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It turns out that support for the Gear VR or the Infinity display aren’t the only features that have trickled down from Samsung’s flagship phones to its Galaxy A lineup. As discovered by GalaxyClub, the Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ (2018) come with real-time HDR functionality for both the front and rear cameras. Real-time HDR has long been exclusive to Samsung’s top-of-the-line smartphones, but it looks like the increased power under the hood on the newest A series phones has allowed the company to break that exclusivity. Real-time HDR comes to Samsung’s mid-range Real-time HDR is a camera feature that was introduced by Samsung a few years back with the Galaxy S5 . As the name suggests, it intelligently detects whether a scene or subject needs to be captured in HDR and allows for instant saving of HDR-enabled pictures, removing the need for the user to wait a few seconds till the HDR image is saved. Smartphone processors have come a long way since the S5 was released, and it l

This year, Samsung will be returning to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to unveil its latest Galaxy S flagship, after a slight departure from the usual schedule for the Galaxy S8 announcement last year . The company has said as much, and a new leak is now shedding some light on the exact dates Samsung has chosen to unveil the Galaxy S9 , kick off pre-orders, and put it up for sale. Galaxy S9 and S9+ could go on sale by March 16 Popular leakster evleaks says a “C-level executive at a major casemaker” has revealed that the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will be launched on February 26th. Pre-orders will go live on March 1, and the phones will be up for sale starting March 16th. If you’re thinking the launch date is a little off, you’re not wrong. Samsung usually unveils its Galaxy S flagship a day before MWC officially kicks off, but if evleaks’ information is correct, the Korean giant could be planning on taking the limelight away from other phones that will be on display at the event. T

Sony Mobile has begun to roll out the 1 January 2018 Android security patch to the Xperia XZ, XZs and X Performance series of handsets. This sees the models move from build number 41.3.A.2.24 to version 41.3.A.2.58. If you have updated, please let us know your impressions in the comments below. It is not clear whether this update provides a full fix for the Spectre and Meltdown CPU vulnerabilities, as Sony’s initial statement on the issue was that this would only be covered those that were patched from “ 5 January 2018 or later ”. We did see Sony’s Xperia XA1 series patched with 5 January security updates recently. Thanks Jozef, Moisés, Stan, Steve, walaspancha!

A purported retail box of the Galaxy S9 was leaked online recently and while it revealed some information about the handset’s specifications , it didn’t reveal anything about its battery capacity. A filing made with Brazil’s telecommunications regulator ANATEL possibly reveals the Galaxy S9 battery capacity. The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ have previously been spotted at the FCC and while those filings only hint at an impending launch, the ANATEL listing actually includes a little nugget of useful information. Galaxy S9 battery capacity If the information contained in this filing is accurate, then the Galaxy S9 battery capacity is going to be 3,000mAh which is exactly the same as the Galaxy S8. It was rumored at one point that the Galaxy S9 could have a 3,200mAh battery but we haven’t heard about this possibility since then. Samsung might also stick to the script for the Galaxy S9+ as well and it might have the same 3,500mAh battery as the Galaxy S8+. These handsets are already goi

After reports about the detachable 2-in-1 form factor , stylus functionality , and a 13-megapixel camera , a new discovery about the Samsung’s upcoming ‘Nautilus’ has been made. Just like the previous reports, the new one is also based on new commits to the Chromium Repository. This gives credibility to all the details we know about the Samsung’s upcoming Chromebook so far. Support up to 1080p @ 30fps According to Chrome Unboxed , Samsung’s ‘Nautilus’ will bring native video recording to the Chrome OS. All these years, Chrome OS users have been relying on third-party apps and websites to gain this functionality. On Chromebooks with capable cameras, the Chrome OS native video recording feature will support up to 1080p @30fps. Since this is not a device-specific feature,  but a feature addition to the Chrome OS itself, there is a possibility that the new Chrome OS feature might roll out to other devices before the launch of Samsung’s ‘Nautilus’ Chromebook. Chrome OS will rely on Andr

Samsung is rolling out a new Samsung Pay update which brings some user interface tweaks. It looks like the company wants the Samsung Pay app to have a cleaner look which is why it has done away with the on-screen section menus in favor of a more traditional bottom navigation bar. This makes the app feel less cluttered and that’s something that users will certainly appreciate. Samsung Pay UI cleaned up Samsung has rolled out version 2.8.18 of the Samsung Pay app for supported devices. The version number varies by market and this particular update seems to have been released in the United States only so far. There’s a new bottom navigation bar now in Samsung Pay which gives it a clean and traditional look. The navigation bar can now be used to view the wallet, check up on rewards, visit the Pay store and also to find out new deals. This minor user interface change should also make it easier for users to navigate the various features that the Samsung Pay app offers. If you’re based

As promised, HTC is officially back in the dual-camera smartphone race. But of course, it’s not exactly what we were expecting. The HTC U11 EYEs has officially been unveiled, delivering a mid-range smartphone with the looks of the HTC U11+ and two 5MP cameras on the front. Before we get into all the details, we’d like to point out that the device itself looks stunning. HTC is using the same Liquid Surface design as it did with the U11 and U11+. Since this new phone also has a 6-inch 18:9 display, the only real way that you can tell the U11 EYEs apart from its more powerful sibling is by the slightly thicker ring around the rear camera and the dual-front facing cameras which are barely noticeable below the front glass. Simply put, HTC didn’t cut any corners when designing this new phone. Like HTC’s 2017 flagship smartphones, the U11 EYEs also features Edge Sense which allows you to launch apps or pull up the Google Assistant by squeezing the edges of the phone. It also comes with

Samsung was thinking about setting up a new home appliance manufacturing plant in the United States last year. The move appeared to be in response to growing protectionism in the country following the ascension of President Donald Trump to the highest office. Samsung confirmed in June 2017 that it would i nvest $380 million in the state of South Carolina for its new factory. The company has now announced that commercial production at its first US-based home appliance manufacturing facility has begun merely six months after Samsung took possession of the plant. Manufacturing appliances in the United States Samsung took possession of a former Caterpillar plant in the town of Newberry and converted it into its first US-based home appliance manufacturing plant. It was able to complete the job in six months and has now started commercial production. It completed the job with more than 800 fulltime and contract workers, adding 151,000 square feet and installing two manufacturing and as

Samsung’s latest premium mid-range handsets are now available in the UAE. The company has launched the Galaxy A8 (2018) and the Galaxy A8+ (2018) officially in the United Arab Emirates today. Interested customers can purchase the handsets from all major retailers in the UAE starting today. Galaxy A8 (2018) UAE launch Samsung unveiled the Galaxy A8 and the Galaxy A8+ (2018) late last month. It has gradually been rolling out the handset in more markets across the globe. The new premium mid-range handsets have a metal and glass build with IP68 water and dust resistance. These are the first mid-range handsets from Samsung to feature an Infinity Display, 5.6-inch for the Galaxy A8 (2018) and 6-inch for the Galaxy A8+ (2018). The 18.5:9 aspect ratio is the same for both handsets. There’s an Exynos 7885 octa-core processor under the hood with Mali-G71 GPU and support for Bluetooth 5.0, LTE Cat.11 and Wi-Fi 802.11 ac. These are the first premium mid-range handsets from Samsung to have su

After rumors and teasers , the Galaxy On7 Prime is finally going on sale in India on January 17. Samsung India is sending invites for the launch event of the Galaxy On7 Prime. The phone was made official on Amazon India last week without any information about pricing or availability. Galaxy On7 Prime will come with Samsung Mall Samsung’s invite says the new phone will come preloaded with Samsung Mall . While the invite doesn’t mention what Samsung Mall exactly is, the Galaxy On7 Prime marketing page on Amazon India spills the beans about the Samsung Mall. Samsung Mall is a shopping app with a Bixby Vision-like tech for shopping based on image recognition. Users can shoot or use existing pictures of any product to initiate a visual search for shopping across multiple shopping sites. The app also comes with an all-in-one shopping and universal cart to compare, review and buy products from multiple sites through a single interface. Furthermore, the app also features an AR tool for t

Samsung seems to be in no mood to slow down or rest on its laurels. After being ranked No.1 in the North American home appliance market for six consecutive quarters, the company is further intensifying its efforts to expand its presence and sales. Increasing presence in the US Quoting industry watchers, Yonhap News reports that Samsung has expanded cooperation with North American retailers to boost sales in the region. The move follows Samsung’s efforts to increase its presence in the region through partnerships with major retailers. Last year Samsung established a special display zone at 300 Best Buy outlets to promote its products. It recently set up the “Innovation Wall” at 80 Lowe’s shops with the same objective. The company also recently launched a service on its website in the US whereby users can virtually arrange home appliances before making the purchase. At CES 2018 , Samsung showcased its vision for the future by launching connected home appliances. The company is push

The Android 8.0 Oreo beta program for the Galaxy S8 is almost at an end, with Samsung hoping to release the final build before February. But the company has been updating various proprietary apps with Oreo support since before the beta program kicked off, and it has now added Samsung Focus to the mix. The latest update to Samsung Focus brings “Android O support,” along with fixes for app-crashing bugs. Samsung Focus gets Oreo support That’s pretty much it for the changelog, and while the previous version of Samsung Focus also worked on Oreo, the app should now be fully stable. To grab the update, head to the Play Store or the Galaxy Apps store. We will also have the APK file for the new version in our database within the next few hours, so you can sideload it on your device if needed. Wondering what Samsung Focus has to offer? Check out our review to find out! The post Samsung Focus updated with Android 8.0 Oreo support appeared first on SamMobile .

For Samsung, making a move to the USB Type-C standard was no doubt harder than any other Android phone maker, as the Korean giant sells an insane amount of Android smartphones. When the Galaxy Note 7 came out as the first Samsung phone with a Type-C port, the company started bundling a microUSB to USB Type-C adapter with devices so consumers would have backward compatibility with their existing microUSB cables. It’s been a year since the Note 7 was launched (and subsequently taken off the market), and it looks like Samsung is now ready to fully embrace the USB Type-C standard, as the new Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ don’t come with a Type-C adapter in the box. No microUSB to Type-C adapter with the Galaxy A8 and A8+ We’re unsure if Samsung has made a similar move in every country, but our Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8+ – bought in the Netherlands and India respectively – didn’t come bundled with a microUSB to Type-C adapter. But the box contents could vary by market, as our A8 came wi

We are once again partnering with Terrapin Accessories to give away 5 cases for your Sony Xperia smartphone. Terrapin Accessories has built its name offering good quality cases, with a keen eye on value, becoming one of the top-selling brands on Amazon globally. Five lucky winners can select any Xperia case of their choice from the Terrapin website. You can choose between a wide range of cases, including the latest Sony Xperia XZ1 devices. You can enter the competition using the widget below (it is open to our readers in the UK, USA and Europe). There are various ways to enter, each giving you an additional chance to win. The competition closes on Friday 19 January 2018. Good luck! Win an Xperia case of your choice from Terrapin

Today, Samsung made it official in the Samsung Members community that the Android 8.0 Oreo beta program for the Galaxy S8 and S8+ will be ending on January 17th. Now, the company had earlier said the program would end on January 15 , but today’s announcement isn’t going to make a difference unless Samsung is planning on releasing another beta update in the next two days. What  is  noteworthy here is that the company says that it will do its “ best to distribute the official S/W version in January as soon as possible .” Beta testers could get final Oreo update by month end The way that statement is worded suggests that at least beta users will be on the final version of Oreo by the end of this month. The Galaxy S7’s official Nougat update for beta testers came just 12 days after the beta program ended , so it would be reasonable to expect a similarly quick turnaround time for Oreo on the Galaxy S8 and S8+. The latest Oreo beta is almost as good as finished software, with nary a bug

Sony Mobile is pushing a firmware update to the Xperia XA1 Ultra today that moves the build number from 42.0.A.4.153 to version 42.0.A.4.167. The new update adds the 5 January 2018 Android security patches , but little else has changed. The Android version remains Android 7.0 Nougat. If you have updated please post your impressions in the comments below, along with any screenshots of the new firmware. Thanks walaspancha!

Samsung’s new Notebook 9 (2018) is made from “Metal 12,” that’s what the company is calling its durable and lightweight magnesium-aluminum alloy. The company has now filed a trademark for the term Metal 12 and the filing suggests that this durable material may also be used for future Galaxy and Gear devices, i.e. smartphones and smartwatches. Metal 12: A proprietary magnesium-aluminum alloy Samsung introduced Metal 12 to the world as a durable but lightweight magnesium-aluminum alloy that it created. The material’s first outing on a consumer product is with the recently unveiled Notebook 9 (2018), the new material boosts the notebook’s portability due to its lightweight properties. Samsung has filed for a trademark with the European Union Intellectual Property Office to protect the “Metal 12” moniker. The filing reveals that Samsung isn’t ruling out the possibility of using Metal 12 for devices like smartphones and smartwatches. Rumors about Samsung using magnesium for its flagshi

Samsung is yet to release Android 8.0 Oreo for flagship devices like the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 so it really can’t be said for sure when the update will filter down to its premium mid-range lineup, let alone compatible low-end devices. Nevertheless, one of its carrier partners has revealed that the Galaxy J7 Prime and Galaxy Tab E Android 8.0 Oreo update will arrive in due course. Galaxy J7 Prime and Galaxy Tab E Android 8.0 Oreo update Samsung has been running an Android 8.0 Oreo beta program for the past couple of months. It has only released beta firmware for the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+. The company is yet to confirm when it will roll out Oreo for all users but it’s expected to do that in the near future. The company itself hasn’t said anything about the Android 8.0 Oreo update for the Galaxy J7 Prime and the Galaxy Tab E. The information comes from T-Mobile’s update tracker. The carrier has one on its website which informs users what stage the upcoming software updat

We already know when the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will be unveiled , Samsung confirmed that much at CES 2018 earlier this week. Therefore, it’s not surprising to see the US-bound models of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ clearing the FCC. The Galaxy S9 bearing model number SM-G960U and the Galaxy S9+ with model number SM-G965U have made their customary FCC pitstop. One step closer to release These aren’t the first Galaxy S9 models that have stopped by the FCC. The international variants have already made this customary stop last month, even before Samsung confirmed that it’s next flagship smartphone will be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona next month. The FCC filing reveals that the agency tested these two models on CDMA, GSM, UMTS and LTE networks. This means that just like last year, Samsung is going to release a single variant of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ in the United States which the carriers can customize with their own branding if they so desire. The

A story about the December update hitting a budget phone here in January? Yes, not something we would like to focus on, but it’s important when a device is getting its first update months after it launched and went on sale in a particular market. That’s right, the Galaxy J7 Pro is finally getting its first software update in India, bringing with it the December 2017 security patch. Not the January patch, sadly, but J7 Pro users can probably wait a few more months for the next security update. Galaxy J7 Pro gets December 2017 security patch The update is a 421 MB download, bumps the build number up to J730GMDXU2AQL1, and carries a generic changelog, so don’t expect to see any new features or notable changes. To grab the update, go into the Settings app, tap  Software update , then tap the  Download updates manually  option. You can also wait for the update to show up on its own, but is that something you really want to do after the already long wait you have endured to see the first