The wait is over for some Samsung Galaxy A34 and A54 users, as the company has begun rolling out the latest One UI 6.1 update. This software update brings a variety of improvements and new features to the mid-range smartphone, but there’s a key caveat for users expecting significant AI enhancements.
While specific details haven’t been officially revealed by Samsung, reports suggest the One UI 6.1 update introduces various improvements for the Galaxy A series. This could potentially include a refreshed user interface, enhanced camera capabilities, and optimizations for smoother overall performance. Additionally, users might benefit from bug fixes and security patches, addressing any lingering software issues.
However, there’s a crucial detail to consider. Unlike Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S-series and foldable phones, the One UI 6.1 update for the Galaxy A34 and A54 reportedly doesn’t come with Galaxy AI. These advanced functionalities, showcased in other Samsung devices, leverage on-device processing for tasks like object recognition and Bixby scene detection.
That said, Samsung’s decision to withhold AI features from the Galaxy A34 aligns with its current strategy. The company tends to reserve its most advanced AI functionalities for its premium smartphone lines. This approach allows them to differentiate their flagship devices while ensuring a smooth and optimized user experience on more affordable models like the A34 and A54.
Sony isn’t just releasing a flagship smartphone this round, it’s also bringing a new entry into its midrange lineup. The new Xperia 10 VI is built for creators on a more affordable scale coming with a two-day battery life and the Video Creator app which Sony debuted with the Xperia 5 V.
The Xperia 10 VI is built to be a compact, durable smartphone coming in at only 164g. The lightweight smartphone measures only 155mm x 68mm and comes complete with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection. That said, the smartphone is packed to the brim with power – most literally – with its 5000mAh battery.
Under the hood, the Xperia 10 VI comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 mobile compute platform that is built for affordable performance. This is complemented by 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Like its bigger sibling, the Xperia 1 VI, it also supports up to 1.5TB of extra memory through a microSD card slot. It comes with a 6.1-inch OLED display that Sony is calling Triluminous Display for mobile. This display supports a 60HZ refresh rate and covers 100% of the DCI-P3 gamut.
On the camera front, the Xperia 10 VI comes with a dual sensor set-up. The main sensor is a 48-megapixel Exmor RS for mobile sensor. This is complemented by an 8-megapixel sensor. The sensors support shooting at 26 mm and 52mm focal length equivalents and 16mm focal length equivalents respectively. The camera setup also supports 2x optical zoom. It also comes with optical image stabilization for both still image and video shooting with Optical SteadyShot technology. Up front is an 8-megapixel sensor.
Complementing the camera setup is Sony’s Video Creator app. Using this app, users will be able to seamlessly generate captivating videos from their still and video shots in less than a minute. Sony is promising three major OS updates and 4 years of security updates for the Xperia 10 VI.
Pricing & Availability
The Sony Xperia 10 VI will be available starting in August 2024 in Malaysia. For the rest of the world, Sony indicates that availability will start in the coming weeks. You can register your interest in the Xperia 10 VI on the Sony website now.
The smartphone will be available in three colours: Blue, Black and White. In Malaysia, it looks like we’ll be getting the Black and Blue versions only. No official pricing has been announced yet.
Sony’s Xperia series of smartphones – particularly the Xperia 1 – has been geared towards creative professionals as a tool and complement to their kits. However, this year is a little bit different with the Xperia 1 VI as Sony isn’t just introducing new creative features including AI, it’s also announcing an exclusive partnership with Activision.
Uniting Technology & Creativity with a More Capable Camera for Better Expressions
Keeping true to Sony’s key tenant of staying true to creativity, the new Xperia 1 VI comes with a brand new camera system. This time, the new system brings Sony’s Exmor T for Mobile image sensor that promises excellent low-light performance. However, that’s not all when it comes to upgrades. The Xperia 1 VI also comes with a brand new triple sensor setup for its main camera. The setup still comes with ZEISS T* coating but features a brand-new variable zoom covering 85-170mm focal length equivalents. The new setup also comes with a wide sensor which is able to shoot in 24mm and 48mm focal length equivalents and an ultrawide sensor that shoots at 16mm focal length equivalent. According to Sony, this new setup is the first to cover such a wide range of focal lengths from Xperia. The camera setup enables up to 7.1x optical zoom and also supports telephoto macro photos and videos.
Masaaki Oshima, Head of Mobile Business Unit and Imaging Entertainment Business Unit at Sony holding the Xperia 1VI during the YouTube Livestream announcement.
The Xperia 1 VI is also bringing AI features for creators. Continuing the company’s approach of unifying its flagship Alpha camera know-how and technology in its Xperia lineup, the Xperia 1 VI is adopting some AI features that we’ve seen in the Alpha family. As such, it comes as no surprise that the Mark VI will feature the return of AI-enabled eye-tracking autofocus. However, Sony is raising the bar by using AI to dynamically recognise and track the human skeleton and posture for more accurate autofocus. This will also ensure that your subject doesn’t go out of focus even in busy environments.
Breaking Its Own Mould with BRAVIA Technology & A Gaming Partnership with Activision
This year, it’s not just Alpha technology being folded into the Xperia 1 VI, Sony’s BRAVIA technology is also tagging along. Boasting the brightest display ever on an Xperia device, the new Xperia 1’s OLED display comes in a new 19.5:1 aspect ratio. Yes, Sony is doing away with the cinematic 20:1 aspect ratio we’ve seen previously. The display is also getting a boost in brightness with “Sunlight Vision”, a new feature that Sony is introducing to ensure that the display remains legible even under direct sunlight. Other than that, the display covers 100% of the DCI-P3 colour space and has a 120Hz refresh rate and a 240Hz response rate.
The inclusion of BRAVIA technology is also bringing with it a new gaming partnership with Activision-Blizzard for Call of Duty Warzone Mobile. The new partnership leverages the high performance of the processor and the new gaming-centric features that are coming with the Xperia 1 VI. In addition to richer sound and graphics thanks to BRAVIA technology, the smartphone is also coming with a brand new feature called FPS booster that optimizes the performance of the smartphone for higher frame rates and better gaming fluidity. In addition, the Xperia 1 VI also comes with optimizations for touch that can recognise up to 24 touch patterns and optimize responsiveness for them. Activision’s Call of Duty Warzone Mobile will launch in March 2024.
Top of the line Specs for Creativity
The Xperia 1 VI comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 under the hood. The top-of-the-line SoC from Qualcomm right now. This is paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal memory with support for up to 1.5TB additional space through the microSD card slot. The smartphone comes with support for Bluetooth 5.4 and USB 3.2.
The display on the Xperia 1 VI is a 6.5-inch OLED display with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080×2340 pixels. Camera-wise, the triple sensor at the back has a 52-megapixel main sensor and is complemented by a 12-megapixel telephoto and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor. Upfront is a 12-megapixel sensor for selfies. All of this is powered by a 5,000mAh battery. The Xperia 1 VI will launch with Android 14 and will come with a guarantee for 4 years of security updates and three major OS updates.
Pricing & Availability
The Sony Xperia 1 VI will be available in the coming months. In Malaysia, it will be available starting July 2024. You can start registering your interest in the device over at Sony’s website now.
It will be available in Platinum Silver, Black and Khaki Green worldwide. According to the Sony Malaysia website, Malaysia will only be getting Black and Khaki Green. No official pricing has been announced just yet.
Android users, your data could be exposed thanks to an implementation flaw in popular apps. Microsoft has recently published a bulletin exposing a critical flaw that could be present in a large amount of applications. Microsoft estimates that the flaw could be in over four billion apps.
The vulnerability, given the moniker “Dirty Stream”, lies in the ability of potentially malicious apps to exploit and abuse Android’s content provider system. This system is designed to enable secure data exchange between apps on Android devices. The data exchange typically employs security measures like permissions, uniform resource identifiers and file path validation to ensure data security. However, sloppy implementation has led to a backdoor ripe for exploitation.
In Microsoft’s research, the incorrect use of the communication layer that allows communication between Android apps, known as “custom intents, can lead to sensitive areas of the app being exposed. This will allow hackers and malicious actors to access and inject malicious code into the app. Attackers can potentially take over the app entirely, access sensitive user data and intercept private logins.
Microsoft is not just exposing the exploit. It has worked proactively with affected developers, alerting them of the potentially vulnerable apps. Some of the apps identified in the report include Xiaomi’s File Manager and WPS Office. Both apps have large user bases. The former boasts a user base of over a billion installations while WPS Office has about 500 million. The companies have deployed fixes to address the issue.
Google has also been alerted. The search behemoth has updated its app security guidelines. The changes highlight common implementation errors that could lead to the security bypass.
Samsung’s popular Galaxy Tab S series is getting more affordable. No, Samsung didn’t release another edition of the series. Instead, the tablet lineup is getting a price adjustment. The prices are taking effect starting on April 9, 2024.
The Galaxy Tab S series has been one of the mainstays of Android’s growing tablet market. Samsung’s flagship tablet series has been pushing boundaries with new functionalities, better hardware and, most recently, even better build materials. The Tab S9, S9+ and S9 Ultra were launched not long ago in July 2023 and continue to be the company’s flagship tablets. The tablets offer a compelling set of features including IP68 dust and water resistance and Samsung’s hallmark S Pen. Just recently, Samsung announced the Tab S9 FE which brings together the most compelling features of the Tab S9 series at an even more affordable price point.
The new pricing for the series sees Samsung reducing prices by up to RM300 across the board. The new pricing brings the entry point for one of Samsung’s flagship tablets to below the RM2000 threshold with the WiFi version of the Tab S9 FE (128GB).
Starting April 9, 2024, these are the prices of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Series:
Product
Recommended Retail Price (Before)
Recommended Retail Price (New)
Galaxy Tab S9 5G with Book Cover Keyboard (256GB)
RM4,849
RM4,549
Galaxy Tab S9 with Book Cover Keyboard WiFi (256GB)
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab lineup has been one of the most consistent and feature-packed tablets in the Android ecosystem. While that may be changing with more manufacturers entering the arena, the company is still releasing new tablets with its Galaxy Tab S and Galaxy Tab A lineups. Only recently, the company released its latest Galaxy Tab S9 series but it seems like another tablet is finding it hard to stay down.
In a global announcement, Samsung has announced a refresh to the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. This will be the second refresh to the tablet that was released back in 2020. It received its previous refresh in 2022 when the tablet shifted to Qualcom’s Snapdragon platform. However, this year, it looks like Samsung is shifting its processor back to the homegrown Exynos 1280. The new processor is an octa-core processor with support for Bluetooth 5.3 and also AI features. It will be running One UI 6.1 atop Android 14.
Design-wise, it looks similar to its 2022 counterpart with a 10.4-inch LCD with an FHD+ resolution of 2,000×1200 pixels. The display is surrounded by a symmetrical 7mm bezel. The tablet will continue to sport a single 8-megapixel camera on the back and a 5-megapixel camera up front. It also comes with a 3.5mm earphone jack and support for WiFi 802.11 ac. The biggest change with the new Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is the increase in memory capacity. It now supports configurations with 64GB and 128GB of internal memory with support for more memory via microSD card. RAM, however, remains at 4GB.
Pricing & Availability
According to the announcement, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2024) will be available globally starting 28 March 2024. It will be available in both WiFi and LTE configurations in Chiffon Pink, Oxford Gray and Mint.
No official pricing has been announced at the time of writing. However, it seems like it will be coming to Malaysia thanks to a SIRIM database entry found by LowYat.net.
Samsung’s One UI 6.1 is one of the biggest software updates that the company has released in a while. While it’s not a big visual update, it will be bringing Galaxy AI to older devices albeit in a more limited fashion. That said, it’s taken the smartphone manufacturer a little bit longer than it usually does to roll out the update. That ends on March 28, 2024, with the initial rollout of One UI 6.1 to some of the company’s older devices.
The devices that are slated to get the update so far are the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S23 FE, the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 5, the Galaxy Tab S9, Galaxy Tab S9+ and the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. Yes, these are basically Samsung’s 2023 devices. These devices will be receiving the full Galaxy AI suite including circle to search, live translate and interpreter, generative editing, and Chat Assist.
The update will bring these devices on par with the Galaxy S24 series when it comes to software features. In fact, the Galaxy Tab S9 series will be the first tablets in Samsung’s lineup to get the update. It will be interesting to see how the software changes the experience on the Tab series moving forward.
Samsung’s Galaxy A series has always been about marrying flagship features with affordability. Over the past few years, Samsung has worked hard to bring camera features and more from its flagship smartphones to the Galaxy A series. Last year, it was Nightography, this year, the focus is on security with Samsung’s Knox Vault and a brand new feature called Auto Blocker. Both the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G and the Galaxy A35 5G will be coming with these enhancements.
Knox Your Average Midrange Device
The Galaxy A55 and A35 will be breaking new ground as the first Galaxy A device to come with Samsung Knox Vault. Samsung’s Knox Vault provides hardware-level encryption and security to the smartphone. It even has measures to resist physical and temperature tampering to keep data secure.
With Knox Vault, sensitive data like Samsung Pay, your PIN, passwords and biometric data are physically isolated from the operating system. In addition, Samsung’s Knox security software will also bring added protection. The multilayered security solution has always been included in Samsung’s devices but is now enhanced on the Galaxy A55 5G and the Galaxy A35 5G with Knox Vault.
Together with Knox Vault, the Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35 will be able to take advantage of Samsung’s Auto Blocker. This feature will allow you to opt-in to prevent things like app sideloading, malware and malicious commands by scanning app packages and even prevent unauthorised codes from running when you plug in USB cables or devices. This can be enabled through the Security and Privacy dashboard on the devices.
Midrange with a Difference
Speaking of devices, Samsung midrange devices have been head-turners when it comes to performance over the past few years. This year is no different. The Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35 both come with Exynos systems on a chip. The A55 comes with the Exynos 1480 SoC which comes with the AMD RDNA2-based Xclipse GPU. The A35, on the other hand, comes with an Exynos 1380 SoC with a Mali-G68 GPU. Both come with a 6.6-inch SuperAMOLED display with FHD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass Victus+. Both have IP67 water and dust resistance and are powered by a 5,000mAh battery.
The differences continue when it comes to the camera setups of the A55 and A35. The A55 comes with a triple camera setup with a 50-megapixel main camera supported by a 5-megapixel macro camera and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera. Upfront is a 32-megapixel front camera. The main sensor of the A55 comes with autofocus and OIS. The A35 come with the same 50-megapixel sensor but is supported by an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 5-megapixel macro camera. On the front is a 13-megapixel selfie camera. Both setups support Samsung’s Nightography technology with the A55 having a little bit of an edge thanks to its advanced AI Image Signal Processing (ISP).
Samsung continues to offer one of the best software support in the mobile industry. The Galaxy A series will be receiving four generations of Android OS and One UI upgrades and five years of security updates.
Pricing & Availability
There is no official Malaysian pricing or availability just yet. However, in the Philippines, the Galaxy A55 will be retailing for PHP24,990 (RM2,110.74) while the A35 will be retailing at PHP20,990 (RM1,772.88). These are variants with 8GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage that will be available starting on 18, March 2024.
In Europe, prices for the A55 start at €479 (RM2,446.35) while the A35 starts at €379 (RM1,935.59).
Both the A55 and A35 will be available in Awesome Ice Blue, Awesome Lilac, Awesome Lemon, and Awesome Navy colourways.
As the launch of Nothing’s mid-range smartphone, the Nothing Phone (2a), draws near. Nothing has released a 10-minute video, in which it hinted at creating a truly special device for its community.
The official launch of the Nothing Phone (2a) is set for March 5, 2024, with a global release expected to follow. However, for US customers, a unique twist awaits – the need to enrol in a “Developer Program” to acquire the device. This echoes the approach taken during the Phone (1) launch, signalling a strategic move in the US market.
A notable change highlighted in the video is the absence of the “Beta Membership” label used during the Phone (1) launch, suggesting enhanced US network support.
Adding to the intrigue, Nothing teased a crucial detail – the price. While the exact cost remains undisclosed, the company assured viewers that the Phone (2a) would come at a more affordable price point than its predecessor, the Phone (1), initially priced at $299 in the US.
Leaked information has started to surface, providing a sneak peek into the Phone (2a). According to tipster Yogesh Brar, the device is rumoured to feature a 6.7-inch OLED panel, Dimensity 7200 Ultra SoC, 50MP main camera, 50MP ultrawide camera, and a 32MP selfie shooter. With a promising 45W fast charging support, the Phone (2a) is shaping up to be a compelling mid-range option.
Source: X.com
As the countdown to March 5 continues, speculations abound on what Nothing will unveil next. Will they manage to keep the mystery intact, or will leaks gradually unravel the excitement?
Stay tuned for more updates as Nothing drops hints, promising a unique device that combines affordability with cutting-edge features.
Samsung’s new Galaxy S24 series wasn’t really the focus of Unpacked. Instead, Samsung spent a good chunk of the announcement talking about Galaxy AI that powers a whole bevvy of new features that run on One UI 6.1. The new focus on AI brings a renewed focus on creating features that help improve the user experience.
Galaxy AI is the AI platform that is powering a whole load of new features that will make its debut with the Galaxy S24 series. You may recognise a lot of these features from other large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Bard. However, Samsung is using LLMs and LAMs (Large Action Models) to bring a lot of useful and potentially revolutionary features for its devices – particularly the S4 Ultra.
Galaxy AI for Language
When it comes to features that are coming with the Galaxy S24 series, the ones that involve language are the ones that we’re most excited for. Samsung showed off two at Unpacked – both involving translation on the fly. With Galaxy AI on the Galaxy S24 series, you will be able to translate messages and conversations live and on the fly.
When it comes to messaging, Samsung is bringing on-the-fly translations to messaging apps like WhatsApp, Messages and more. This feature will allow you to translate your text messages as you receive them. Translations of your messages will appear underneath the original one. This feature is app-specific and will only work with apps that have been optimised for it. So far, we have confirmation that WhatsApp and Messages will be supported.
In addition to this, you’ll also be able to translate conversations on the fly while you’re on a call or with the person. This translation occurs nearly live as you speak. Of course, you will need to activate it by tapping the Galaxy AI button which will open a text-to-speech interface. This will show you in real-time the translations being done. However, it can’t save the transcript just yet.
Galaxy AI is also being integrated into the Samsung Keyboard. You will be able to use the keyboard to translate your input with the keyboard. These translations can then be sent to the person on the other end of the conversation. Did we mention? You will not need to shift between apps to do this – instead, it’s done on the Samsung keyboard itself.
Samsung has clarified that it’s not using Google Translate to power these features. Instead, they’ve developed these translation models in-house. From what we saw during the demo, the models are pretty reliable. There are about 25 languages available at the moment. All the translation models are done locally on your device.
Galaxy AI for Notetaking & Writing
The Samsung Notes app is getting a supercharge when it comes to Galaxy AI features. The app will be leveraging the generative capabilities of Galaxy more extensively. Samsung isn’t just using AI for handwriting recognition, it’s taking things to the next level with formatting, correction and summarizing.
Your handwritten notes can now be used as a basis to create neatly formatted documents. You’ll be able to take your handwritten or typed-out notes from a meeting to generate neatly organised meeting minutes. Not only does it do this, it will also give you a few options to choose from when it comes to how you want your notes to be presented.
You’ll even be able to generate a cover letter for your notes with Galaxy AI. The generative capabilities of Galaxy AI are pretty impressive, you’ll be able to generate summaries in different tones. Want to inject a little humour? You’ll even be able to get it summarized in Shakespearean English. This feature can even be used to reply to messages in supported messaging apps.
Even searching with Galaxy AI and Google is getting more intuitive with “circle to search”. The new feature allows you to literally draw a circle around the item you’re interested it will automatically search for the item you’ve circled. This can work with humans too, but only for public figures.
Nightography Integrates Galaxy AI
Galaxy AI is also being integrated into the camera features of the Galaxy S24 series. The new Quad Tele camera system which is present on the S24 Ultra leverages AI to help with Nightography and even regular image processing. Samsung is using Galaxy AI to help with the clarity of photos and videos taken with the Samsung Galaxy S24 series.
Samsung’s Zoom on the S24 is perhaps one of the most stable we’ve seen in a few years. You’re able to get clear, crisp shots with Galaxy AI. The stabilization is done by both the OIS modules of the camera sensors themselves. The resultant shot is pretty impressive even on hybrid zoom.
However, it’s not just about low-light Nightography and Zooming, Samsung’s Galaxy AI is also bringing quick post-processing and editing to your fingertips. You’ll be able to edit your photos to remove items from the background or replace items in your photos with Generative Fill. You can even remove reflections with Galaxy AI at the touch of a button. Even if you don’t know what will make your photo better, Galaxy AI will have suggestions for you.
Galaxy AI in the Background, But on Your Terms
Galaxy AI is going to be powering a whole bevvy of features that will be debuting with the Galaxy S24 series. However, Samsung isn’t going to be using your data if you don’t want it to. The company is allowing users to opt out of sharing data with its servers. You can toggle this option in the settings of One UI 6.1. However, if you do choose to opt out, you will be unable to leverage Galaxy AI’s features fully, only those features that can be processed locally on your device.
Samsung’s Galaxy AI will be coming to older Galaxy devices – IF the device has the computational power. To date the only devices that have been guaranteed an update with Galaxy AI are the Galaxy S23 series, the Galaxy S23 FE, the Galaxy Z Fold 5, the Galaxy Z Flip 5, and the Galaxy Tab S9 series. Due to computational requirements, Galaxy AI may not have all its features as it makes its way to older devices.
