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Samsung Galaxy S20 name and design confirmed in accessory listing
Samsung has posted a phone accessory on its German website that pretty much confirms its upcoming flagship's official name. German publication WinFuture has spotted a hard-cover LED case for what's clearly marked as the Galaxy S20 device. Rumors that the tech giant's next flagship will be called the "S20" instead of the "S11" started going around way back in December. While Samsung has already pulled down the product page for the accessory, this pretty much confirms its next flagship phone's name.
Samsung iOS app confirms the existence of new Galaxy Buds+
Samsung's Galaxy Buds+ are very, very real. A listing for the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ application (via CNET) has popped up on the Apple App Store as a preview, essentially confirming the updated earbuds' existence. Unfortunately, the app's description doesn't say much about the earbuds other than they're only compatible with iPhone 7 and newer devices running iOS 10 or higher. According to previous reports, though, the Galaxy Buds+ will lack active noise cancellation but will be able to run for 12 hours on a single charge, which is double the battery life of the current model.
Samsung updates the almost five-year-old Gear S2 to improve battery life
Unless it's an Apple Watch, you don't usually expect a wearable like the Samsung Gear S2 to get more than two to three years of software support, which is what makes the update Samsung just started rolling out to the Gear S2 such a surprise. Before today, the company hadn't pushed out new software to the almost five-year-old wearable in nearly two years.
Samsung accidentally announced the Galaxy Home Mini's release date
Early today, on its South Korean website, Samsung posted that the Galaxy Home Mini will be released in South Korea on February 12th for 99,000 KRW, approximately $83. The post has since been removed, but it was online long enough to give us a few new details about the Galaxy Home Mini and suggest that rumors the device will arrive in early 2020 could be true.
Video leak appears to show Samsung's foldable Galaxy Z Flip in action
There might not be much mystery left to Samsung's clamshell foldable phone. Frequent leak sharer Ben Geskin has posted a video of what looks like a prototype of the Galaxy Z Flip. Much like the rumors have suggested, the device really does appear to be a modernized take on the classic flip phone. It's a compact device with a tiny external display when folded shut, but it expands to reveal a very tall display when you pop it open.
Apple, Amazon were rare bright spots in a shrinking tablet market
The tablet market was fairly bleak in 2019, it seems. IDC analysts have estimated that tablet shipments dropped 1.5 percent in 2019 compared to a year earlier, with some brands taking a significant hit. The lone bright spots were Apple and Amazon, whose market shares jumped to 34.6 percent and 9 percent respectively on the back of stronger shipments. Even heavyweights like Samsung, Huawei and Lenovo saw their share and shipments drop.
Apple outsold every other smartphone manufacturer last quarter
Thanks to an excellent fourth quarter, Apple leaped ahead of Samsung to become the top-selling smartphone manufacturer in Q4 2019, according to Strategy Analytics and other research firms. Thanks to iPhone 11 sales that lifted Apple to its best quarter ever, it grabbed 18.9 percent of the market, besting Samsung by a half percent. Overall, Apple shipped seven percent more smartphones in the fourth quarter than it did in Q4 2018.
The best pre-Super Bowl deals for 4K TVs and streaming
With the big game right around the corner -- I mean Super Bowl LIV, in case that isn't clear -- it's once again time to consider making a TV upgrade. If you need a little something extra to make sure football fans stop by your party instead of staying home, a bigger and brighter setup will go further than pushing your array of snacks. Plus, while many of these deals are online, shopping locally can give you an opportunity to see the screen in person, or make for a quick return if you find out that it's just too wide for the stand you wanted to put it on. (I should've measured first.) With prices nearly as low as we saw during the Black Friday push, and likely as low as they'll get until sets start hitting clearance shelves, you have your choice of equipment. Also worth considering is the fact that this year, for the first time, you can watch a Fox Sports 4K/HDR feed. It's upconverted from 1080p, but judging from my experience watching Thursday Night Football earlier in the season, it's sharp and vibrant enough to justify switching over if you can. Fox's plan to capture the game includes eight 4K cameras, as well as three 8K cameras trained on the sidelines and benches -- you'll want every super slow motion zoom-in to look as good as possible.
Samsung's first 5G tablet goes on sale in South Korea
Samsung has followed through on its plans to release a 5G tablet, and... it's exactly what you'd expect. The tech giant has introduced a Galaxy Tab S6 5G in South Korea that really is just the standard Galaxy Tab S6 with a 5G modem (the Snapdragon X50, if you're curious) thrown in. You'll still find a Snapdragon 855 chip, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and a 10.5-inch AMOLED screen alongside features like the S Pen, the DeX desktop and Dolby Atmos-capable speakers. It's just that you now have an extra-fast data link for everything from live 4K broadcasts to "massive streaming games."
This may be Samsung's foldable Galaxy Z Flip
You might not have to wonder what Samsung's clamshell foldable phone looks like -- if leaks are accurate, you're staring at it right now. WinFuture has obtained images and specs for what's believed to be the Galaxy Z Flip, and it looks like what you might have expected, with a few catches. The device reportedly centers on a 6.7-inch, 2,636 x 1,080 folding display with more protective "Ultra Thin Glass" instead of plastic and a hole for the 10-megapixel front camera. On the back, you'd have a 1-inch always-on secondary display that shows the time and notifications when your phone is shut.
Samsung discounts its SteamVR-compatible headset to $230
For those new to VR, pricing can be an obstacle, especially if you're not sure you'll get on with the tech. Perhaps with this in mind, Samsung is now directly offering its HMD Odyssey+ headset for just $230, instead of the usual $500. Sure, it's billed as a Windows Mixed Reality device, but it's also compatible with Steam VR and HTC Vive. Its 90Hz refresh rate isn't top of the line, but it is solid, and its resolution and quality are strong thanks to its anti-screen-door effect technology and improved, adjustable lens design. One of its downsides of the Odyssey range in general, as mentioned in our review of its predecessor (which scored 85 points) is how much it costs. That's considering the Rift S normally retails for $400 and is a slightly stronger VR headset overall. However, this redemptive 54 percent discount makes it a very affordable way to get involved in VR ahead of Half-Life: Alyx.
India is now a larger smartphone market than the US
China eclipsed the US as the largest smartphone market on Earth years ago, but now Americans can't even claim second place. Counterpoint Research estimates that India overtook the US to become the second-largest market, with 158 million phones shipping to the country in 2019. That's largely due to the surge of Chinese manufacturers offering aggressively-priced devices, analysts said. A whopping 72 percent of phones shipped to India came from brands like Xiaomi, Vivo, Realme and Oppo.
Watch Google's upcoming AirDrop-style file sharing in action
It's been a while since we've heard anything about Fast Share, Google's upcoming take on AirDrop. But based on a new hands-on video, it looks like you may soon be able to check out the file-sharing feature on your Android phone. Now known as Nearby Sharing, XDA-Developers was able to get the in-development tool working to send photos and videos between a Pixel 2 XL and Pixel 4.
Samsung is building its own version of AirDrop called Quick Share
Samsung is working on an AirDrop rival called Quick Share for its Galaxy phones, according to XDA Developers. The publication was able to obtain a copy of the feature's APK from a source who reportedly has a Galaxy S20+ 5G, if that is indeed the phone's official name, so Quick Share might launch with Samsung's next flagships. Just like AirDrop, it will give you an easy way to transfer files between two Galaxy phones. You'll also able to choose whether to allow only your contacts to share files with you or to allow everyone nearby to send you memes, videos and other things.
Sprint will fix anyone's cracked Samsung Galaxy screen for $49
Sprint has launched an affordable screen repair program for Samsung Galaxy phones, and it doesn't even matter if you're a subscriber. The company will fix cracked screens on eligible devices for $49 until February 9th, 2020 "no matter who your carrier is," according to the program's website. While it doesn't cover the tech giant's latest flagship devices -- Galaxy S10s are still probably under warranty for most people anyway -- the program will repair broken screens on the Samsung Galaxy S7, S8, S8+, S9, S9+ and Note 8.
Bixby was quiet in 2019, but don't sleep on Samsung's assistant
Decades of science fiction assured us all that, yes, one day we'd be able to control the immensely complex gadgetry around us with just our voices. It was right, mostly. The rise of the virtual assistant, built atop still other developments in cloud computing and machine learning, means we can wonder out loud what the weather is like, or how far away the moon is, or hail a car and expect a response from a carefully crafted voice in moments. And now, those disembodied voices have taken up residence in our homes.
Samsung appoints Roh Tae-moon as its new smartphone CEO
Samsung Electronics has named Roh Tae-moon CEO of its key smartphone division, according to Bloomberg. He'll take over the position from DJ Koh, who will continue to head up Samsung's IT and mobile and communication arms. Roh is Samsung's third CEO in the last dozen years, as Koh was appointed in 2015 while Koh's predecessor JK Shin held the job for around six years.
Galaxy S20+ leaks show 8K video, 120Hz display
The leaks for the Galaxy S20 keep on coming, and the latest could be good news if you're a shutterbug. XDA-Developers claims to have leaked details of the S20+ variant's camera app, including some of its hardware capabilities, along with hands-on looks and a picture showing a toggle for its 120Hz display. In line with earlier rumors, at least some versions of the S20 will support 8K video recording -- only at 30 frames per second (no 24FPS or 60FPS options here), but enough for many people. The main camera on the S20+ would be a 12-megapixel Sony-made sensor, although it would need a much higher-resolution sensor like the rumored 64MP shooter to make 8K video an option.
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds+ will reportedly lack active noise cancellation
Samsung's Galaxy Buds are nearing a year old, so naturally rumors about the next version have started circulating. Supposedly, the Galaxy Buds+ will not have active noise cancellation (ANC), sources tell SamMobile. They may come with a larger battery (85mAh), which could give them a 12-hour battery life, double that of their predecessor.
Samsung's Galaxy S20 Ultra might have more RAM than your PC
Rumors for the Galaxy S20 have mentioned a no-holds-barred Ultra model, but just what would that entail? Quite a lot, if you believe the rumors. XDA's Max Weinbach (who shared the leaked photos of the S20+ 5G) claims the Ultra 5G will have extreme specs, including as much as 16GB of RAM in its top spec -- yes, there's a real chance this phone will have more RAM than many computers released in the past few years. It's undoubtedly overkill for most people, but could be helpful if you can't stand the thought of background apps closing.