As of this writing, the Galaxy Note 9 is receiving the May SMR (Security Maintenance Release) in Germany. The new firmware version for the phone is N960FXXS9FVE1. This update should gradually reach other European countries as well as markets outside Europe over the next few days. As you’d expect, the aging Samsung flagship isn’t getting any new features with this update. The phone is too old now to receive feature updates....
This pricing is available for all three colors: gray, pink gold and silver. The larger 45mm Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is also on sale. You can save $50 off of the regular price of the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, bringing it down to just $399. That’s good for an all-time low as well. The Galaxy Watch 5 is a pretty nice upgrade over the Watch 4, though many will complain about the rotating bezel being gone....
A report by The Elec (via SamMobile) states that Qualcomm is even asking TSMC to make a portion of its 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. This is despite Samsung Foundry being listed as the sole manufacturer of the chip when it was first announced. The decision barely comes as a surprise given that Samsung Foundry’s yield for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 was only 35%. What this also means is that Qualcomm will partner with TSMC for its upcoming 3nm SoCs....
The One UI 4 Promo videos show us what’s new, starting with visual changes There are a ton of changes that Samsung made to its user interface. For starters, there are the general UI tweaks like the rounded corners on the widgets and menu items. This also extends to non-Samsung widgets. Across the software, to help users “focus in a more intuitive way,” similar colors are grouped together. For example, if you see red anywhere in the software, it will always be grouped with green....
One UI 5.1 testing is underway as Samsung prepares for the Galaxy S23 launch Samsung usually launches new flagships with a new version of its One UI skin. The Galaxy S22 series debuted One UI 4.1, while the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 ran One UI 4.1.1 out of the box. The latest version is One UI 5.0, which is its first custom software based on Android 13....
A 9-minute Galaxy S21 FE introduction video is here, with two additional promo videos The company published a 9-minute Galaxy S21 FE video via its official YouTube channel. That video is embedded below this paragraph, and it essentially introduces the phone. This video has a heavy camera emphasis to it as well, so you’ll be able to get plenty of information regarding that. The company also talks about its design, customization options, and so on....
According to the Korean media, Samsung is planning to offer an official IP rating (ingress protection) on more Galaxy A series phones in 2022. This year, the company launched the Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72 (including variants) with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. In 2022, it will reportedly add water resistance to the Galaxy A33 as well, and everything above it, of course. Meaning, at least the Galaxy A33, A53, and A73 (and their variants) will come with an official IP rating....
The current crop of smartphone batteries produced by Samsung uses the “flat jelly roll” method. It doesn’t allow tighter packaging of components. The natural swelling of the battery during charge and discharge can bend and damage the electrodes. The stacking method solves this issue by allowing the manufacturers to tightly pack the battery components layer by layer. This will free up the space inside the battery, making room for added capacity....
The Fire TV Cube is also good for having Fire TV built-in. So you are able to watch all of your favorite shows on here. With Alexa built-in, you can also search for different movies and TV shows to watch on your Fire TV Cube. As well as being able to control your smart home products all with your voice. Which is pretty neat, and definitely feels like the future....
Both the Glossy White and Matte Black colors are on sale for $119 right now. The OnePlus Buds Pro sport 11mm dynamic drivers which are tuned to deliver rich bass. They also sport Smart Adaptive Noise Cancellation at around 40dB. Ultra-Low latency is also here on the OnePlus Buds Pro, down to just 94ms. That is all thanks to Bluetooth 5.2. The Smart Adaptive Noise Cancellation is pretty good, as it is able to automatically adapt to your ambient sound environment so you can immerse yourself in the deepest sounds....
First up, is the Ring Video Doorbell (2020 release). This is the basic model, and it is now available for just $74.99, saving you $25. Now you can also get this with the Ring Chime for $99.99, also saving you $25. The Ring Video Doorbell Wired (2021 release) is on sale for $48.99. Or you can bundle it with the Ring Chime for $73.99 too. Both are $16 off of their regular prices....
What is Sonic Colors Ultimate? SEGA released the original Sonic Colors over a decade ago for the PS3, Xbox 360, and the Nintendo Wii. The ultimate edition improves on the visual with upscaled graphics and 60fps to fit the newer hardware. The Switch version, unfortunately, doesn’t have 60fps. Sonic Colors ultimate also features remixed music and a new game mode. This mode is called “Rival Rush”, and it has you racing against Metal Sonic through certain stages....
The OnePlus 11 camera module & display surfaced in real-life images If you take a closer look at the image below, you’ll see the three camera sensors, and an LED flash. All those sensors will be included in a single camera island on the back of the OnePlus 11. This image comes from MySmartPrice, and the source claims that the OnePlus 11 is codenamed ‘Udon’. The source confirms, once again, that the phone will feature a curved display, and a centered display camera hole....
This video editing application is meant to provide more editing controls to creators in creating vertical videos for Snapchat. Users will be able to add elements such as text, trending audio, and AR lenses to their videos. Notably, the ‘Story Studio’ app was announced back in May this year. Fast forward to now, according to a report by The Verge, it is available for iOS users in the US, UK, and Canada as an ‘early version’....
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+ could launch in May, will be manufactured by TSMC Considering that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 gets quite toasty, these are great news. If it does end up launching in May, quite a few smartphones may grab it before the end of the year. This chip will be made using TSMC’s 4nm node, and the chip is expected to throttle a lot less than the regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 1....
The extra six months of Netflix might be caused by a bug If you buy the Chromecast with Google TV, it’ll usually set you back $49.99. However, if you want to add on six months of Netflix, you can get the $89.99 bundle. That’s an extra $40 for almost $84 worth of Netflix. Reports are rolling in from people who look at their accounts to see that they have an extra six months of complimentary Netflix....
Google spokesperson José Castañeda issued a statement after Sonos’ allegations went public. “Google is committed to making the smart home ecosystem more interoperable and open. To do this, we drove the creation of an industry working group alongside other tech companies to address interoperability and develop common standards that will give consumers more choice, protect their privacy and create easy-to-use experiences. We are one of the most active members of this group....
The company will host a live stream on YouTube for the unveiling on the 26th of October, at 12:00 PM JST (Oct 25 23:00 EDT). Since we don’t have much information on this mystery device, it’s hard to speculate what the company has to offer. Given that the Xperia 1 III was only released a few months ago, it’s unlikely that the company will unveil another flagship offering. Sony is currently focusing its attention on its PlayStation and camera divisions....
According to the Spotify statement, the council’s mission “is to help Spotify evolve its policies and products in a safe way while making sure we respect creator expression.” The intersection of freedom of speech and misinformation is a big deal for companies that publish content of any kind. In Spotify’s case, Joe Rogan’s podcast has put the company in a critical situation. Some health experts said Rogan was spreading misinformation, but others say he was using his free speech rights....
Forgot what the Car Thing was? Here’s a refresher Back in spring this year, Spotify officially showcased its first physical device. The Car Thing is a device that you use to control the Spotify app on your phone. It sits on your dashboard like a GPS device and can attach to it in multiple ways. The device communicates to your phone via Bluetooth and it draws its power from the 12V port in your car....
