera. Behind the scenes, Samsung Electro-Mechanics and Samsung Electronics are reportedly producing 200-megapixel cameras in a ratio of 7 to 3.

Moreover, the supply chain is expected to expand to other parts suppliers, meaning that the 200MP cameras may be applied to lower-end products in the near future too. As of right now, Samsung partners are anticipating the development and production roadmaps related to this.

However, do take this information with a grain of salt as nothing is confirmed as of yet. Nevertheless, a 200MP camera on Samsung’s latest flagship will definitely be interesting and we’re excited to test it out should it turn out to be true.

What do you guys think? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more trending tech news such as this!


Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review - Improvements in nearly every way

Building upon something already much better than nearly every other device around it, then trying to improve and make it better cannot be an easy thing. When the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra first came out, it offered one of the best smartphone experiences ever, so it was hard for us to imagine how Samsung would improve it with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. But here we are with the full review.

Featuring a custom Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset, up to 12GB of RAM, up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage, a 200MP quad rear camera setup, S-Pen and more, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra delivers improvements in nearly every way. Find out what else Samsung did or did not do this time around in the full review below.

To be completely honest, we were half expecting the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra to be identical to the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. But while the 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X curved edge QHD display remains more or less the same with 1750 nits brightness, the sides of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra are flatter and not so curved. It makes for a much more comfortable side grip than the previous rounded curve sides of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Talking about the side chassis, it's made using Armor Aluminum again. But with the ceramic back Cream colour, this chassis is shiny metallic rather than a single colour. The backside of the Cream colour version does indeed feel like ceramic, making it harder to leave fingerprints. It's also nicer to the touch but makes it more slippery.

The review unit was in Cream with a ceramic-like backside

The top of the phone shows the flatter sides and shiny metal Aluminum Armor chassis

On the bottom, there's the S Pen, speakers, USB Type C port and dual SIM card tray

You can press the tip of the S Pen to eject it

The S Pen this time isn't much different from before

The tip of the S Pen is the same colour as the chassis

The protruding camera lenses are back with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the rest of the series follows this same look. There's some teeter when you put the device on its back, but you can solve this and protect everything by slapping on a case.

Comparing the measurements between the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra with the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra reveals that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is slightly taller at 78.1mm but has the same thickness at 8.9mm. It is also 5 or 6 grams heavier, and you can feel this when you pick it up the first few times. You do get used to it though, so it isn't an issue in my opinion.

As before, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra does not come with any extra freebies aside from the USB Type C to Type C cable, the SIM tool and some documentation. For security, the screen is covered by a layer of Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and the phone is still IP68 water resistant. The S-Pen stylus is also there on the bottom left with the corresponding coloured bottom part. The dual SIM card tray still only has space for 2 SIM cards.

Here are the tech specs and features for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra:

The quad rear camera setup consists of a 200MP main + 12MP ultra-wide + 10MP telephoto + 10MP telephoto quad-camera

Looking at it from just the numbers, the largest improvement for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra over its predecessor is the camera with the 200MP main camera over the previous 108MP camera from before. The other rear cameras, like the 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto periscope, and 10MP telephoto remain the same. There's also what appears to be a cut down to a 12MP front camera from the previous 40MP front camera. But thankfully, this isn't the case (you'll see why in a bit).

According to Samsung, it has added camera tech like Dual Pixel Auto Focus and AI Stereo Depth to help create more natural night BOKEH effects and Adaptive Pixel tech to get the right resolution for the right photo. Samsung also added some more Expert RAW features like Astrophoto and Multiple Exposures.

In addition to this, the other major improvement is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset. Rather than overclocking it to deliver brute force, we think that Samsung has tuned it to provide the right amount of power necessary to operate at peak performance while being as energy efficient as possible (you'll see what we mean in the performance section).

The OneUI 5.1 (left) and the S Pen Air Commands menu (right)

With other impressive features like the 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X curved edge QHD+ display, it can still go up to 1750 nits brightness for clear images in direct sunlight while the up to 120Hz adaptive refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling when you need it. The S-Pen is as stellar as before, but it doesn't appear to have any new features.

Not many battery changes either, as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra still retains a large 5000 mAh battery with up to 45W fast charging. The phone also supports 15W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging. But for these and other high-end features like IP68 water resistance, it seems like Samsung is taking an "if it's not broken, don't fix it" approach.

We're quite happy with these features, as Samsung Dex works just fine for doing work either wired through a USB hub or wirelessly. While we would have liked to try the Multi control feature to share across Galaxy Devices, Malaysia doesn't get Samsung laptops like the Book 3 Ultra. Since we also don't use Android Auto, we didn't see any issues with it either.

The camera features (left) and the ExpertRaw (right) menu which now has Astrophotography and Multiple Exposure

In our benchmarks, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra scored 1508 points in single-core and 4717 points in multi-core in Geekbench 5. It scored 1889 single-core and 4962 multi-core in Geekbench 6 and maxed out the Wild Life test in 3DMark, so we ran Wild Life Extreme for a silky smooth performance score of 3642. In short, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra scored as a top-of-the-line flagship, at least where synthetic benchmarks are concerned.

In gaming, we've finally found a device that can run Genshin Impact on max settings at 60fps without overheating with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. It's smooth enough to be comparable to the PC version. Obviously, the phone played lag-free Asphalt 9 on max settings as well.

Geekbench 5 (left) and Geekbench 6 (right) scores were high

However, as we mentioned before, the biggest improvement we saw for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra was energy efficiency. This is because even though it's packing the same 5000 mAh battery, it has a more powerful chipset. It easily lasted 1 day and a half on regular to heavy usage. We didn't have the 45W fast charger, but the 25W fast charger still managed to charge the phone back up to 100% in 1 hour and 10 minutes or so. By the way, we also used 5G when out and about.

If for whatever reason you absolutely have to use Samsung Dex without any external power connected, rest assured that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra can do that for you. Trying it out with a USB Type C hub and HDMI cable connected to a FHD monitor but with no power cable attached for the hub, the phone only used up about 30% of battery power within 3.5 hours.

With the S Pen, it remains the closest to pen and paper feeling digital stylus that can be achieved. It's still super easy to use for productivity and when you need it, it acts quite well as a remote control or clicker if you're using the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra for presentations or the like. It's also awesome for artists and those who like to sketch and won't cause any issues if inserted the wrong way.

For photography, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra managed to raise the level of the already awesome Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. Colours are more vibrant, details are sharper, and there's next to no noise, even in low-light conditions. While picture clarity does degrade as you go up to 100x zoom, details when shot under zoom are now sharper.

Initial sketch and the final draw using the S Pen and Adobe Sketchbook

Despite the 12MP front camera, we'd have to say that this front camera is as good if not better than the previous 40MP front camera, as details are sharp while colours are point on accurate even under low light. Clearly, Samsung has tweaked its camera algorithms to enhance this, taking nightography to another level. Check out the samples below.

However, while the 200MP camera does take more detailed shots, it's still not fast enough to handle sudden random movements like babies and cats. For these subjects, you can bump down the resolution to 50MP and still get detailed shots that you can reframe. For video recording, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra can handle up to 8K video recording at 30fps. But even at night, stabilization works very well, so you can record high-resolution and high frame-rate video in nearly every condition.

The portrait effect is pretty natural, as you can clearly see the lights behind my hair

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra easily surpasses its predecessor as the reliable all-rounder flagship to get for 2023. Even though it doesn't have any unique features aside from the S Pen and 200MP camera, we expect it to remain the reliable yet relevant camera phone flagship device that can do anything and everything, even at the end of the year after every other device has been announced.

Moving from the base model of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, which has 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, to the base model of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which has 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, I can certainly feel the improvement. While I don't have to worry so much about filling up my storage (which is mostly perceived) the increased amount of memory does result in slightly smoother interactions between the apps. It lasts longer and is cooler too.

However, at its current price of RM5699 for just the base model, it's hard to recommend getting the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra if you already have the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. Granted, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra does outperform its predecessor, but both phones are still top-of-the-line flagship devices.

If you're still using a Samsung Galaxy Note series device, then we heartily recommend getting the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra over the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. The sheer amount of improvements should make it worth the extra money. However, aside from other S Pen using devices, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has nearly no other contenders from other brands.

Thankfully, you still have a few days until the end of the preorder for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra on 23 February 2023, so if you want the phone with all the freebies, this is how to do it. In any case, do let us know how your experience with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra was as well and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more tech reviews and news.


Android Oreo update now available for Nokia 3

Any Nokia 3 users in the house? HMD Global, the official distributor of Nokia has just announced that the device will soon receive an Android Oreo software update today. It won't be immediately as it will take some time for all the Nokia 3 phones to get the update over-the-air.

So what are the new software updates? A couple of convenient features, one of them is the increasingly popular Picture-in-Picture mode that allows you to use an app and work in the background when minimised while opening another app. There will be 60 new emojis too and an Android Instant Apps to further optimise the battery even longer by limiting background app use.

In addition, the Nokia 7 Plus and the new Nokia 6 (2018) edition will also get a new Android Oreo update soon. Until then, stay tuned for more Nokia news at TechNave.com.


Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra's 200MP camera to serve "unparalleled computational skills"

We all know the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra would come with a 200MP camera. However, since we already have a few smartphones with the said megapixel count on the market, Samsung has to do something different to stand out among the crowd. With that said, a reputable tipster has brought some information regarding the features we can expect.

According to Ice Universe, the 200MP camera sensor will serve "unparalleled computational skills." It will offer great low-light performance for both video capture and photography. The tipster added that it could be one of the best smartphone cameras next year and Samsung's biggest camera upgrade in five years.

Besides the primary camera, the Korean tech giant could also put a new and improved telephoto lens on the device. It's said that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will keep the same zoom cameras as the Galaxy S22 Ultra. However, the telephoto sensor will feature improvements in colour and "some AI algorithms" that level up the overall quality on the newer flagship model.

Are you excited about witnessing the power that Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra's 200MP camera will have? Leave a comment to let us know how you feel, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more smartphone rumours.


Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra teardown answers "what would happen if I accidentally poked the mic hole with the SIM pin tool?"

JerryRigEverything are pretty famous for their phone teardowns just as much as for their durability (torture) tests, as they often reveal things that you might have wondered about the phones you use everyday. This time around, Zack from JerryRigEverything did a teardown of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and succinctly answered a question that might be on many Samsung Galaxy S22/S23 Ultra owners minds which is "what would happen if I accidentally poked the mic hole with the SIM pin tool?"

For those who don’t know, the SIM Card Tray for the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is located on the bottom of the chassis and can support 2 nano SIM cards at the same time. Unfortunately, the pin hole to eject this tray is located right next to the bottom mic hole, and we have to say that quite a few users have accidentally poked the SIM Tray pin tool into the mic hole instead.

For the short answer to the question, the answer is “Nothing”, but if you’d like a bit more reassurance then do check out the video below. Zack does note that the teardown also reveals how the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is now a lot easier to repair thanks to a removable battery, modular construction and more. As always, stay tuned to TechNave.com where we always keep an eye out on tech.


Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra to feature thinner bezels compared to its predecessor

According to a previous report, the Samsung Galaxy S23 series could arrive earlier than expected. Before that happens, more information about the Galaxy S23 Ultra has surfaced, revealing extremely thin bezels through CAD-based renders.

The previous renders of the device used dark wallpapers, so it was hard to get a clear look at the bezels. However, after an edit, it shows that the Galaxy S23 Ultra would feature thinner bezels compared to the Galaxy S22 Ultra. It's also said that the bezels are not uniform, with the one on the bottom being the thinnest among all, while the sides are curved.

Furthermore, the source mentions that Galaxy S23 Ultra won't feature a huge design change and would follow the predecessor's look. It includes a curved display and a centered display camera hole. Meanwhile, the front and back sides will be proportional, while the top and bottom sides will be flat. Its rear cameras will protrude directly from the phone's body as well.

What do you think about the Galaxy S23 Ultra's design? Share your opinion by leaving a comment, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more smartphone reports.


Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will reportedly reuse the same 10MP telephoto camera from the S21 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S23 series is not set for release until early 2023, but details and specs of the upcoming flagship have been in the rumour mills for a while now. The latest of which is regarding the telephoto cameras, whereby the series will allegedly reuse the same cameras found on its predecessors.

As reported by Galaxy Club, rumours claim that the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus will have the same 10MP 3x telephoto cameras as found on previous Samsung flagship devices. Furthermore, the Galaxy S23 Ultra will also utilise the same periscope setup with 10x magnification and 10MP resolution from the S22 Ultra and S21 Ultra.

Interestingly, the much older Galaxy S20 Ultra had the biggest telephoto camera in the flagship series with the 48MP 4x periscope cam. Well, megapixel count is not everything as Samsung could bring better optics, larger sensor or even improve the image processing software.

However, do take this information with a grain of salt as nothing is confirmed as of yet. We’ll just have to wait until Samsung officially launches the Galaxy S23 series to see how the South Korean tech giant will improve the camera setup.

What do you guys think? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for the latest trending tech news.


Samsung Galaxy S23 not offering same haptic feedback as higher variants

The Samsung Galaxy S23 series is expected to bring upgrades to several departments, from the processor to the camera setup. However, the latest information arrives by claiming that there could be a downgrade for the base Galaxy S23 as part of the company's cost-cutting strategy.

According to a tipster on Twitter, the vanilla Galaxy S23 "might cut the vibration motor". It's vague, but we know that the base variant won't offer the same haptic feedback as the higher variants. It's said that the company could either adopt a downgraded solution or keep the same one from this year's model while the Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S23 Ultra get a better one.

It's worth mentioning that the Galaxy S22 uses an x-axis linear motor for the first time in the Galaxy S lineup. Therefore, Samsung could revert to the z-axis solution and keep the x-axis solution for the higher-specced models. Of course, it's all just a guess. We should wait until then to find out how Samsung will implement this. It's also mentioned that the Galaxy S23 won't be any cheaper despite the cost-cutting strategy, as the prices could get distributed to improve the other parts.

What do you think about the news? Leave a comment to let us know your opinion, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more smartphone rumours.


Samsung Galaxy S23 series Buy 1 Get 1 deal extended to 30 April, added more eligible devices for trade-in

Samsung Malaysia has announced that it is extending its Buy 1 Get 1 deal for the Samsung Galaxy S23 series to 30 April 2023. Moreover, the company also expanded the list of eligible devices for trade-in as part of the promo, making it accessible to more people.

In a press release, Samsung elaborated that the promo entails consumers trading in their old devices and topping up a set amount from as low as RM0 to receive two brand-new Galaxy S23 series devices. Of course, the old devices must be part of the eligible devices list and are not cracked, malfunctioning or have a non-working screen.

Check out the new list of eligible devices and the respective top-up amount below:

To get the Buy 1 Get 1 deal, consumers must follow these steps:

For more information on the promotion, do visit its official landing page here. If you’re looking to purchase a mid-range device from Samsung instead, do check out our exclusive Galaxy A34 5G and Galaxy A54 5G deal here. As always, make sure to stay tuned to TechNave for more tech news and deals such as this!


Samsung Galaxy S23 series Malaysia release: SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy SoC and 200MP camera from RM3899

After months of rumours, speculations and anticipation, Samsung today finally unveiled its latest flagship smartphone lineup, the Samsung Galaxy S23 series. Comprising the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S23 Ultra, the South Korean tech giant said that the lineup marks a new era of Samsung Galaxy's ultimate premium phone experience.

One of the most notable features has got to be the new customised Qualcomm mobile processor called the "Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy" which powers all three variants. The most powerful Snapdragon processor yet, Samsung said that the SoC unleashes premium experiences, including groundbreaking AI, future-ready mobile gaming features and powerfully sustained gameplay with the world’s fastest mobile graphics.

Design-wise, all three variants have iterative updates compared to their predecessors, with the refinement seeing the smartphones no longer have camera bumps. Besides that, the Galaxy S23 Ultra sports a 6.8-inch curved edge display while the Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S23 feature a 6.6-inch and 6.1-inch flat display, respectively. All of the displays support Samsung Vision Booster, Enhanced Comfort, HDR10+ and a peak brightness of 1750 nits.

Besides that, all variants also feature the new Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 which offers durability for long-term use and consists of an average of 22 per cent pre-consumer recycled content. Moreover, every Galaxy S23 smartphone comes in a redesigned packaging box which applied paper made with 100 per cent recycled paper.

Furthermore, the series also brings improvements in imaging and all of the variants now have the same upgraded 12MP selfie camera with support for Super HDR at 60fps. The series also sports improved Nightography for low light photography and videos, Astrophoto and Astro Hyperlapse photography and videography.

The Galaxy S23 series runs on Android 13 OS via One UI 5.1 with four major Android updates expected and 5 years of security patches. Being the highest-end variant, the Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with a new 200MP Adaptive Pixel sensor, a 5000mAh battery and retains the S-Pen. Check out the full specs of each variant below:

The Galaxy S23 series comes in four nature-inspired matte hues, which are Phantom Black, Cream, Green and Lavender. The Galaxy S23 Ultra retails from RM5699, while the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+'s recommended retail price starts from RM3899.

For more information about Galaxy S23 Ultra, you can visit Samsung's official website here. As for the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+, do check out this webpage.

Furthermore, pre-orders for the Galaxy S23 series in Malaysia start from now until 23 February 2023 and you can get an upgrade of Double Storage for the same price worth up to RM500 when purchasing any of the variants. As part of Samsung Malaysia's Eco-Promotions, consumers get up to 30 per cent off purchase-with-purchase on selected Samsung Accessories, Galaxy Tablets, Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Buds Series and Samsung Care+.

You can also trade in your device and receive an additional rebate of up to RM600. Those who pre-order at Samsung Malaysia’s official website will get an RM400 e-voucher.

Those who pre-order at Samsung Experience Stores and Samsung Authorised Partners on the other hand can get Samsung Accessories worth up to RM458. In addition, you can also visit Samsung's Telco partners for more exciting deals!

Psst, make sure to also redeem your RM200 Samsung e-Voucher that you received if you previously registered your interest. To find out more about the pre-order offers, please visit the official pre-order page here. On the other hand, we also have a RM200 voucher code to giveaway so visit the link here to read about it. To pre-order the latest Galaxy devices, please click the respective links below:


Samsung Galaxy S23 series’ cameras just got even better thanks to latest firmware update

Samsung put a lot of emphasis on its mobile photography capabilities during the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S23 series and the lineup definitely didn’t disappoint. One of the best camera setups in the market today, especially on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the series’ photography capabilities just got even better thanks to a new firmware update.

Available for download for users in Malaysia and around Southeast Asia, the firmware brings a 2x portrait mode option in the Samsung camera app on the phone. In the change log shared by SAMMobile, the update also fixes autofocus and HDR performance issues on the devices.

Besides that, Samsung also overhauled the Night mode processing to make “Nightography” even better. As part of the 2.2GB update, there are also improvements to the Galaxy S23 series’ haptics, UI animations and overall system stability.

Awesome! So, what do you guys think of the update? Share your thoughts with us in the comments and stay tuned to TechNave for more trending tech news such as this.


Samsung Galaxy S23 series could face heating issues due to reduced heat sinks

Although the Samsung Galaxy S23 series is still some time away from launch, the Internet is already worried about its possible heating issues. Tipster Ice Universe found some disappointing scores from the Geekbench results, which leads to the theory that Samsung may have reduced heat sinks on the Galaxy S23 trio to cut costs.

We know that Samsung will ditch its Exynos chip and go all out with a customized Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip for the upcoming devices. Despite that, the devices might disappoint in some aspects. The multi-core scores of the new Samsung flagships on the benchmarking platform never go above 5,000 across 20 tests of the US and global variants of all three models. Meanwhile, other flagships using the standard chip consistently achieved scores higher than 5,000.

It's said it could be the company is still working on the Galaxy S23 firmware, so it doesn't reflect the final performance. However, the source also shares that Samsung may want to keep the peak performance in check to ensure that the devices don't heat up to an uncomfortable level, as it reduces the heat sinks to save up some costs for the Galaxy S23 series. It would be weird for Samsung to throttle the devices' performance since the company should be hoping for a change by using the exclusive Qualcomm flagship chip on all variants.

For now, these are all just assumptions about the future Samsung flagship phones. Therefore, let's wait for one or two months, and the truth shall get revealed. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more smartphone rumours.


Samsung Galaxy S23 series could get delayed for this reason

We expect the Samsung Galaxy S23 series to debut latest by early February. However, there might be a small delay for one reason. According to a reputable tipster, Samsung is having a hard time deciding a price point for the series.

TheGalox_ from Twitter claims that the Galaxy S23 series could arrive mid to late February as the company is still making decision on the prices for the devices. If you wonder why it's hard to label the price tags for the upcoming series, the source has given two possible causes.

Mid to late February release for the S23 seriesDeciding on a price for the devices is delaying this release. If it was up to me, $799, $899 & $1199 would be the prices. pic.twitter.com/bYzNW9HAd9

It's said that one of them could be the overclocked Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. We saw reports saying that the devices will feature a custom Snapdragon chip, and it's produced within Samsung Foundry. Therefore, the custom manufacturing of the chip has definitely affected the manufacturing cost. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is suggested to utilize a different 200MP camera sensor than those found on the Xiaomi 12T and Motorola Edge 30 Ultra, which might have also incurred additional production costs.

What do you think about the news? Leave a comment to let us know your opinion, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more smartphone news.


4 reasons content creators should have an MSI Creator Z16 for their creative needs

The last year or so hasn't been easy in many ways. But, many of us got to work from home and appreciate how much time you save without having to commute to your office. On the flip side, it also means that some of us have had to buy new equipment to facilitate such a work environment. This could include things like accessories such as a microphone or important hardware like an extra monitor. But one of the most important things has to be a laptop.

Even before the pandemic, a laptop is an ideal option when it comes to workstations. They provide more than enough juice to handle daily tasks and are also portable. Of course, no two laptops are equal and we all have different requirements. For example, there are laptops with features that benefit content creators. Today, we'll be taking a closer look at 4 reasons why you should get an MSI Creator Z16 for your creative needs.

Do you work as a graphic designer or video editor? Be it a personal hobby or your professional work, you know that colour accuracy is crucial for images and videos. It wouldn't do for what you think you perceive on-screen to look different on a client's computer.

In that sense, the MSI Creator Z16 is an excellent laptop to have, all thanks to its screen. This 16-inch QHD+ (2560x1600) touch display covers 100% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut and is factory-calibrated to Delta-E <2 for top-notch colour accuracy. It's even Calman verified, so you know that the display is good enough for photo editing, graphic design, and video editing.

Even for designers and video editors, multi-tasking is an important skill to have. But what's the best way to facilitate multi-tasking? If you ask us, the answer should be more screens. That's right! Rather than having to Alt-Tab constantly, having multiple screens is often the better solution.

That's not a problem for the MSI Creator Z16, which can connect to a total of two additional screens. It has two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 support, allowing you to connect to two external monitors that have a USB-C connector. That's quite common with high-end monitors that cater for design work too, so the lack of HDMI ports isn't that bad. Moreover, the laptop has a feature called Duet Display, which lets you turn an iPad into another display with zero latency. An incredibly useful feature, as you can then use the device as a drawing tablet.

Most of the time, ultra-thin laptops aren't all that powerful. But that's starting to change as components continue to shrink. MSI focused on this for their new Creator series laptop, with tech specs that will allow it to perform well even with highly demanding creative work. In that sense, the Creator Z16 encapsulates the ideal of an unexpected powerhouse in a compact package.

Under the hood, the Creator Z16 packs in an 11th-Gen Intel Core i7-11800H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU with 6GB of VRAM. You can also get it in different memory configurations, with at least 16x2GB of DDR4 RAM (3200MHz) and 1TB of NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen4x4). As you can see, this laptop has more than enough power to handle even high-load creative tasks like video editing.

Of course, even designers and video editors don't work all the time. They also want to enjoy themselves during their free time, so a good laptop should help deliver quality entertainment to its users. That's simple for the Creator Z16, which not only comes with an excellent display but also a relatively powerful dedicated graphics card.

Since there's a GeForce RTX 3060 GPU inside, the Creator Z16 is capable of playing some AAA games at 1080p resolution with high settings. The laptop also has a Cooler Boost Trinity+ cooling system, which will work with MSI's Cooler Boost Technology to ensure optimal heat dissipation. And of course, the display's high colour accuracy makes games and movies all the more enjoyable.

There you have it - 4 main reasons as to why we think this laptop is great for creators. It's a workstation that's compact, performs well, and can be the device that provides you with hours of entertainment. It's even endorsed by local star Lin Min-Chen, who is MSI's brand ambassador in Malaysia. The laptop is now available for pre-order in Malaysia, at a retail price of RM11999. Do check out the website for more details!

So, what do you think about the MSI Creator Z16? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and stay tuned to TechNave for more articles like this.


Android P reportedly to turn your smartphone into a wireless keyboard or mouse

Samsung and Huawei already have optimized their flagship smartphones as 'minicomputers', seeing as how they can be connected to the PC monitor effortlessly. But soon in the future, it's possible that all Android devices will be able to do so too, according to online sources here and here, the next-in-line Android P could add that feature making the phone function as a keyboard or trackpad.

While using it as a trackpad is not new, we aren't sure how using it as a wireless digital keyboard would help that much. But due to the growing trend of doing Fullview displays, we should have an okay-ish space for our fingers to type on it and would take some time to adapt. On the bright side, it could very well change the way we work having compact devices. The first smartphones to receive this feature is probably the next Google Pixel series this year, so we will just have to wait and see.

What do you think of using your smartphone as a wireless keyboard and mouse? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more Android news at TechNave.com.


Samsung Galaxy S23 series could ship globally with only Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

In recent years, Exynos chips have struggled to impress. Although the Exynos 2100 was a decent match for Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 beats it handily. This could be why next year's Samsung Galaxy S23 series could be Snapdragon-only for global fans.

According to the analyst Kuo Ming-Chi, Qualcomm could become the sole chipset supplier for the Samsung Galaxy S23 series. For your info, that chipset should be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (SM8550), which will be manufactured on TSMC's 4nm node. Samsung might completely avoid the use of the Exynos 2300, which is allegedly inferior to Qualcomm's next flagship chipset in all aspects.

(1/3)1. Qualcomm will likely be the sole processor supplier for Samsung Galaxy S23 (vs. 70% shipment proportion for S22) thanks to the next flagship 5G chip SM8550 made by TSMC 4nm.

It's important to note that this tweet implies that the move could affect all Galaxy S23 series variants, global or otherwise. This selection could apply to only the global variants, as the global market is where Samsung has the largest demand for Snapdragon variants. But at the end of May 2022, there was a rumour that Samsung is still planning and working on the Exynos 2300 chipset. If that's true, we should still see it used in selected Samsung devices or Galaxy S23 FE (assuming it's not discontinued as rumoured).

What do you think? Would you give the Exynos 2300 a chance, or prefer to go Snapdragon all the way? Share your thoughts in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more updates on this.


Samsung Galaxy S23 series could start from 256GB RAM and more

With the release of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S23 series just on the horizon the rumours and leaks are flying thick and fast for the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S23 Ultra. One leakster in particular seems to think that none of these phones will have any starting base storage of 128GB and instead will go from 256GB.

He goes on to indicate that they’ll all also have Dynamic AMOLED 2x displays with up to 120Hz refresh rates, but this doesn’t really come as much of a surprise. What does come as a surprise is his assertion that the Galaxy S23 Ultra could come with a flatter screen and have flatter sides.

Initially claiming that it would be a flat screen entirely for the Galaxy S23 Ultra, after an exchange with another leakster, he admitted that the screen would probably still have dual curved edges but wouldn’t be as sharply inclined as the previous Galaxy S22 Ultra. While I do agree with him that a flatter screen works better for S Pen usage, as an S22 Ultra user myself, this is a very easy fix if you just get a flat sided ultra thin case.

Could these be the Galaxy S23 series as sourced from @technizoconcept?

So far, other rumoured tech specs and features for the Galaxy S23 series includes the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and a 200MP rear camera sensor that will take their Nightography to another level. Samsung will likely announce the Galaxy S23 series around 1 February 2023, so we don’t think we’ll have to wait too long to confirm them.

Considering all the differing opinions from all the leaksters, we’d recommend that you take any of the rumours or leaks mentioned above with a lot of salt. On our side, we’re just hoping that Malaysian prices for the Galaxy S23 series will stay competitive but what do you think?

Are you looking forward to any of the tech specs or features mentioned above? If so, which Galaxy S23 series phone are you gunning for? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave.com


Samsung Galaxy S23 series features custom “Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy” SoC according to new leak

Samsung is set to unveil its latest flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S23 series this 2 February and ahead of the launch, more alleged leaks are coming out regarding the lineup. The latest of which is in regard to the SoC under the hood, which would be a custom version of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

Shared by reliable tipster Roland Quandt on Twitter, the chipset is called “Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy”, which is short for “Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy”. In the leak, Quandt showed off the modified Snapdragon logo for the Samsung Galaxy S23 series, which is just the regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 logo but with “for galaxy” at its bottom.

This modified version of the Qualcomm SoC is exclusive to the Samsung flagships, with rumours claiming that both companies have an agreement in place for custom chipsets until next year with the release of the Galaxy S24 series. Besides that, Quandt also shared the alleged specs of all 3 variants of the Galaxy S23 lineup.

The spec sheet seems to confirm our previous report that all displays in the lineup will have max brightness of 1750 nits. Rather expectedly, the Ultra variant sports the most specced out features out of the three.

Of course, do take this information with a grain of salt as nothing is confirmed as of yet. Well, we just have to wait a few days to find out for sure anyways.

What do you guys think? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more trending tech news.


Samsung Galaxy S23 series launching date accidentally revealed

As per tradition, Samsung would be one of the first brands to release a new flagship. However, it seems that we got our release date already. It was believed to be posted too early by Samsung Columbia and the page isn't there anymore.

From the cover image you see, the alleged release date is on 1 February 2023 and seems to fall in line with all the previous Samsung Unpacked launches. There isn't much going on in the image, except for the new triple rear camera design, and some leaves and lilac hinted as new colour options.

According to sources, the new colour options could be called Misty Lilac and Botanic Green. And as usual, we can expect the usual three-model release from the Galaxy lineup. In this case, it would be the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S23 Ultra featuring the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.

On top of that, it seems that Samsung could be using the new Snapdragon chipset for all the Galaxy S23 series models. So that's pretty good news for Malaysian Samsung fans like last year. Until then, wait for the official news from Samsung Malaysia and stay tuned for that only at TechNave.com.


Samsung Galaxy S23 series now on up to RM1000 rebate off

In this short news, Samsung is now offering Malaysians a chance to own a Galaxy S23 series device at a discount. With a rebate of up to RM1000, this special promotion is only until 28 May 2023 at the Samsung Online Store.

From the newsroom, interested customers can get the Galaxy S23 Ultra (12GB + 1TB) with RM1000 off. As a refresher, the recommended retail price for that model is RM7199 so you can buy it at RM6199. As for the Galaxy S23 Ultra (12GB + 512GB) model, it's now RM500 off.

On the other hand, the Galaxy S23 (8GB + 256GB) and Galaxy S23+ (8GB+ 512GB) models are RM500 and RM300 off respectively. With the discounts, the two models are priced at RM3899 and RM4699 respectively. It seems that the other memory variants aren't eligible for the discount.

If you want to trade in, you can do so as well with savings with RM600 instant rebate and 5x reward points (if you are a Samsung Member). For more information, you can visit the official Samsung online store here.


Samsung Galaxy S23 series pre-orders can be collected from 17 February onwards

Good news to those who pre-ordered the Samsung Galaxy S23 series earlier - the pre-order collection will begin from 17 February 2023 onwards! But if you want to wait for the first sales launch, it will begin on 24 February.

For those who plan to get the Galaxy S23 series during the first sales launch, there is still a promotion until 31 March 2023. A free Galaxy Watch 5 (40mm) worth RM1099 will be given away during that promo period. On top of that, you also get to enjoy up to 30% off purchase-with-purchase on selected Samsung Accessories, Galaxy Tablets, Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Buds Series and Samsung Care+. You can also trade in your device and receive an instant rebate of up to RM600.

The pre-order promotion for the Galaxy S23 series will end on 23 February 2023. You can get an upgrade of Double Storage for the same price worth up to RM500 when you place your orders now. You can also pre-order at Samsung Malaysia’s official website to receive a RM400 e-voucher. If you pre-order at Samsung Experience Stores or Samsung Authorised Partner, you can receive Samsung Accessories worth up to RM458.

To recap the prices for each variant of the Galaxy S23 series, please refer to the table below:

Receive a free Galaxy Watch5 (40mm) worth RM1,099

That's all, folks. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Samsung Galaxy S23 series to arrive in the first week of February

The Samsung Galaxy S23 series was rumoured to arrive as early as January 2023. However, it seems that it's not going to happen with this latest information. Korean media outlet Chosun claims that the devices will get launched in the first week of February instead.

According to Android Headlines, the source collects its information from a "business official familiar with Samsung". It's said that the Unpacked event will get hosted in San Francisco. Therefore, an early February launch is more likely to happen at this moment.

The Galaxy S23 series will bring three devices, Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra. There are quite a few highlights from the upcoming series. One of them is the 200MP camera on the highest variant. A previous rumour suggested that Samsung's new 200MP camera sensor will offer "unparalleled computational skills", allowing exceptional low-light performance.

Are you excited about the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy S23? Leave a comment to let us know how you feel, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more smartphone news.


Samsung Galaxy S23 series to feature an exclusive version of Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC

Samsung Galaxy S23 series is certainly getting powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. However, new information has arrived claiming that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip on the Galaxy devices would be different than the one on the other flagships.

According to tipster Ice Universe, the Galaxy S23 series will feature an exclusive version of the new flagship chip. Earlier, the tipster discovered that the chip runs at a higher frequency than other Gen 2 SoCs from the benchmark results of the Samsung Galaxy S23. Besides that, he also found that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has different model numbers. Now, he shared that it's likely that the Galaxy S23 series will use a different variant of the chip alongside a Geekbench score.

No matter which variant of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Samsung will be using for its upcoming flagship series, the devices would still bring improvements over the predecessors, especially the ones with the Exynos 2200. If you want to know more about the newly-launched Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, you may read more about it here.

What do you think about the news? Leave a comment to let us know your thoughts, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more smartphone news.


Samsung Galaxy S23 series to launch earlier than expected

We're getting the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip in just a few months. After that, tons of new Android flagships using the chip will start popping up, and the Samsung Galaxy S23 series is on the list. According to the latest information, the next-gen Galaxy devices will arrive earlier than expected.

Reputable tipster Ice Universe says that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is "fast-paced" and could lead to "the overall advance of the release time of the new Android flagship mobile phone". It basically means that the early arrival of the Snapdragon chip will allow smartphone manufacturers to move forward with their launching schedule. He added that the Galaxy S23 series would also be "released earlier".

The Galaxy S22 series had its announcement on 9 February this year. Following that, the Galaxy S23 series should launch around that time, but it might not be the case now. The Galaxy S21 series arrived in mid-January 2021, so the upcoming Galaxy S23 could follow this timeline. The source mentions that it's unlikely for the devices to appear in December.

Are you excited about seeing the Galaxy S23 series? Drop a comment to let us know how you feel, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more smartphone news.


Samsung Galaxy S23 series will be the first to feature Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2

The Samsung Galaxy S23 series is set to be released this 2 February and we just got confirmation that the series will be the first to utilise the latest generation of Gorilla Glass. Announced in a statement yesterday (26 January 2023), Corning said that the next Galaxy flagship devices are set to feature Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

The new glass composition is touted to deliver improved drop performance on rough surfaces like concrete while preserving the scratch resistance from the previous generation Gorilla Glass Victus. Launched in November 2022, it also puts a focus on the environment and has achieved an Environmental Claim Validation for containing an average of 22% pre-consumer recycled content, as validated by Underwriters Laboratories (UL).

In the statement, Corning said that it is proud to continue its long partnership with Samsung and have its innovations play a vital role in Samsung’s newest Galaxy smartphones. However, it was not mentioned whether all variants of the Galaxy S23 series will feature Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

Well, we just have to wait a few days to find out for sure. So, what do you guys think? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more trending tech news such as this.


Android Q to let users run multiple apps at once without pausing

Usually when you use the split-screen on Android, it would only allow you to use one window while the rest pauses in the background, which defeats the whole purpose of having split-screens in the first place, in my opinion. That problem could change soon as Android Q may be upgraded to allow users to enjoy multiple apps at once, according to Gizmochina.com. It is reported that Google might be introducing “multi-resume” in Android Q, which allows multiple apps to be open and remain active at the same time.

As of right now, there are three types of multi-window modes: split-screen, freeform and picture-in-picture. Generally, when two apps are open side by side, you’d have to choose which window you’d like to use for it to become active while the other is paused.

So far, only the latest Samsung models with the “MultiStar” module on Good Lock have this feature. However, it is possible that this feature will be implemented into other Android versions in the future such as Android Pie. In order for other manufacturers to be able to utilize this feature, they may have to opt-in to be able to test this feature on their existing devices. Perhaps this is an indication that smartphones will be utilizing the split-screen feature more in the near future but do remember that this is still a rumour so take it with a pinch of salt. Would you want this split-screen feature in Android Q? For more news on tech and beyond, make sure to follow TechNave.com!


Samsung Galaxy S23 will allegedly support 8K/30FPS video recording

These days, the smartphones in our pockets can do so much. It's more or less replaced handheld digital cameras, and one day it might even replace video cameras. We're not there yet, but that's not stopping Samsung from improving the Galaxy S23 series' video recording features.

Recently, the tipster Ice Universe has hinted that the Samsung Galaxy S23 series could feature 8K/30FPS video recording. This is a slight update over the Galaxy S22 series, which comes with 8K/24FPS recording instead. Of course, 30FPS isn't necessarily better than 24FPS, as the latter offers a more cinematic feel.

On the other hand, some users may prefer 30FPS for selected scenarios. For example, the smoother feel of 30FPS is better for like live streaming. Mind you, live streaming in 8K isn't something people would do. Even if it's possible, it would take too much bandwidth. Instead, most users might use 8K recording for the higher video resolution, before downscaling to 4K or 1080p.

Anyway, the tipster didn't specify which Galaxy S23 series model would have this feature. But the Galaxy S22 supports 8K/24FPS, so it's reasonable to assume that the standard Galaxy S23 would support the upgraded spec. With that said, is 8K/30FPS recording something you'd want? Let us know in the comments on our Facebook and stay tuned to TechNave for more updates about this.


Samsung Galaxy S23 will have the brightest display when it arrives

The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra aims to become the brightest phone in the industry when it launches. According to the latest information, the phone's display can reach 2,200 nits of peak brightness, surpassing what every current device has.

It's claimed that Samsung hasn't locked "2,200 nits" as the official rating for peak display brightness on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, as it's still in development and may see more performance optimizations in the coming weeks. However, the source says that the maximum brightness of the new Galaxy flagship's screen will be more than 2,100 nits. It could even top 2,200 nits as well.

It's worth mentioning that the previous Galaxy S22 and S22+ only launched with 1,750 nits of peak brightness. Meanwhile, the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max arrived months ago and has a maximum brightness of 2,000 nits. Besides being bright, the display would get protected with something more durable than the Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the Galaxy S22 series.


Samsung Galaxy S24 may be one of the first smartphones to support Wi-Fi 7

The next standard for Wi-Fi connectivity, Wi-Fi 7 will debut in the second half of 2024 and is set to feature up to 2.4 times faster peak speeds compared to the current standard. While we are some time away from Wi-Fi 7’s release, it seems likely that the Samsung Galaxy S24 will be one of the first devices to feature this next-gen connectivity.

According to a report by DigiTimes Asia, the upcoming Samsung flagship will be one of the pioneers for the new Wi-Fi standard given the company’s stature and the popularity of the lineup. Corroborated by IC inspection labs, the report also revealed that Wi-Fi 7 will feature speeds up to 33Gbps.

The current standard for Wi-Fi connectivity is Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E and is available in most flagship devices, including home routers and laptops. Wi-Fi 7 is also expected to allow 300MHz channels and bring physical (PHY) and medium access control (MAC) improvements while still working with existing 2.4GHz, 5GHz and GHz frequencies.

Previously, Qualcomm has already unveiled Wi-Fi 7 Networking Pro Series Wi-Fi chips. However, the new standard will only be mainstream beginning in 2024.

So, what do you guys think of the upcoming Wi-Fi 7 standard? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more trending tech news.


Samsung Galaxy S24 series could feature Exynos 2400 for SEA

While the Samsung Galaxy S23 series was Snapdragon-only, that might not be the case for next year's Galaxy S24 series. Sources suggest that Samsung is already working on the Exynos 2400 chipset, and equip it on devices for selected regions.

According to @Tech_Reve, Southeast Asia and Europe will get the Exynos 2400-powered Samsung Galaxy S24. It's believed that all SEA variants of the three Galaxy S24 series models will be using this chipset, which is to be manufactured on Samsung Foundry's 4nm process.

Oh...my.Southeast Asia is also getting the Exynos 2400 in the S24. Not a Snapdragon. pic.twitter.com/xXGfTRpchJ

The source also claimed the Exynos 2400 will feature an RDNA2 GPU with four times the compute units of the Exynos 2200. For your info, that's 12 CUs (Exynos 2400) to 3 CUs (Exynos 2200). This implies that the new model will have massive improvements in GPU performance. Moreover, the former is expected to feature a higher core count 10-core CPU.

While the last few Exynos chipsets have failed to impress, could the Exynos 2400 finally make Exynos great again? And if so, would you buy an Exynos-powered Galaxy S24 series phone? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more news about this.


Samsung Galaxy S3 and Note 2 Android 4.3 update drains battery life, again?!

A word of warning to those Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 users looking to update their devices to Android 4.3, don't! It seems that updating the device to Android 4.3 will result in battery drain issues (which has happened before). Other issues also include slower performance, bad memory management and general app compatibility problems. While Samsung Mobile UK has suspended the update temporarily, this hasn't been done elsewhere, so if you've updated already, we hope you don't have these problems. Some users have found that if you backup your data and then do a factory reset, this solves the problems somewhat, but it still isn't the same as a brand new update patch from Samsung. For those who haven't updated yet, please wait a while longer. Stay tuned and we'll keep you posted on this as soon as we know.[Source]


Samsung Galaxy S3 and Note 2 getting Android 4.4 KitKat

We're not sure if it is in response to the botched Android 4.3 update we reported on earlier but it seems that the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 will soon be getting the Android 4.4 KitKat upgrade from Samsung. Originally, the Samsung Android 4.4 KitKat upgrade was just limited to the Samsung Galaxy S4 and above but it's good to know that Samsung are still thinking about users who bought their previous flagship smartphones as well. These users can expect the upgrade to come out in Q1 of 2013, probably around March. While the Android 4.4 KitKat upgrade should help further increase performance (it was designed to work well with devices that only have 512MB of RAM) we do hope that it doesn't cause any battery drain botch-ups like the recent Android 4.3 update.


Samsung Galaxy S3 mini Value Edition announced

Offering a refresh of their Samsung Galaxy S3 mini, Samsung have since announced the Samsung Galaxy S3 mini Value Edition. While the design remains the same, the tech specs have been bumped up to a 1.2GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 processor along with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. Going for about €180 (RM819) in the Netherlands, the price seems a bit high considering the tech specs of RM500 and above smartphones today, but it should eventually be available here in Malaysia as well. [Source]


Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Apple iPhone 4S vs Nokia 808 PureView Camera Comparison:

In this article I want to compare the camera performance of three popular mobile phones: the Apple iPhone 4S vs Nokia 808 PureView vs Samsung Galaxy S3 / SIII. Three popular mobile devices, each one with its own unique offering.

The camera is probably one of the most attracting feature, because most of us are connected to facebook, sharing thought, image and videos that we’ve taken. When Nokia announced the 808 PureView, it actually changed our understanding on mobile phone cameras. Before the 808 PureView was announced, I viewed sample videos and images of various mobile phones, and didn’t found anything spectacular to write about. Indeed, in every generation, image quality is improved. BSI sensors have improved image quality by quite a lot. Even so, due to the popularity of mobile phones, mobile phone manufacturers always search for ways to sell more phones, and what’s better than to improve the camera performance.Let’s start our comparison with a few opening words about each phone, introduce to you the basic specs of the cameras. I think the best way is to present the specs in a table, so you can see how the three cameras defer from one another.

This is not an in-depth lab-test comparison. I know that you want the bottom line and most of you probably didn’t reach this far. There are many things to consider above the image quality, and that’s the camera settings, manual controls, applications and other stuff. However, if you care about image quality, this is an easy decision.The Nokia 808 PureView will give you the best image quality. The Samsung Galaxy S3 (I9300) has a great camera that in some places was able to outperform the Nokia (ie. WB), but not in overall image quality (ie. sharpness, high ISO, video quality, color accuracy, etc). Although it’s a bit hard to tell the differences sometimes, the 4S outperform the S3, but not by a large margin in my opinion.


Samsung Galaxy S30 is rumoured to bring two up to 5x optical zoom cameras

There are only three months left in this somehow tragic 2020 and soon we'll be heading to a new year. With that said, it also means that we can now prepare for the next wave of Samsung Galaxy flagship smartphones to hit the market. Before that happens, it is rumoured that the Samsung Galaxy S30, or you would like to call it S21, will have two optical zoom cameras.

It is said that the Samsung Galaxy S30/ S21 will have great cameras after the Samsung Galaxy S20 series raised the bar this year. For that, it looks like the brand has decided to level up the game by bringing one 3x optical zoom camera and another up to 5x optical zoom camera to the next-gen flagships. A combination like this will offer the users to take zoom shots without losing image quality.

Although the Galaxy S20 Ultra came with 100x digital zoom, the result is not as pleasing if you care a lot about the details. Other than two zoom cameras, the Galaxy S30/ S21 is also expected to retain the 108MP main sensor. However, the series won't be getting the time-of-flight (ToF) sensor that is featured on the Galaxy S20 Ultra.

Let us know what you think about the Samsung Galaxy S30/ S21 on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more latest smartphone news.


Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Appears

According to earlier rumours, the more rugged version of the Samsung Galaxy S4, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active (or J Active as some other rumours indicate), actually exists. Leaked images of the phone have appeared and while it doesn't really look metallic orange as earlier indicated it does look nice in red. In addition to the leaked images (which can be rendered), further proof was provided when a video showing off the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active also appeared. The video confirms quite a few things such as model name, the 8MP camera and a Snapdragon S4 Plus processor. Still no videos about its water or dust resistants (or hopefully proofing), but torture tests would probably only be available after it gets announced. No news yet when this might be or how much it might be priced. Check out the video below and watch for the tech specs and model name:

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active in the palm of a hand


Android TV revamp makes it look more like Google TV

Smart TVs with Android TV have gotten more affordable over the years, so more people have become interested in getting one. It helps that Google is actively improving the platform too. In fact, the company just updated Android TV's UI to make it more streamlined.

According to Wccftech, Google Google TV is expected to replace Android TV eventually. This is Android TV's UI has been revamped to become more like Google TV's UI. In addition to that, Android TV now has a few of Google TV's features, such as personalised recommendations.

Specifically, this is referring to the new Discover tab, which works like the "For You" tab on Google TV. It will list movies and TV shows that are trending on Google search, so you can quickly find new content to watch. The update has already started to roll out, with different regions set to receive it in the following weeks.

What do you think about the revamp design, is it more convenient for you? Drop us your comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more trending tech news.


Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Images Leaked

As part of the next bunch of Samsung Galaxy S4 variants, the Galaxy S4 Active is the rugged, tougher and reportedly water-proof version of Samsung's flagship smartphone. While the tech specs have revealed that it won't be using the same processor or chipset, the overall design remains the same. However, @evleaks have revealed a number of Samsung Galaxy S4 Active images, one bunch in black for AT&T and a turquoise blue one as well.The leaked images surprisingly contain hints as the black AT&T cover image is dated 21 June, which may indicate the launch or release date for this version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active. It also helps to know that the event where Samsung is prepping to reveal something or somethings is scheduled for 20 June 2013, so it seems quite likely.


Samsung Galaxy S4 Battery Life Tests

While most reviews cover most of the feature tests and performance tests, testing battery life can take quite some time so it is only just now that we have the battery life tests fo the Samsung Galaxy S4. While the Samsung Galaxy S4 looks and feels about the same weight and size as the Samsung Galaxy S III, it has a bigger screen, more powerful processors and about 500 mAh more with its 2600 mAh battery. Bear in mind that these tests were done with the Snapdragon 600 quad core enabled Samsung Galaxy S4 and cover 3 tests which include talk time, web browsing and video playback.


Samsung Galaxy S4 Beats Competition in Early Benchmarks

As the impending bells of release for the Samsung Galaxy S4 sound, those with early access at Primate Labs have done early benchmarks on the Samsung Galaxy S4 and compared it with other smartphones in the same class. The results were impressive as the Samsung Galaxy S4 powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 1.9GHz processor beat all of the other smartphones using the Geekbench 2 benchmark.

With a resounding Geekbench 2 score of 3163, the Samsung Galaxy S4's closest competitor was the HTC One with a score of 2687. The Apple iPhone 5 only scored 1595. So far, the benchmarks have only involved the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 powered Samsung Galaxy S4 probably because like the other smartphones tested the processor has 4 cores. The 8 core powered Samsung Galaxy S4 wasn't compared probably because of this reason, although it would definitely be interesting to see if the eight cores really provide that much of a performance boost.

Bear in mind that benchmark tests are not always a clear indicator of how good a smartphone is, but in terms of raw processing power the Samsung Galaxy S4 is currently at the top of the heap. More conclusive benchmarks will be available as soon as the Samsung Galaxy S4 gets released properly. Keep checking back for more news as we'll continue to keep you posted on this.[sourced from techdigest.tv and Primate Labs]


Samsung Galaxy S4 Coming in Blue, Brown and Red

Samsung recently came out with another promo ad, this time in the form of a feature-length short music video about a boy wanting to meet a girl and doing it with his Samsung Galaxy S4. The usual S features are available including Air View, Dual Shot, Sound + Shot, Drama Shot and Group Play, but it also reveals a bunch of new colours that will come out for the Samsung Galaxy S4. This includes pastel Blue, Brown and Red. Check it out for yourself in the really catchy music video below:


Samsung Galaxy S4 Crystal Edition gets some bling for Thailand

If you like a lot of bling on your smartphone then you're in luck as Samsung has officially revealed the Galaxy S4 Crystal Edition in Thailand. Utilizing a white Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500, the backside of the smartphone is covered with Swarovski crystals in a wavy pattern. Tech specs match up with the I9500 model including the usual 1.6GHz Samsung Exynos 5 Octa processor and chipset. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Crystal Edition is currently available in the Samsung Shop for 20300 baht (RM2038). No news on Malaysia release dates or pricing but you'll probably see it soon.


Samsung Galaxy S4 Gets 5 More Colours

While this doesn't really come as a surprise (since it was revealed in one of their music videos) Samsung is now offering the Samsung Galaxy S4 in 5 colours which include:

The colours were revealed at their Samsung Premiere 2013 event, but you can already see 4 of the colours from their main Samsung site here. No news when exactly these colours will be made available but we're guessing they could be here in Malaysia in a couple of weeks or so, although Samsung usually release their Pink coloured smartphones as limited editions.


Samsung Galaxy S4 Gets Setup-free Printing on HP Printers

In a move that would likely make the Samsung Galaxy S4 even more attractive, Samsung and HP have teamed up to make it almost effortless for Samsung Galaxy S4 owners to print wirelessly using HP printers. Covering almost 200 HP Inkjets and Laserjets, the move makes wireless printing from your phone, in this case the Samsung Galaxy S4, even easier than before.

Previously, printing wirelessly from your phone required a number of applications to be set up both on the phone as well as on the connecting PC or computer hooked up to the printer. However, with this feature, users looking to do a lot of wireless printing have just one more reason to buy the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S4.The way the setup-free method works is that as long as the supported HP printer is on the same network, you'll be able to print wirelessly. However, there are other limitations as well in that you can only do so from the Samsung Galaxy S4 standard browser, contacts, email client, S Note, photo gallery and Polaris Office. This feature will also be extended to the Samsung Galaxy S III and the Samsung Galaxy Note II through firmware updates later in 2013.[source from engadget.com]


Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 and Note II now More Affordable

It hasn't been more than 2 months and already the Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500 is getting a significant price cut from RM2199 to RM1850 for a total deduction of RM349 for the 16GB version. Samsung have also slashed the Galaxy Note II price down from RM1999 to RM1680. A quick glance at other retailers have the Samsung Galaxy SIII retailing at RM1380 from RM1699 and the Samsung Galaxy Grand at RM1040 from RM1299. Even the more recnet Samsung Galaxy S4 4G LTE version with 32GB storage is set to get a price cut from RM2499 to RM2299. All of these models and prices are listed below:

While this is probably the first time we've seen such a fast price drop for Samsung smartphones, it could have something to do with a whole bunch of other Samsung products coming soon to Malaysia. This includes the Samsung Galaxy Mega, Samsung Galaxy S4 Active and Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom with perhaps other versions on the way as well.


Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 vs Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE I9505

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is currently one of the best smartphones in the world. One would think that makes it easy to choose, however, the Samsung Galaxy S4 also comes in 3 different versions. Malaysia has two of these versions to choose from, the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9505. Recently we only had access to the I9500 but soon vendors will be releasing the I9505 as well. Which one should you pick? Read on and find out.

In terms of design both the I9505 and I9500 look exactly the same, so we won't compare about that. A quick tech specs comparison confirms that nearly everything is also the same except for the following:

While both the I9505 and I9500 use more or less the same hardware, the different processors determine how powerful each smartphone is. In AnTuTu benchmarks the I9505 consistently get a score of 24000+ while the I9500 gets a score of 28000+. Obviously the Samsung Exynos 5 Octa powered I9500 is more powerful than the I9505. However, there is a noticeable downside to these figures.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500's AnTuTu benchmark score

This is because even a smartphone with an AnTuTu benchmark score of 22000+ (like the HTC One) already provides super smooth performance for both games, general image editting and multimedia playback. Most users wouldn't even notice the difference except perhaps that the I9500 may seem a little zippier or just a bit faster than the I9505. The difference in power only becomes noticeable if you use your Samsung Galaxy S4 to do processor heavy stuff like massive number crunching or video editting.

The I9500's PowerVR SGX 544MP3 gives it a slight edge over the I9505's Adreno 320, because it has more cores and is a bit more powerful. There is a slight improvement in graphics performance and image reproduction with the I9500 as images look better saturated compared to the I9505, however, the difference is very small. You'd really need to look very close to notice it.

When the Samsung Exynos 5 Octa first came out, many of us tech heads were excited because not only did it technically have 8 cores, but also because it claimed great performance with awesome power efficiency. The more powerful ARM A15 quad-core was supposed to have switched over to the more energy efficient A7 quad-core processor to help save energy when not doing performance intensive tasks. Recent tests have shown that they still haven't optimized this properly just yet as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 powered I9505 beats the I9500 in battery life by 1 to 3 hours depending on the activity. Perhaps Samsung need to work on optimizing the switching more but for now, the Exynos 5 Octa powered I9500 is a lot less battery efficient than the I9505. In general, the I9500 will last about 12 hours (continuous usage) or so on a single charge, while the I9505 can go up to 18 to 20 hours.

Obviously the LTE-enabled I9505 provides access to the much faster download and upload speeds of 4G LTE. While there is an Exynos 5 Octa powered Samsung Galaxy S4 with LTE connectivity, this model is not available in Malaysia (although some independant sellers have brought it over from South Korea). Both the I9500 and the I9505 have the same features in terms of software, firmware and hardware though, so there is no point in comparing that here.

Overall, the choice between the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 and Samsung Galaxy S4 I9505 comes down to what you want or need in a smartphone. If you're going to get an LTE connection then the I9505 is the better choice. If you're running very processor intensive apps then the I9500 is the one for you. Personally, our choice would have to be the I9505 as it combines better power efficiency, longer battery life and LTE connectivity. Unfortunately it is coming out later than the I9500, but if you've been patient it should be worth the wait. The I9500 has potential though, if Samsung ever get around to optimizing their Exynos 5 Octa processor and releasing said firmware.


Samsung Galaxy S4 I9505 Updated Firmware Improves Battery Life

The Samsung Galaxy S4 I9505 or the version with LTE and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor recently got a firmware update which has improved battery tests significantly. How significantly? Well, check out the test graphs below and see for yourself. The previous performance is marked in yellow:

As you can see from the graphs above, the firmware update increases overall battery life except for web browsing. This could change with another firmware update so stay tuned for further developments.[Source]


Android TV will soon be upgraded to Android 11

Now that Android 11 has officially launched, we're seeing a lot of brands making that transition for their devices. But they're not the only one, as Google has begun to upgrade some of its other platforms as well. Specifically, the company has confirmed that Android TV will be getting upgraded.

With so many people glued to their TV screens for digital content these days, it's not surprising to see that Google has decided that Android TV would get the Android 11 upgrade next. This upgrade will bring the new features from Android 11 to the big screens and is probably in preparation for its upcoming Chromecast Android TV dongle, which is expected to be launched on 30 September 2020.

Image by WinFuture. Android 11 upgrade could be in preparation for new Chromecast

So, what's new for Android TV? For one, Android 11 on the platform means better performance thanks to improved memory management. There will also be new privacy features like one-time permissions. Besides that, Android TV will get a new Auto Low Latency Mode, low latency media decoding, and better gamepad support. We're guessing that some of these improvements are for better Google Stadia support.

The new Chromecast will probably launch with Android 11, but Android TV devices from other brands are also expected to get the upgrade in the coming months. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more updates on that!


Samsung Galaxy S4 I9507 with Snapdragon 600 found on GFXBench

One would think that after the LTE-A version powered by a Snapdragon 800 processor, there would be enough Samsung Galaxy S4 versions out there already, but apparently not as another version following the same model number naming convention has been spotted from the GFXBench site. Marked as the I9507 there isn't much information available for it apart from tech specs that state that it uses a Snapdragon 600 chipset with a 1.9GHz processor. It looks to be using the same Adreno 320 GPU as the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9505 but apart from the fact that it is running Android 4.2.2 there isn't any other information. There weren't any details like pricing or availability but it could be either a dual-SIM version of the I9505 or a rebadged I9505 tied to a specific provider. It could also be the still unrevealed Samsung Galaxy S4 Max but we'll find out pretty soon as Samsung usually announces as soon as they can.


Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-A Battery Benchmarks Appear!

We've already seen how powerful the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset and processor is from benchmarks done with the Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-A but it won't be very useful if it doesn't have good energy efficiency. Testing this out, it was recently put through some synthetic battery tests for 3D rendering, Video Playback and Browsing. According to the testers, the other Samsung Galaxy S4 version in the bunch is the Exynos 5 Octa powered I9500. From the benchmark results it shows that the Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-A gets more or less the same performance with the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 in Browsing and Video Playback but beats the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 in 3D rendering (probably due to the better Adreno 330 GPU the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset has).

While we would have liked to see less synthetic tests and more thorough real-life battery tests, we'll just have to wait and see as these kinds of tests usually take much longer to do. It also shows that if the other Samsung Galaxy S4 in the testing really is the I9500 then the new Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-A is less battery efficient than the Snapdragon 600 powered I9505. The reason we're a bit skeptical that the other S4 is the Exynos 5 Octa powered I9500 is because from other battery benchmark tests, the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9505 had much better real-life battery tests than the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500. For now rest assured that you're getting a much better processor with just as good battery life, but do take these benchmarks with a pinch of salt as actual battery tests may change as smartphone firmware gets updated.


Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-A Benchmarked

The new Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-A packs in Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 800 chipset which among others includes a 2.3Ghz Quad-core processor and Adreno 330 Graphics. There are two other earlier versions with the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 powered by Samsung's Exynos 5 Octa and the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9505 powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 600 chipset. While we'd love to see the battery performance, we have seen the overall performance benchmarks in both AnTuTu and Quadrant.

In AnTuTu the LTE-A got 29976 while the I9500 got 26275. The I9505 got 24716. In Quadrant, the LTE0A got 18581 while the I9500 got 12446. The I9505 got a Quadrant score of 12376. From the performance benchmarks alone it looks like those Angry Korean Samsung Galaxy S4 owners have good reason to be angry as the new LTE-A version is heads and shoulders above the other two earlier versions. Battery tests will take longer but Qualcomm have said that the Snapdragon 800 should be a lot more energy efficient. Stay tuned as we'll keep you posted when this comes out.


Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, Active and Zoom Tech Specs Leak

While Samsung have plans to reveal Samsung Galaxy S4 variants like the Galaxy S4 Mini, Active, Zoom and Mega, so far only the S4 Mini Active and Zoom specs have been revealed. First off is the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini, which was revealed from the AnTuTu benchmark site:

Bear in mind that there should be 4 versions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 with one having LTE, another supposedly using a Exynos 5 chipset, one that offers dual-SIM support and one for the Chinese market. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active has the following tech specs:

The Galaxy S4 Active is also expected to have IP57 or IP58 certifications for either water resistance or water proofing. We're expecting IP58 though as images seem to suggest it would be a good smartphone to bring swimming with. The Galaxy S4 Zoom on the other hand is said to have the following tech specs:

Samsung will probably officially announce all the complete details and specs in their Samsung Premiere event this 20 June 2013.


Samsung Galaxy S4 New Features

On top of being one of the first smartphones to have an 8-core processor Samsung's Galaxy S4 packs in a number of new Samsung-only features that help to make your smartphone experience better. Some of the new features which stood out for us included:

Dual Camera: Take photos and videos with both the front and rear cameras at the same time.S Translator: Translate language on the fly from speech to text and text to speech. Almost like the Pomegranate phone.Group Play: share files, photos, music and media or play games with other Samsung Galaxy S4 users via NFC or Bluetooth. No WiFi or router required.S Voice Drive: voice commands for in-car use allowing you to make calls, send messages and check weather while driving using voice commands.Smart Pause: stops videos automatically when you're not looking at it and restarts when you are.Smart Scroll: Scrolls down or up with a tilt of the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Air View: control your phone without touching it, instead just hover your finger or wave (perfect for when you're eating with your hands).Sound & shot: Take a picture with 9 seconds of audio.Eraser mode: remove unwanted people or objects from your photos.

Apart from the above, Samsung's Galaxy S4 also sports Corning's Gorrilla Glass 3 whose benefits include enhanced scratch resistance, better retained strength (still strong after a scratch) and reduced scratch visibility (scratches harder to see). According to Corning, the Gorilla Glass 3 is three times more scratch resistant than Gorilla Glass 2.


Samsung Galaxy S4 Now Qi Compatible

Those looking to make their decisions to buy a Samsung Galaxy S4 based on its ability to handle Qi wireless charging should now rest easy as the Wireless Power Consortium has confirmed that the smartphone is now compatible. While you won't be able to charge your brand new Samsung Galaxy S4 straight out of the box onto your Qi wireless charger, you can charge the smartphone this way by getting an optional back battery cover and wireless charging pads.

Once you have these optional accessories, the Samsung Galaxy S4 should be able to charge on practically any Qi-standard compatible wireless charging device. Unfortunately, there is still no news on when these optional back battery cover and pads will be made available along with no price or estimated price as well. As usual, we will keep you posted as to any new information or news regarding this.


Samsung Galaxy S4 Plus with Snapdragon 800 Gets Record-breaking AnTuTu Scores!

After it was confirmed through DLNA certification the Snapdragon 800 based Samsung Galaxy S4 has surfaced on AnTuTu again. While before it only managed a score of 24179, this time around it has a score of 31491, breaking the record previously held by the Exynos 5 Octa powered Samsung Galaxy S4.

It makes sense in business terms for Samsung to release a new S4 version with the Snapdragon 800 rather than create a whole new device which has fueled rumours that it may be called the Samsung Galaxy S4 Plus. In addition, since most of the other S4 versions have already been announced, the Snapdragon 800 based Samsung Galaxy S4 or SHV-E330S may be part of the big reveal Samsung say is coming for their Premiere event on 20 June 2013. However, due to the model naming convention it could just as likely be quietly released in South Korea, eventually making it's way to Malaysia.


Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV Drop Tests vs Apple iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy SIII

Watching expensive smartphones fall is usually a nightmare most people don't want to see, but with the recent release of the Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV we now have it in not one but two drop tests against the Apple iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S III. Samsung have defended and stood by their decision to continue using a plastic polycarbonate body for the Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV but have upped the protection for the display with a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 screen which recently proved it was as scratch proof as it could possibly be.How does the Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV fare in terms of drops? Check out the videos below to find out.

Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV vs Apple iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S III


Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV Group Play sees some more Action!

A while back Samsung showed off a number of the S features for their upcoming Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV smartphone and one of them was Group Play. From the initial Samsung Group Play ad, it seemed like just a way for you to share your music and media, however, this is just the tip of the iceberg. In a video showing off just what you can do with Group Play, HowardForums.com sat down with Samsung reps and did a little bit more digging with Group Play.Turns out, that it works through NFC and while you can share and stream music from one Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV smartphone to another, it also allows you to control how the music is played back. This includes options to control the the direction and volume settings for individual smartphones. While they didn't show off the possible gaming applications they did show how people could collaborate and doodle over pictures or other documents. This could perhaps be used in a small team presentation discussion through the Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV smartphone making this feature more than just for entertainment. Check out the video below for yourself but also note that Group Play is coming to other Samsung smartphones as well.

Vlastimir from Samsung showing off the Group Play feature