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Netflix details the ‘best’ 2019 TVs for watching Netflix
Choosing what to watch on Netflix can be a time-consuming experience, but actually accessing the platform, and navigating your way around it, doesn't need to be. Some TVs are better at this than others, so Netflix has revealed its official 2019 list of recommended TVs for the best streaming experience. If you're in the market for a new model and this is a key concern for you, the company reckons TVs from Samsung, Sony and Panasonic are your best bet.
Samsung's Galaxy Note 10 launch reportedly planned for August 7th
While we're waiting for news on the foldable Galaxy phone, Samsung is still planning its usual big event to launch the next Galaxy Note. According to CNET, we should expect the company's annual Unpacked event to take place on August 7th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Along with 5G devices and the Galaxy Fold, the device we're expecting to see arrive as the Galaxy Note 10 is supposed to help Samsung strengthen its leadership in premium phones. This is the device that led the way for super-sized smartphones, and it will be interesting to see how it evolves as so many competitors get bigger, and foldable devices eventually take over the size crown. We liked the Galaxy Note 9 when it launched last year, but we weren't thrilled about the version of Android it shipped with. Hopefully any software issues are resolved this time around, and it includes improved support for AI assistants other than Bixby.
Samsung tweet suggests scanning your smart TV for malware every few weeks
This morning a Samsung customer support account tweeted an odd warning that, to prevent malicious software attacks on your smart TV, you should scan it for viruses every few weeks. It even included an instructional video to help you do so. The tweet, first spotted by The Verge, was short lived. Samsung has since removed it, but it existed long enough to raise a few red flags.
Samsung's Galaxy Fold delay could extend through July?
The strange case of Samsung's Galaxy Fold may drag on throughout the summer, according to a report in The Korea Herald. The outlet -- which reported in May that Samsung would reach a conclusion on the launch in a couple of days -- now says that according to company officials, if it were going to launch in July then they'd be preparing by now. It also mentions CEO DJ Koh telling another outlet just last week that the device would arrive before July. So what's the truth? At this point it's tough to discern beyond the company's actions. In a week, we'll be two months clear of Samsung announcing a delay in the launch after several reviewers experienced broken units. A week later Samsung told investors it would still release the device, and planned to announce a new launch date in the coming weeks.
Samsung’s $100 Galaxy Fit tracker focuses on the basics
It's been more than a year since Samsung last updated its Fit line of activity-tracking bands, and it's high time for a refresh. After first announcing the new Galaxy Fit in February alongside the new Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Watch Active, the company is finally ready to roll it out in the US. Starting today, you can get the Galaxy Fit for $100. That puts it in direct competition with the Fitbit Inspire HR, which launched earlier this year for the same price.
AT&T cancels Galaxy Fold pre-orders due to lengthy delay
AT&T held on to people's Galaxy Fold pre-orders even after Best Buy cancelled reservations back in May. Now that it's been almost a couple of months since Samsung's foldable device was supposed to come out, though, the carrier has decided that it's time to void pre-orders, as well. According to Tom's Guide, AT&T has sent out emails telling customers that their foldable phone pre-purchases have been cancelled. "Unfortunately," the letter reads, "Samsung delayed the release of the Fold, which means we can't ship your phone." The AT&T customers affected by the cancellation will receive a $100 promotion card and will be able to place another order once Samsung has a final release date.
AT&T's Galaxy S10 5G arrives June 17th, but only for business
Samsung's Galaxy S10 5G is finally ready to launch on a US network besides Verizon (Engadget's parent company), though you might not want to plan a purchase just yet. AT&T has announced that the S10 5G will be available on June 17th, but only for Business customers and 5G developers involved in the carrier's development program. You'll otherwise have to 'settle' for one of the LTE Galaxy S10 models. You do get a solid deal, at least, with a limited-run promo offering a 256GB model for the same $1,000 up front as the 128GB S10+ variant.
Samsung's next The Wall TV can stretch to 292 inches with 8K
Samsung's 146-inch The Wall TV? That's for chumps. The electronics giant is fulfilling its promises of a home version by introducing The Wall Luxury, an even more ambitious TV designed for the poshest of abodes. It starts at 'just' 73 inches and 1080p, but its MicroLED tech lets it scale all the way to 292 inches and 8K. That's over 24 feet in the diagonal, folks. You could very nearly cover a large living room wall with your screen. Appropriately, Samsung is hyping up the use of its Ambient Mode to decorate your space with art when you're not using the TV. You can certainly afford the power bill if you can afford this model, after all.
Samsung is bringing the mid-tier Galaxy A50 phone to the US
Samsung is bringing the new models under its mid-tier Galaxy A-Series line to the US for those who'd rather not spend big bucks on flagship phones. It's kicking things off by releasing the Galaxy A50, which was previously rolled out in some developing markets, with Verizon on June 13th. With a price tag of $350, the A50 is the most expensive in the line. It has a 6.4-inch full HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-U display -- named as such due to its U-shaped notch -- a 512GB expandable storage and a 4,000mAh battery for a lengthy battery life. The phone also boasts a 25-megapixel rear camera with a 75-degree field of view and a 123-degree field of view Ultra Wide lens first seen on the Galaxy S10.
Samsung still doesn't know when the Galaxy Fold will launch
Remember how Samsung said it would narrow down its plans to relaunch the Galaxy Fold sometime in mid-May? Well, it's been a month -- and now those rumors of an extended delay appear to be coming true. A spokesperson has reiterated to CNET that a new release date is still due sometime in "the coming weeks," suggesting that you might not get a new release date until July or later. Given that the phone was originally supposed to be in customer's hands in late April, would-be buyers might just face a delay of three months or more.
Samsung unveils its first gaming monitor with NVIDIA's G-Sync
Samsung is no stranger to gaming monitors, but you've had to use AMD FreeSync (if it was even available) if you were determined to eliminate any trace of screen tearing artifacts. What if your PC uses NVIDIA graphics, though? You can relax -- Samsung has finally released a display with G-Sync, the 27-inch CRG5. The panel mates G-Sync with a 240Hz refresh rate to deliver tear-free visuals as long as you have a GeForce GPU under the hood. There's a low-latency mode and a reasonably quick 4ms gray-to-gray pixel response time, too, so it could be a solid pick even if you prefer Radeons.
Samsung's customizable refrigerator comes in nine colors and eight sizes
Samsung wants to capitalize on consumers who value personal tastes and experiences, and they plan to do so with refrigerators. Yesterday, Samsung revealed Project PRISM, or what it's calling a "new era of customized home appliances." The first product in its lineup is BESPOKE, a refrigerator for which users can choose the material, color and size, as well as other features.
LG's 8K OLED TV is as big as it is expensive
Sorry, 4K TV owners, your days of bigging up your entertainment setup to pals is nearing an end -- 8K has officially arrived, and as LG's newest offering proves, it's almost sarcastic in its lavishness. LG is now accepting pre-orders for its 8K OLED -- the world's first -- which boasts eye-watering resolution and a price tag to match.
Samsung delays its Galaxy Home smart speaker to Q3
Samsung has delayed the release of its Galaxy Home speaker. The Bixby-powered device should be on shelves sometime between July and September. Official confirmation of the delay shouldn't be too much of a surprise, as Samsung previously told Engadget it planned to put the speaker on shelves in the first half of the year, and there's still no whisper of a confirmed release date.
AMD will share its graphics technology with Samsung
AMD stole the spotlight at Computex 2019, where it shared details on its third generation Ryzen CPUs and first Navi GPUs. But that's not the only big news AMD has in store. Today, the company announced a multi-year partnership with Samsung, in which AMD will license its Radeon graphics IP for use in Samsung smartphones and other mobile applications.
Samsung Pay will work on some NYC trains and buses starting today
A momentous thing is happening in New York City today: They're finally fixing the subway! Just kidding, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) is rolling out contactless payments for select stations and bus lines. (Because that will address overcrowding, broken air conditioners and aging signal systems!) We already knew that Apple, Google and Fitbit's payment systems would each be supported, and today we're learning that Samsung is a-go too. If Samsung's press release seems light on details, that's because it's the MTA that's charting a course toward a new system that only uses contactless payment methods. The agency's plan is called One Metro New York, or OMNY for short, and today's limited roll-out represents just one early step. The big milestone for 2020 will be enabling mobile ticketing through a forthcoming OMNY app. That move alone would help bring the MTA in line with other public transportation systems, including New York's own Metro North and Long Island Railroad. Looking further ahead, in 2021, the MTA plans to issue a new card that's meant to ultimately replace the yellow swipeable one we use today. That will be available at unspecified retail locations to start, and will expand to vending machines in subway and commuter rail stations by 2022. And, if all goes according to plan, the MTA will retire the swipeable card in 2023. For now, OMNY is only available on Staten Island buses and 4, 5, and 6 stations between Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center and Grand Central. Again, you can use it with other payment systems too, including Apple Pay, Google Pay and Fitbit Pay. It'll also work with contactless credit and debit cards. Check it out if you're so inclined, and remember: be safe, don't look anyone in the eye and avoid the pole-dancing rats.
Is the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 powerful enough to replace a laptop?
Back in October when we reviewed it, Samsung's Galaxy Book 2 was the first device available featuring a Snapdragon 850 CPU. The 2-in-1 performed admirably for editor Cherlynn Low, completing tasks faster than the ASUS NovaGo's Snapdragon 835 could, while also delivering over 15 hours of battery life. The package includes a keyboard and S Pen which, combined with a vibrant display and gigabit LTE connection, earned the Galaxy Book 2 a respectable score of 83.
PC makers are getting better at copying smartphone innovation
For a long time, the PC industry was stagnating. Computer makers had grown comfortable with iterative annual updates to their devices, relying on yearly processor advancements to push consumers to buy new laptops. But recently, things changed. PC makers started borrowing features from smartphones to make their laptops stand out, just as phones keep trying to become more like computers. There were plenty of examples at Computex 2019, but instead of displaying purely imitated features, the PC industry showed it can actually do some of them better.
Galaxy Fold delay will reportedly extend through June
It has been more than a month since Samsung announced a delay in launching its Galaxy Fold, and we still don't have a new release date. A few weeks ago, exec DJ Koh said "we will not be too late" and representatives indicated a date would be announced in the coming weeks but there has been no official update since then. Now Korean media outlets like Yonhap and The Korea Herald report, based on anonymous industry sources, that the flexible device won't launch next month either. While company officials maintained that a new launch date will be announced in a few weeks, Yonhap has heard that stabilizing the hardware quality in its units is taking longer than expected. It also apparently has to recertify the device for use with mobile networks, which may give more people in the industry a look at the process. Another official quoted mentioned that Huawei's US problems and their impact on its foldable Mate X could give Samsung more time to work out any issues. The FCC deadline for Samsung to either cancel preorders for the nearly $2,000 device or obtain consent for the delay is Friday, and it doesn't seem like we'll see anything official before then. All the reports indicate that Samsung still plans to release the Fold, it just might be a little later in the year than they were hoping.
Samsung chips promise secure 100W USB-C fast charging
Samsung released two new USB Type-C power delivery (PD) controller chips for power adapters, SE8A and MM101. The chips included built-in security safeguards and are able to communicate with devices that meet USB-PD 3.0 specifications to deliver the optimum power for each device. With up to 100W-charging, they support fast charging on power-hungry products like laptops and tablets, too.