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Samsung Pay gets a prepaid virtual card to help you budget
Mobile payment apps probably aren't the best thing to have on your phone if you have a hard time controlling your spending. Samsung has launched a new feature for its application that could help you stick to a budget, though: a prepaid virtual card called Samsung Pay Cash. While you can use your credit card or regular debit card with Samsung Pay, the company says this virtual card is like having "cash in your wallet," because you can only spend what it contains.
Samsung Pay now offers international money transfers for US users
Samsung Pay has continued to grow since it launched in 2015. Last year it finally got PayPal support and added the ability to purchase transport tickets in New York City. Now, Samsung is hoping to appeal to frequent travelers and those with family outside of the US by introducing a cross-border payments feature.
Samsung is done building smartphones in China
Samsung has made phones in China for ages, but competitive realities are apparently forcing it out. The company has closed its last local phone factory, located in Huizhou, in an attempt to improve efficiency. It's still selling phones in the country, but they'll be made elsewhere in the world. While the company didn't elaborate on its reasoning, it didn't have much reason to stick around -- it was being squeezed out by rivals and economic challenges.
Samsung phones now connect to Android Auto wirelessly
If you've been waiting to connect your non-Google phone with wireless Android Auto, today's your lucky day. While Google initially said -- more than a year ago -- that Android Auto would work with any phone running Android 9.0 or higher, it's been restricted to its own Pixel and Nexus devices. Until now, it seems. As identified by Android Police, a Google support document has been revised to include a number of Samsung phones within Android Auto's ecosystem.
Galaxy Watch Active 2 review: A solid midrange smartwatch
In all my years testing smartwatches, I've landed on a few favorites. There was a time when the Fitbit Versa claimed ownership of my wrist, and for a spell the Wear OS-based Skagen Falster 2 was my go-to. But lately, I've found myself returning to Samsung's Galaxy Watch Active. Over the years, Samsung has refined its smartwatch into a stylish, comfortable and capable wearable. And Tizen OS tends to be more responsive, proactive and useful than the software on many other watches.
Fitness buffs: Tell us how you like your Samsung Galaxy Watch Active
In the search for a truly great fitness smartwatch, reviews editor Cherlynn Low tested the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active, the lower-cost version of last year's Galaxy Watch. At $200 the Galaxy Watch Active eschews the rotating bezel found on the higher-priced model. It's also 20 percent smaller and 60 percent lighter. This makes for a comfortable fit, but it means shorter battery life and more time spent swiping through Tizen to interact with notifications and apps. Overall, though, the Active scored a point higher than the standard Galaxy Watch, with a rating of decent 83.
How to pick a 4K TV in 2019
Making your way through the sea of flat-panel TVs that fill big box stores and online shopping carts in 2019 is tougher than ever before. Even though many of today's televisions have a baseline picture quality that was nearly unreachable just a few years ago, trying to find one that fits you among identical-looking screens with differences that are only apparent in their price tags will require some skill. The good news? After a few years on the market, availability of the latest technology buzzwords has largely stabilized, so you don't have to spend a lot to get a great looking television.
Samsung's 43.7-megapixel sensor has the tiniest pixels yet
Samsung's latest smartphone camera sensor above is under 5mm wide, but it has a resolution of 43.7 megapixels -- more than most DSLRs. That means the pixels on the "Isocell Slim GH1" are just 0.7 micrometers wide, beating the 0.8-micrometer pixels on Samsung's 64- and 108-megapixel sensors. "That will enable sleeker and more streamlined designs as well as excellent imaging experiences in tomorrow's smartphones," said image sensor VP Yongin Park in a press release.
What do you want to know about Samsung's updated Galaxy Fold?
Well, would you look at that: The same day Samsung announced its official US Galaxy Fold launch, it also loaned us one of its updated devices for yet another round of testing. For the next week or so, I'll be digging into the changes Samsung made in this redesigned Fold and reviewing it (yes, again) with more of a focus on durability. Before we get to that, though, I want to know what you want to know.
Samsung brings Note 10's AR and camera features to the Galaxy S10
You don't have to spend your days pining for the Galaxy Note 10's software features just because you bought a Galaxy S10 instead. Samsung has started rolling out an update that delivers some of the Note 10's features to the S10 series. Most notably, this includes key camera features. You can now use Super Steady to capture relatively jitter-free footage, switch on Live Focus while recording videos and invoke Night mode for the front-facing camera. You probably won't be clamoring quite so loudly for AR Doodle, but it's there if you want to draw in 3D.
Samsung will start selling the Galaxy Fold in the US on September 27th
After months of drama stemming from flaky review units and questionable design choices, Samsung is finally ready to sell Galaxy Fold in the US. Assuming you have $1,980 at the ready, you can claim your own foldable on September 27th from either AT&T (in case you're already a subscriber) or from Best Buy or Samsung retail locations (which sell unlocked and AT&T models.) As always, though, we're left with one significant question: Should you actually buy one of these things?
Samsung asks users to be extra careful with the Galaxy Fold
Samsung postponed Galaxy Fold's release to fix its issues after an early rollout put damaged units in the hands of reviewers. The redesigned Fold felt sturdier than before when we tried it at IFA, but it sounds like the tech giant still wants you to take extra good care of the device if you buy it. Samsung has published a new care guide video showing the model's features with instructions on what and what not to do when handling it.
Galaxy Tab S6 review: Good notepad, bad notebook
While the rest of the industry may have given up on making premium Android tablets, Samsung isn't quitting just yet. It still believes Google's software has the potential to power superthin and light 2-in-1s, and so it recently unveiled a new version of its hybrid tablet. The Galaxy Tab S6 is a 10.5-inch device that's designed for people who need to get work done on the go. It comes with an upgraded S Pen that features so-called Air Gestures for remote control of your apps; enhanced handwriting recognition to sort out your notes; and a redesigned keyboard cover (sold separately). As with previous Samsung tablets, you can expect a beautiful display, long battery life and capable performance. What really stands out about the Tab S6, though, is the S Pen, which is included in the $649 price. The stylus makes the device a really good digital notepad, but the Tab S6 still isn't quite the "laptop with the mobility of a tablet" that Samsung claims it is.
Samsung's artistic The Frame TV is currently on sale for $649
Samsung's The Frame is alluring if you like the idea of a TV that can double as living artwork, but the price? Not so much -- you've usually had to pay a premium for that seamless look. It might be much easier to rationalize right now, though. BuyDig is running a sale that cuts the price of the 43-inch 2018 model to $649 if you enter the code "FRAME" while checking out. That's a huge discount over the $1,198 it goes for at the retailer, and beats even the $799 price at Walmart. It's still not a trivial purchase, but it's considerably easier to justify as long as you don't mind last year's version.
These days, Apple is content to follow trends, not set them
Watching this week's Apple event gave me a sense of deja vu. With every new feature the iPhone maker announced, I felt like shouting something along the lines of, "The Simpsons already did it!" It felt as if everything Apple was doing was a riff on something another company had tried and tested before. Sure, Apple might be taking what others did and (possibly) making it better (maybe). But the company is also letting others take risks and innovate in its place, particularly when it comes to photography -- an area where it used to shine.
PC-to-mobile game streaming arrives on the Galaxy Note 10
Samsung's PlayGalaxy PC-to-mobile game streaming app is ready to roll, provided you have the right hardware. The tech giant has released PlayGalaxy Link in the US and South Korea for Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ owners who want to play computer-quality games on their handsets. You'll need a reasonably brawny PC with a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, reasonably fast dedicated graphics (either a GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 550) and a gigabit router connection. If everything aligns, you can play most any game on your PC, though you may need to add it to the selection first.
The iPhone Pro Max vs. the competition: Big ones
Phone users love big screens and, as a result, handsets have been creeping ever closer to seven inches each year. Apple is no exception, debuting the 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max last fall to compete with the likes of the Galaxy Note line. This year's iPhone Pro Max isn't bigger, but it is more powerful with a triple camera setup that uses some impressive machine processing to deliver the best photos and video. How does that stack up against the phones that have grown in size? We've thrown up a table with some of the Pro Max's closest rivals, if not in dimensions but in power, to see how the specs measure up. Of course, the real test will be our review, so be sure to join us in a few weeks for the final verdict.
The iPhone 11 Pro vs. the competition: Battle of the cameras
The new flagship iPhone is here, and Apple's added the word "Pro" to its name — the first time Apple's used that term for a handset. And no wonder: The camera on the iPhone 11 Pro is a triple-lens setup that takes nine images with each press of the shutter and uses a neural engine to assemble the best picture possible. It'll need to deliver in order to keep pace with rival flagships like the Pixel 3 (or next month's Pixel 4) and the Galaxy S10 or Note 10. Where else does it shine? And where does it fall behind? Check out our table below for the essential specs, and join us later this month for our full review.
The iPhone 11 vs. the competition: The new midrange
It's iPhone time again — and we're back to a more traditional numbering scheme. We're looking at the iPhone 11, which has a 6.1-inch screen and new colors (like green!) as well as improvements to the processor and water resistance. And of course, there's the camera setup, which introduces an ultra-wide shooter and an automatic night mode. But Apple isn't the only one with a high-spec low-end phone out in the market. Google gave us the Pixel 3a and 3a XL and Samsung introduced the S10e earlier this year; we found both to be surprisingly capable handsets. So we're stacking up these three phones, plus the OnePlus 6T. As for our full review of the iPhone 11: it won't be out for a few weeks, but you can always peep our upcoming hands-on later today.
Samsung's Galaxy Fold will have support from 'hundreds' of apps
Foldable phones aren't worth much without apps that can take advantage of their screens -- Huawei even postponed the Mate X to give app makers more time to optimize their titles. That might not be much of a problem now that the revised Galaxy Fold is finally ready to make its debut. Samsung revealed that it has worked with Google and developers to bring Fold support to "hundreds" of apps, including big names like Amazon Prime Video, Facebook, Spotify and Twitter. This comes after Samsung and Google set up test labs that have spent months helping app makers fine-tune their work for the Fold.