Tag Archives: Galaxy

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 In-Depth Review – Back in Black

February 18, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Flexible displays have a complicated history. It has also come a long way since its conception many years ago. Samsung was the first smartphone manufacturer in the world to finally realise the foldable smartphone dream with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Fold back in 2018. If you have read our review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2, you would know that we are quite fond of it.

They have released the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3. Admittedly, we are a little late on its review. But it is still one of Samsung’s most powerful flagships to date, and you can get one with an S Pen. Effectively, it is a spiritual successor to the Galaxy Note series that is confirmed to be long gone.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 is cheaper than before at MYR 6,699. There are a few reasons for that, but it is a good thing overall. Is it now worth its asking price though? Should you consider moving to a foldable device now that Samsung has forgone its Galaxy Note series? Is it even a good device? We find out.

Design

Unlike a lot of the other flagships that seems to get larger with new iterations, the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3’s dimensions did not change from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2. They are identical in , width and even thickness. If you put them together side by side, ignoring the camera module, you would have a hard time telling the two devices apart.

The materials used are the exact same materials as before in all the same places. Even the hinge mechanism is the same one used in the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2. There is a small difference between the hinge in the third iteration though. It is now sealed and insulated to ensure that it can comply to IPX8 water resistance. Water resistance, in some ways, is a large improvement over the older Galaxy Z Fold2 in today’s modern standards. That, and they say that the aluminium ‘backbone’ (as they call it) is now 10% stronger than before. We did not get to test that though.

There are also some differences at the back of the device. The camera module looks a lot more modest than before. It now features three separate glass elements instead of a single glass box. It somehow makes the entire back of the device looks much cleaner, although the three cameras are the same three cameras you find on the old Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2. That is about it in terms of the difference in appearance though.

Hardware

Oddly, it is not powered by Samsung’s own Exynos powerhouse. In fact you cannot find a Samsung foldable with Exynos chip in it. Instead, it is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 System on a Chip (SoC).

Specifications

Processor	Samsung Exynos 888 Octa-Core 5nm 1x Kryo 680 @2.84GHZ 3x Kryo 680 @2.42GHz 4x Kryo 680 @1.80GHz
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)	Adreno 660
RAM	12GB
Memory (as tested)	256GB
Display(s)	Main Internal Display: Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X 7.6-inch 1,768 x 2,208 pixels ~373ppi 120Hz (up to) HDR10+ 1200 nits Under-Display Camera Secondary External Display: Dynamic AMOLED 2X 6.2-inch 832 x 2,268pixels (25:9) 120Hz Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Operating System	OneUI based on Android 11
Battery	Non-Removable Li-Po 4,400mAh Fast Charging 25W Wireless Charging 11W Reverse Wireless Charging 4.5W
Connectivity	5G UWB Dual SIM Wi-Fi WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax GPS/A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS A2DP AptX HD Bluetooth 5.2 OTG Support USB Type-C 3.2 Samsung DeX
Camera (s)	REAR: 12-Megapixel (f/1.8, 26mm wide angle) 12-Megapixel (f/2.4, 52mm telephoto) 12-Megapixel (f/2.2, 12mm ultra-wide angle) HDR 4K video recording (60fps) LED flash FRONT Internal: 4-Megapixel (f/1.8, under-display ) 4K video recording (30fps) FRONT External: 10-Megapixel (f/2.2, 26mm wide angle) 4K video recording (30fps)
Sensors	Accelerometer Proximity Side Mounted Fingerprint Ambient Light Gyroscope Face Unlock Compass

User Interface – One UI Full Flex

Of course, a Samsung device is never complete without Samsung’s very recognizable User Interface on top of Android. At the time of testing, we only had One UI on top of Android 11. Still, One UI is a league of its own in the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3. You do not want to be using a custom launcher with the Samsung foldable flagship.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3’s One UI does not feel like a blown up One UI for odd displays. It feels better than the older interface. Oddly, not that much has changed since the last round.

You still can have two different home screens for both your front display and inside display. This time round, you can both displays to display the same home screen too, if you really want, without messing about too much. Notifications are not blown up to occupy the entire space like before. It actually feels nicer and cleaner somehow. On top of that, you get more unique app experiences now on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3.

Settings Menu

Instead of the old settings menu that is clearly made for smartphones, the interface opens to a more tablet like experience with the main display. Of course, you get the regular smartphone interface type of settings menu on the outer display. Once you open the device, the interface immediately changes though, which is a real nice touch.

Spotify

The Spotify experience on the main display of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 opens to a more tablet like experience too. To be fair, it should not be to hard for app developers to include smartphone-to-tablet-to-smartphone switching modes. Most apps have their own dedicated tablet interfaces these days and it would make sense for them to include the interface for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3.

YouTube

Of course, this was the first app with a proper interface that is more suited to the larger display of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold. It was first seen on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2, but it is a little smoother now on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3. At the same time, you can tilt the display to use half the screen to watch your videos and view the comments of description on the other. We think that it is a feature useful when you do livestreams, especially when you need to watch the comments box.

Gmail

You guessed it, when the Z Fold3 is open, Gmail opens to a more tablet like experience too with the email inbox list on the left and the contents on the right. We think that this is a much more intuitive experience for the larger tablet like display on the Galaxy Z Fold3.

Plenty to Work On

One UI is not perfect though. While Instagram now fills up the entire display, you might find that the app does not work as intended when you switch from the front display to the main display. You cannot interact with stories unless you close the app and open it again with the main display. Shopee and Lazada also do not resize between displays . While they are just irksome at best, it does detract from the whole foldable experience.

The Fold, Now with S Pen

This is an addition we appreciate though coming from the Samsung Galaxy Note line-up. One thing we were left wanting with the previous Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 was also the S Pen capabilities. The only issue is that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3’s S Pen is a different one to the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra’s.

Screenshot 20211216 121141 Samsung Notes 1

Working with the S Pen is nice though. We missed the Galaxy Note series dearly and the Galaxy Z Fold3 sort of compensates the Galaxy Note’s discontinuation. We were worried that the S Pen would not be able to keep up at the dip of the display, where there are no digitizers, but it works perfectly, even when we drew a line down the crease. The whole S Pen experience is more natural than ever. It really is like writing in a notebook this time.

Performance

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 packs a very potent Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 System on a Chip (SoC). Even compared to the newly launched Samsung Galaxy S22, Galaxy Z Fold3 is still one powerful device. But its performance does not just come from the powerful SoC, it is the entire package that makes the Galaxy Z Fold3 what it is.

Benchmark

Call Quality and Connectivity

Like the older Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2, the Galaxy Z Fold3 packs only one earpiece and that is on its secondary (outer) display. That also means that you can only use it with the device folded. When it is unfolded, you can only make calls with the loudspeaker, which is not an entirely bad idea sometimes.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 in loudspeaker mode somehow feels a little louder than before. We are pretty sure it is the same hardware as the Galaxy Z Fold2 in terms of its audio. The increased volume also means that you can use it in a small discussion room with just a few people on the table as a teleconferencing device.

Of course, thanks to One UI, you can use your Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 as a video conferencing tool without the need to buy a stand or prop your device up against something else. You can set the device to open in any angle (nothing beyond 180^o, though) and its front-facing camera can be angled to you for a better video calling experience.

If the device on the other end of the line also supposed VoLTE and is calling with full signal strength, your calls are crystal clear and crisp. Of course, these days you are making calls when you are on the move (we strongly discourage using the device without hands-free when you are driving). In that case, you might come across areas with poor signals. If you have a single bar on the network though, you should be able to have conversations over the phone, albeit with some distortions.

Gaming

Like the older Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2, we tested the device with PUBG Mobile, and Mobile Legends Bang Bang. We also tested it with Pokémon Unite, a MOBA title. Of course, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 performed very well in these games. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, in 2021 at least, is the most powerful smartphone processor you can find on any Android device. It only makes sense that you can play these games at its highest requirements with no issues at all.

The only issue you might be facing is heat management on the device. There is only so much surface area on the back of the foldable device to dissipate heat too, so you are going to feel it a little bit in your fingers. It is not scalding hot though; you should be able to still handle it with little discomfort.

Multitasking and Productivity

The large display allows us to experience two apps at once without having to crimp on the window sizes. You can have three windows open at once, plus five floating windows in the back. In theory, you can have all eight apps open at the same time.

In practice though, the best way to use the device is by having three windows. We would like to be able to use up to four apps at the same time, there is enough screen real estate to work with. Sure, you can have a floating window open, but it is just not the same.

Still, three is better than two. At that as well, The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 never felt too sluggish to work with even when there are eight apps running at the same time (three windows, five floating windows). You can easily change from one app to the other effortlessly too, which is a huge plus point in multitasking.

Samsung’s latest One UI also inherits its not-so-intuitive multi-window mechanics. The easiest way to open all the apps is to first open the three apps separately, and to go into recent apps to fiddle with the little “multi-window” option on the apps you want to run. Once in this mode, you can just toggle the apps around to increase its size or rearrange the entire thing.

Like its predecessors, the new One UI also comes with a quick launch menu which allows you to dock up to two apps at once to be able to launch both the apps in multi-window mode immediately. We highly recommend using that feature in the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 to optimise your experience.

Battery Life

In our typical use case, we work with apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Gmail, and even the phone app plenty. We would also scroll feeds on Instagram, Facebook, and even Twitter from time to time with it. Of course, our camera is also used to take various photos and videos we could use for our review. We do play games on the device occasionally.

In our typical use case, we never had too much of a problem with its battery life for an entire day. In our test period, we took the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 away from the charger at about 9am. The device would hit about 15% of battery at about 10 p.m. on average.

While the battery is smaller than before, it charges just about the same with the older device. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 charges to full in about two hours via USB Type-C cable. It also comes with wireless charging like its predecessor. Charging it wirelessly allows it to charge at 15W speeds. I will take longer than two hours to charge the device from empty to full in that case.

Displays & Audio

While the displays on the new and older device looks the same, they are slightly different. The outer display is a slightly smaller display before at 6.2-inch from the 6.23-inch of the Z Fold2. Nothing much has changed on the inside though, except for a difference in brightness and a revolutionary under-display camera.

Secondary Display

It is now a Dynamic AMOLED 2X display compared to the older Super AMOLED. It crams a little more resolution that before too at 832 by 2,268 pixels. You hardly notice the added pixels in such a crammed display. You will notice the difference in panel quality though.

The colours from a Dynamic AMOLED 2X tend to look more natural, less saturated than Super AMOLED. At 25:9 aspect ratio, the narrow display is not really made for immersive media consumption. The better colour contrasts of the display does make it a little more enjoyable when you are watching Netflix or even YouTube on the smaller display.

Main Display

Of course, you want to use the larger display for the best viewing experience. It is also the same great flexible display you find on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2, except it has gotten a little bit more brightness and the S Pen capability.

While the near square display works very well for productivity, it is a little crippled in consuming media. When you watch Netflix, you get two very large black bars on the top and bottom of the display. It does not take anything away from its experience though.

The display shines in gaming though. Mobile games tend to take advantage of different display form factors and optimizes itself to match the display size and form factor. Most of the games we tested fills the display. The result is an immersive gaming experience with plenty of details on display. The control buttons do not interfere with the peripheral visions on the display, which is a bonus in games like PUBG Mobile and even other MOBA games.

The same flex and bending marks from before can still be seen and is as noticeable as before. The crease is quite unavoidable in today’s folding devices. It is a little distracting especially when you view the display from an angle, but you might grow used to it after a while.

Under Display Cam – Not Just a Hole

If you look closely, the top part of the right side of the display looks a little odd. There are pixels that sit there, but you can see through it to find the small front-facing camera. While the pixel count in that small, rounded area is not as dense as the other parts of the display, it does help with your viewing experience. Netflix can now take full advantage of the display’s height and other media looks less janky.

Cameras

The under-display is not a brilliant camera. Photos taken with this 4-megapixel camera feels a little dated. Colours are a little off and details are not great. It is the camera that most will use for video conferences though, where high-resolution is not necessary.

There is another 10-Megapixel front-facing camera. This one is the same one as you can find from the device before. While it is not the most detailed photo you get from this camera, it is not a bad image you get. Colours and saturation seem to be more on-point.

The rear cameras are also the exact same ones you can find on the Galaxy Z Fold3. While you get the same triple 12-Megapixel camera set up, the processing chip is a lot more advanced than before. The results from the 12-Megapixel shooters are quite impressive.

They are not what you would call ‘DSLR’ quality, but they are more than acceptable for social media use. The colours look natural and vivid while details look great for 12-Megapixel photos. At the same time, you can still record videos at 4K.

Gallery

To view this content, you need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
To do so, please follow these instructions.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 – The Z Fold2, just Better Everywhere

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 is not meant to be a huge leap from the older Samsung Galazy Z Fold2. It is meant to be just a touch better than the 2^nd generation foldable; more refined, if you must. But that does not mean that Samsung was complacent with the Galaxy Z Fold3.

The flagship foldable is now an IPX certified device, which means it can handle the weather. That also meant that the Galaxy Z Fold3 has some added durability built into the stuff. While the mechanism was a concern in the old device, the new one is made to be a little sturdier and just works better. The added durability on that also means that the S Pen feature can now be integrated and it works better than we thought it would.

They updated the secondary display, which may not be too noticeable to most people. But we do appreciate that small upgrade to bring the secondary display to the level of the main display. You get the same colours and same saturation levels. In some ways, it just makes the experience switching from the secondary to main display just a little more seamless.

The main display has not changed all that much, but the addition of a thin layer of LED on top of the internal camera does make it feel a touch more immersive than before. It makes the display looks complete too, even if you can still tell that there is a hole underneath the display. Yes, that means the camera underneath have to be a little worse than before, but that is an okay trade-off in this case.

The camera modules have not changed, but thanks to the new processor and better imaging algorithm, the camera experience is just a touch better. Below that is slightly smaller battery, but the difference between battery life from the old device is virtually non-existent. System wise, apps just work a little better and some apps have ‘tablet’ modes on the device now, which just makes more sense.

At MYR 6,699, it is way cheaper than the older device. Samsung is going all-in with the foldable device market, and it shows with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3. The lower pricing just means that they want you to be on board too.

The third generation foldable from Samsung is marginally better in almost every way. But they are marginal improvements in the areas that matter. All of them total up to a better Galaxy Z Fold experience.

So, to answer the questions we set out to answer. Yes, it is now sort of worth MYR 6,699. Yes, you can consider this as your replacement to the Samsung Galaxy Note series, if you do not mind the step-down in camera technology. Yes, the Galaxy Z Fold3 is a good device. If you are coming from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 though, you might want to hold it off for a while and wait for the next iteration of the Galaxy Z Fold before considering an upgrade.

Business, Computers, Consumer Electronics, Mobile, News

Fresh Off the Unpacked 2022 Boat, and On to Another – Samsung is Back for MWC 2022

February 17, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Our memory is still fresh with Samsung’s Galaxy S22 launch earlier this month. If you have been living under a shell; yes, it is the year 2022 and Samsung has launched their latest sequel to one of the most successful line-ups of Android devices in the world. The Samsung Galaxy S22 is here and will come to your doorways on the 3^rd of March 2022.

It does not seem like Samsung is done launching devices though. They have just announced that they will be making another appearance alongside MWC 2022. On the 27^th of February 2022, Samsung is making another round of announcements and inevitably launch a few products. The public invite on their website says that the event will be streamed LIVE on their YouTube channel at 7.00 p.m. CET (2.00 a.m. 28^th of February 2022 Malaysia Time). They have also released some graphics with the date announcement and said that the graphics will be representative of what they are launching in late February.

We eyed a smartphone, tablet, the S Pen, a wearable, the Z Fold and Z Flip, and a laptop. Considering Samsung just launched their new smartphone and tablet, we doubt they will be releasing anymore of those anytime soon. In that case we probably can expect Samsung to launch a new wearable maybe, or a new notebook PC in that case.

There is also a small chance that Samsung might announce the inclusion of their smartphones and wearables in their Bespoke program. In that case, you might be able to buy a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 in a very special colour of your own for example. Then again, this is all speculations.

We could all be wrong, and Samsung might just launch a whole new line-up of smarthome products. This is MWC though, so we think that is highly improbably too. Samsung is being a little vague on this event.

Whatever it is, we will only find out in their second major announcement of the year in their MWC 2022 event. Again, you can watch their announcement on their YouTube channel on the 27^th of February 2022 at 7.00 p.m CET (28^th of February 2022 at 2.00 a.m. Kuala Lumpur time). If you want to know more about this event, you can head over to their website.

Android, Mobile, News

Samsung Announces Four Generations of Update Support – Time to Buy a Galaxy?

February 10, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Samsung just launched their latest flagship smartphones for the year 2022. They launched a few things last night. You see the Samsung Galaxy S22 series launched, including a Samsung Galaxy Note-esque Galaxy S22 Ultra. Alongside the Ultra is the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S 22+. They also launched their latest larger-than-life tablet that is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 in three variants as well – the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, Galaxy Tab S8+, and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra.

With the new devices, they have also announced a new commitment to their devices, new and old. They have announced that they are going to be supporting updates to up to four generations for their latest Samsung Galaxy devices. That means that their new shiny Samsung Galaxy S22 devices will stay relevant until the year 2026 (if my math is right) at least. If you count the security updates, that could mean 2027 even.

The commitment is not just made for Samsung’s latest Galaxy devices that was launched last night though. The four generations of support extend of some of Samsung’s devices that was launched last year too. This includes the flagship models like the Samsung Galaxy S21 series and the Galaxy Z series of foldable devices. It also extends to certain Samsung Galaxy A devices coming this year, none of the older Galaxy A series gets the treatment. You Samsung Galaxy Watch4 devices will also get updated for the next four years.

While 4 years is a big deal in the world of Android, it still pales in comparison to what Apple has been doing over the years though. Their Apple iOS 15.2 is available even to the Apple iPhone 6S, a device launched in 2015. That is seven years of software update and support, which is already normal to Apple iPhone users at this point. That also means that if you are on an Apple iPhone, you may not have to worry about not getting the latest and greatest from Apple until your device is old. That also eliminates the need for you to upgrade every few years or so. That saves you some bucks too, of course.

To be fair, while we are avid fans of the Android ecosystem, we must admit that the manufacturers have horrible track record in keeping their devices relevant for more than two years, let alone three. Earlier Samsung devices would only be updated to the next iteration of Android once before becoming completely irrelevant in the coming months. It is highly annoying, and if you want to be updated, it gets expensive.

Four years, compared to Apple’s seven may still pale in comparison. But it is a start, a commitment at least from Samsung that their devices should remain relevant in the coming years. That also means that if you are on a Samsung Galaxy S21, or even a Galaxy Z Fold3, you can hold off your device upgrade until 2025 or so, and you will be completely fine. Still, we do hope that Samsung and Google can commit to a more robust and stretch their software support to at least five years; we think that is a reasonable amount of time before you upgrade your smartphone.

Android, Mobile, News

The Galaxy Note Series is Back as the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

February 9, 2022 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Samsung isn’t messing around with the Galaxy S series this year. With their refocusing of the Galaxy S22 and S22+, they’re also working on redefining their Galaxy S22 Ultra. After skipping the release of a new Galaxy Note last year, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is being imbued with the DNA and ethos of their most popular lineup.

The new Galaxy S22 Ultra is going through a total makeover this year and it starts with the design and seeps into its features. The first thing you’re going to realise about the new Galaxy S22 Ultra is that it doesn’t even share a hair with the design language of its siblings, the S22 and the S22+. Instead, its design cues hearken from the Galaxy Note series. In fact, it’s even adopted the integrated S-Pen slot! In essence, the Galaxy Note seems to have found new life as the top-of-the-line Galaxy S22 Ultra.

When it comes to materials, the Ultra shares the same materials that were used in its sibling devices. It comes with the same armour aluminium frame sandwiched in Gorilla Glass Victus+ that we see in the S22 and S22+. However, that’s where the similarities end. The Galaxy S22 Ultra adopts a dual-curved design that meets at the middle of the frame for a more ergonomic finish. It also has an angular finish. It has a rectangular silhouette that we saw in the Galaxy Note20+. However, like the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+, the S22 Ultra is also thicker. The thickness gives it a more natural feel in the hand. The S Pen finds itself back where it belongs in a slot on the right side of the device. On the back, the cameras are nearly flush and protected by Gorilla DX.

Making a Note-able Comeback

Speaking of the S Pen, it’s making a note-able comeback. Puns aside, the S Pen on the S22 Ultra is not the same we’ve seen in the Note10. Samsung has worked on making the writing experience on the S22 Ultra an even more natural one. The latency of the S Pen has been reduced even further to 2.8ms. This is done with improvements to the Wacom technology in the S22 Ultra as well as with AI prediction algorithms. The new Wacom IC is more sensitive allowing faster reaction to inputs while AI works in the background to predict the trajectory of the S Pen when in use. This time it will be able to predict multiple trajectories which allow the experience to feel even more instantaneous.

Together with the new hardware and AI, the S Pen is also supported by new software features. The Samsung Notes app is getting a few new features including improved handwriting recognition. You will be able to convert your handwritten notes into tidier typed out notes with a single click. It’s also coming with a new Quick Notes feature which allows you to capture full web pages for your notes. Additionally, it will also be able to work seamlessly with the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 in Collaboration View. This allows you to not only share via nearby share but also work on a larger display when needed. Similarly, Samsung has worked with Clip Studio to allow you to use the S22 Ultra as your colour palette for more precise control of colours in your digital art. You can even use the S22 Ultra’s camera to get colours you can’t get in the palette by snapping a photo and lifting the colour from there.

Packed with Cutting Edge Technology

Of course, it goes without saying that the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s note-able features are supported by the latest technologies. Like the S22 and the S22+. the S22 Ultra is coming with the latest 4nm processor. Depending on the region you’re in, it may be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or the AMD RDNA touting Exynos 2200. The processor will be complemented by either 8GB or 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of internal storage. The S22 Ultra comes with the same 120 Hz capable Dynamic AMOLED 2X display as its siblings albeit in a larger 6.8-inch flavour.

When it comes to the camera, it’s imbued with the same features that are packed in its siblings. However, it comes with a more robust quad camera setup. The main sensor is a 108-megapixel wide sensor with dual pixel autofocus, an f/1.8 aperture and an 85° field of view (FOV). This is complemented with a 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and 120° FOV and two 10-megapixel telephoto sensors. One of which is capable of 3x optical zoom and has an f/2.4 aperture while the other is capable of 10x optical zoom with an f/4.9 aperture. The front camera is a 40-megapixel sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and 80° FOV.

Like the S22 and S22+, the camera of the S22 Ultra comes with new enhancements. The biggest enhancement is the larger pixels of the 108-megapixel sensor which is 1.23 times the size of the pixels of the Galaxy S21. In addition, it utilizes the same nona binning technology for better low light photographs. Galaxy AI enhances this with multi-frame exposure. This means that the camera will take up to 20 frames and use the data in each to get a more detailed picture with better dynamic range. The more capable NPU in the processors of the Galaxy S22 Ultra allows it to process up to 4 times the data. The Galaxy S22 Ultra is also able to shoot in 16-bit RAW which allows for more flexibility when processing pictures.

It also comes with an enhanced super steady mode which allows you to shoot even steadier video at higher resolutions. Portrait mode has also been enhanced with Galaxy AI. A new feature called AI Stereo map captures a more detailed picture of your subject and allows you to adjust everything from the intensity of the bokeh to the light positioning with the new Studio Lighting feature.

Pricing & Availability

The Galaxy S22 Ultra will be available starting February 10, 2022, in Malaysia. It will be available in Phantom White, Phantom Black, Green and Burgundy. Prices for the Galaxy S22 Ultra will start from MYR5,099 (USD$1,218.46) for the lowest variant.

Prices and variants for Malaysia are as below:

Models	RRP
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G 512GB	RM 5,899
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G 256GB	RM 5,499
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G 128GB	RM 5,099

Official Specifications

Android, Mobile, News

Android 12 Based One UI 4.0 is Coming to Samsung Galaxy S21 Devices Near You

November 17, 2021 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

There used to be a time when you want to avoid Samsung if you want fast and timely Operating System (OS) upgrades on your Android devices. Android updates in the early days of Samsung’s Android affair was pushed to Samsung devices way later than other manufacturers. At some point, a Samsung device only gets its major update 6 months after the same OS update was made available from Google itself.

Today, it is a different story though. Samsung is consistently topping charts when it comes to device updates. In the world of Android as well, apart from Google, Samsung has the best track record of timely software upgrades on their devices. They also keep their devices updated and supported longer than any Android manufacturer other than Google themselves currently. There is a reason why Samsung remained at the top spot when it comes to the smartphone market.

Android 12 was just released to the wild less than two months ago. Of course, it appears first on Google’s own range of devices. Of course, the new Google Pixel 6 series launched with Android 12 as part of its package. There was also a tonne of devices that had official Android 12 Beta support, if you wanted to try them. Strangely, Samsung was not too much in a hurry to release their own Beta version of the new OS even when others made theirs available near immediately after Google’s announcement of Android 12. There is a good reason, we think.

Samsung was late to the Beta party because they were busy making sure that they can push out the full version of One UI 4.0 based on Android 12 to market as soon as possible. At least we theorised that this is the case. Prove? One UI 4.0 with Android 12 is now rolling out on Samsung Galaxy S21 devices.

Of course, the update starts in the United States (U.S.) first. That also means we, living in Malaysia, will not be getting our Android 12 updates for the Samsung Galaxy S21 devices just yet. It should not take too long for Samsung to start rolling out updates for devices in Malaysia though, so we are expecting something to happen to your Samsung Galaxy S21 devices within the coming two weeks.

If you are not on a Samsung Galaxy S21 device though, you still should not worry too much. We are a little surprised too to find out that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 will only be getting their Android 12 update in December 2021 though, after the Galaxy S21 devices. The Samsung Galaxy S20 series will be getting their Android 12 update in the same month as the foldables. Even the Note 20 series gets their Android 12 treatment in December 2021.

If you are on anything newer than the Samsung Galaxy S9 or Note9 series, you are in luck to get your Android 12 update in January 2022, at least according to the leaked roadmap. That includes your Galaxy S10 and Note10 devices. Unfortunately, the Galaxy S9 and Note9 will not be getting anymore OS upgrades in the coming future.

Android, Editorial, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked 2021 Event is Happening Tonight! What is Unfolding?

August 11, 2021 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Samsung’s biggest Unpacked event for the year 2021 is happening tonight (11^th August 2021). We say tonight because we are in Malaysia at +0800 GMT and the event will go live at 10.00 p.m. local time. It is also one of the most exciting Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event for a few reasons.

1. No Notes

Samsung has made a name for itself in the innovation industry. They introduced their Galaxy line-up 10 years ago with the first Samsung Galaxy S that went on the be one of the best-selling, if not the best-selling smartphone in its day. It showed what and Android smartphone is capable of in the hands of an experienced mobile phone manufacturer. It propelled Samsung into the limelight of modern smartphone world too.

A year later they introduced a smartphone that was heavily criticized by pundits around the world. It was a humungous device that comes with an accessory that was thought to be dead, or rather old fashioned. The first Samsung Galaxy Note was not received very well at all initially (I liked the idea though). But the Galaxy Note line-up was later known as one of the devices that really defined Samsung as a smartphone brand and sealed its hold of the Android smartphone market.

Sadly, we are not going to be getting any new Samsung Galaxy Note devices this year. As per Samsung’s reports from the end of 2020 and early 2021, the Samsung Galaxy Note series will be laid to rest and will be discontinued. There are still rumours surfacing around a final Samsung Galaxy Note device coming in 2022, but we are not entirely hopeful. This is the first time as well in 10 years that Samsung is not launching a Samsung Galaxy Note device for the year.

2. Folding and Flipping into the Future

While we may not be getting Samsung’s behemoth of the Galaxy Note, they are replacing the line-up with two larger than life devices though. They are replacing the Galaxy Note line-up with two foldable devices: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip series. As with any one of Samsung’s innovative devices, these two series have had their fair share of hardships and critics.

While most of the flaws of the first product was sort of corrected when Samsung launched their Galaxy Z Flip device in the same year, its price point is still higher than any flagship device that came before. It was not as stacked, in terms of specifications, as the other flagships around it too. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 last year fixed even more of the Galaxy Fold’s flaw, but it was still the most expensive mass-produced smartphone you can get in 2020.

Thing is Samsung is betting its future in foldable devices. Since Samsung launched the Samsung Galaxy Fold in 2019, other smartphone manufacturers have started taking notice. Since then, Motorola made the new Razr with a foldable display, HUAWEI also made their foldable line-up (2020) to mimic the form factor of the Samsung Galaxy Fold, OnePlus teased a foldable device just today, and even OPPO is jumping to the bandwagon of a shapeshifting smartphone with rollable displays.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

There are still plenty of unknowns surrounding the new behemoth flagship that is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. Like we pointed out, Samsung is betting on foldable devices. The S Pen feature remains a Samsung special though, as we saw on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

That same S Pen capability is touted to be coming to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold line-up too. It makes sense, since the device opens to a large form factor device that would mimic a tablet. Although we are not entirely sure if the S Pen storage is integrated within the body of the Z Fold 3.

The Z Fold 3 is expected to pack Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 5G System on a Chip (SoC). Although we would also like to see Samsung’s own Exynos SoC powering the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3; chances are, we are only going to be seeing a new Exynos chip in the coming year 2022 instead on the Samsung Galaxy S22, or whatever they decide to name the next device. The Snapdragon 888 5G SoC is considered the most powerful chip available for Android devices though, so it may not necessarily be a bad thing.

It will also come with up to 12GB of RAM, as we have seen on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. Alongside the ample sized RAM is storage choices from 256GB onward to 512GB. It might make sense for Samsung to up the ante this time with 1TB storage though, since there will be no MicroSD support for the device.

Like the previous Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, there are two displays you can work with on the Z Fold 3, obviously. One is an external display that is supposed to measure at 6.2-inch covered by durable gorilla glass and producing a little more than 720p in terms of resolution. You get a 7.6-inch in display real estate that boasts a little more that QHD+ in resolution inside. Of course, each of the display gets their own punch hole cameras.

Like the older device too, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is supposed to come with a triple camera array that is reportedly packing three 12-megapixel sensors for different functions. This is not a device made for ultimate photography, so that is quite understandable.

In terms of battery, it seems like Samsung might have shrunk it a little bit. The previous Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 had a 4,500mAh battery. While it seems like it makes more sense to fit a similarly sized battery on the upcoming foldable, Samsung is looking to put a 4,400mAh battery to keep its weight down. It could also be an indication to an S Pen cargo hold.

There are also rumours pointing to multiple versions of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, which also means there might be a more affordable option for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. That is good news if Samsung is planning to bet its future on the foldable devices.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3

We are also expecting to see a certain clamshell device to make the event tonight. It is the successor to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip we saw in 2019 too. Instead of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 2, they jumped straight into naming the upcoming device the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3. As we have discussed in our podcast, it could be because Samsung treated the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G as its second-generation model. It could also to simplify Samsung’s product range and their naming scheme.

More recent leaks show that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 device will be more of lifestyle-centric device. It is supposed to come in more colours than before with a more industrial and minimalistic design language. Apparently also, the device is supposed to come with a larger and more functional external display compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip’s.

Of course, the Z Flip 3 will still command a reasonably premium pricing. You are still getting Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 5G platform. You are also supposed to be getting up to 8GB in RAM and 256GB in storage.

You should get a similarly sized internal display at 6.7-inch that boasts Full HD+ resolutions with up to 120Hz in refresh rate. We do not expect the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 to come with S Pen capabilities though. Because the device is supposed to be more pocketable than the Z Fold 3, it will come with a rather small 3,300mAh battery and also two cameras on the outside rather than the three you get on the Z Fold 3.

3. New Wear OS in the form of One UI for the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch Active 4

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is supposed to be coming, and for the first time ever, it does not come with Samsung’s own Tizen OS for the Galaxy Watch. It is also the first smartwatch to come with Google’s brand-new Wear OS 3, albeit in a Samsung Galaxy flavour.

Samsung calls the new UI the One UI. They have also confirmed that One UI is based on Google’s latest Wear OS 3. It is also the culmination of Samsung and Google’s partnership to creating a unified Android smartwatch ecosystem. In some sense, it is Google’s attempt to not just improve Wear OS, it is Google finally taking wearable devices seriously.

Wear OS 3 is touted to come with a slew of improvements not just on its own functions. With Samsung’s input from the success of their Tizen OS for wearable series, there are new functions that are integrated into Wear OS as well. At the same time, Samsung and Google Both benefit from an expansion in terms of developer base.

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 series is supposed to come with Samsung’s very own Exynos SoC with 5nm process. That also means that it should be Samsung’s most powerful smartwatch so far. At the same time, the new SoC is supposed to allow for a longer lasting battery alongside Wear OS 3.

Reportedly, there are supposed to be more sensors withing the watch for even more accurate health tracking with even more data that can be collected. One such sensor is supposed to be able to detect your blood sugar level.

In term of design though, we are expecting the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series, including its Active counterpart, to come in similar design languages as before. The rotating bezel that acts as a navigation tool should also make a comeback in the Watch 4 series. Of course, the two physical buttons will not be going away anytime soon.

There are supposed to be three sizes that users can choose from in the range. There will be a 42mm, a 44mm, and 46mm watch sizes that should fit a larger variety of users and preferences instead of the two 42mm and 46mm choices from before. All of them comes with 20mm lugs though, for standardisation purposes. They are also supposed to come in either aluminium or stainless-steel build material choices. Either builds will still be 5ATM water resistant and MIL-STC-810G certified though.

4. One UI 4.0 on Android 12

Android 12 has been on beta testing mode for a while now. Google is expecting the first Android 12 devices to be rolling out in September 2021 onward. They are even updating their Google Pixel devices in about the same time frame, which also means we can expect Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 to come with Android 12 with their very own iconic One UI 4.0 flavour.

One UI, if you are not yet familiar with it, is Samsung’s custom skin on top on Android. While One UI started out its early life as TouchWiz UI, the new One UI design language has been dialed back from TouchWiz UX that technically existed since the first Samsung Galaxy S. One UI, while sort of retains some of the old charm from TouchWiz UX, is a completely different beast of an overlay though.

It cleans up the UX to the point that it is near barebones on top of Android. Of course, to ensure that Android on Samsung Galaxy devices takes full advantage of what Samsung’s devices are capable of, One UI still has to add some functionalities to Android as well.

The look and feel of One UI, in the Android world at least, is one that is quite unique to Samsung though, and one of the most intuitive out there. Thanks to Samsung’s own optimisation as well, you cannot possibly think using a Samsung device without the power of One UI. It is especially true when you start working with devices such as Samsung’s Galaxy Note series.

One UI 4.0 though will focus on bringing the best out Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip capabilities. It will optimise Android to the odd display aspect ratio on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 for example. One UI 4.0 will also expand on the multitasking capabilities of Android 12 on the foldable devices, obviously.

Of course, One UI 4.0 does not only highlight the benefits of Samsung’s foldable devices. It will also embrace Android’s Material You design language. In that sense it should be even more customisable for its users. The amount of customisation should reflect very well on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3. No two devices you pick up will be the same.

5. Samsung Galaxy Buds 2

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds started out life as the Samsung IconX. The IconX also kickstarted the whole True Wireless earphones (TWS) industry on its own. It also put Samsung on a path to becoming a one stop shop for all things mobile and seamless integration for Android devices. It spawned the Samsung Galaxy Buds in 2019.

Since then, there has been many iterations that comes from the humble Samsung Galaxy Buds. While capturing completely different markets, the Samsung Galaxy Buds was often compared to its Apple competition, the AirPods. Since then, the TWS earphones market has grown tremendously too, in terms of market size, demand, and even technology.

The new Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 is supposed to feature Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) technology. It is also reportedly an improved ANC technology that came on Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro. In that sense, there are also more ANC controls on Samsung’s Wearable app too. The ANC is supposed to be capable of blocking out 98% of noise.

In its IPX7 rated body (supposedly) is a powerful 11mm driver and 6.5mm tweeter. It also houses a battery that sllows the Galaxy Buds 2 to last up to 5 hours from a single charge. Its case is supposed come with three extra charges to give it 20 hours of total battery life. We are also expecting Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 to connect to smartphones via Bluetooth 5.2.

All Will be Revealed Tonight at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021

Of course, everything we have written here is a collection of speculations and even hopes that Samsung addresses problems with their older devices. We are extremely excited about Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 with Google Wear OS for the first time. It is also the first time we are looking at Google Wear OS 3 with Samsung’s input.

Everything will be revealed and announced tonight at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021 though. Of course, due to the current pandemic situation, Samsung will not be holding a LIVE physical event. Instead, they will be holding the global press conference online. You can watch Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event LIVE on YouTube. We are also including the stream link here, so that you can just watch the announcement here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7ixp-XwqGI&t=4s

Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Samsung’s new Foldable Smartphones Launching in Galaxy Unpacked Event on August 11th

July 21, 2021 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 2 was quite a brilliant device. We reviewed it, and we have plenty of good things to say about the device. Of course, no device is perfect; we had a few things we did not like too much on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 as well. For example, we did not particularly like how it was priced. Then again, it is a one-of-a-kind device.

Since the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 was released and reviewed though, everyone talks about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, its predecessor. When the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 launched too, there is another smartphone device that the crowd was wondering about – the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 2, a certain follow up to Samsung’s brilliant first flip smartphone with a foldable touch display.

Samsung just released a new visual for an upcoming Galaxy event. Alongside the very telling visual is also a date; 11^th August 2021. Indeed, Samsung confirms that the next Galaxy Unpacked event will happen in August 2021 and on the 11^th of the month.

The upcoming August Unpacked event should be a big one though. While the previous August Unpacked events have been a Samsung Galaxy Note event, this will be the first August Unpacked event that will not have a Samsung Galaxy Note device announced. We all knew this day would come though; the day that Samsung cancels the Samsung Galaxy Note series. Of course, it was rumoured for some time now. We were also expecting that Samsung releases one last Galaxy Note device in 2021, but the whole global situation had other plans and Samsung had scrapped that plan and might show up with one last Galaxy Note in 2022.

Back into the Galaxy Unpacked event and its visual. While Samsung did not mention that they are going to be launching a new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and a Z Flip device, all rumours points to the devices being launched. Rumours and expectations are also pointing to new Samsung Galaxy Watch devices launching in the event itself. The visuals does confirm some of the rumours and expectations of the event with two silhouettes of Samsung’s famous foldable and flip devices.

The new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is expected to come with all-new, all-improved internals. There are some talks about beefing up the display’s integrity and adding S Pen capabilities to the device as well. That could very well mean that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 2 might get S Pen capabilities too. Although, with Samsung’s move with the S Pen being a separate accessory for the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, that would most likely be the case with the foldable devices too.

For what its worth though, you can expect Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 2 to be beasts. The devices are rumoured to pack Samsung’s latest chip technology and innovation. You can expect at least Samsung Galaxy S21 levels of hardware in the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 at least. The only issue is that we still expect the prices to be in the regions of what we saw in last year’s Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2. At least we are getting chargers in the package this time, right? We are getting the charging adapter in the box, right Samsung?

Computers, Mobile, News

Samsung Launches the Samsung Galaxy Book at US$ 549

April 30, 2021 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Samsung’s Galaxy name is not just stuck to smart home products and smartphones anymore with the most recent Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event (April). Now, you can find the Samsung Galaxy name on notebooks. To be fair, this is not the first Galaxy notebook there is, but the last Galaxy notebook did not arrive in Malaysia and was short lived.

This is supposed to be different though, this Samsung Galaxy Book. It is supposed to be better, more seamless, more integrated. It is no Samsung Galaxy Book Pro though, so you cannot expect the same thin and light experience.

It is not that much thicker though at 15.4mm. You do not get the beautiful display that is the AMOLED panel from the Galaxy Book Pro, but it is still an expansive 15.6-inch display pushing Full HD in resolution. With up to an 11^th generation Intel Core i7 supported by an NVIDIA GeForce MX450, the Samsung Galaxy Book can still be one powerful workhorse for all your entertainment and work needs.

You also get to opt for up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage for all kinds of multitasking needs. If you think that 1TB is a little small, you can expand with another SSD slot within the svelte body of the Samsung Galaxy Book. Covering all the internals is also the same Pro Keyboard you would find on the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360.

For all day battery you get a 54Wh battery pack within the Galaxy Book. Of course, unlike its Intel EVO approved sisters, you might want to carry the charger around with you. It is the same 65W charger you get from the Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360 though. That means carrying and deploying your charger is not more of a hassle than charging your smartphones with USB Type-C charging.

While you do not get a lot of the same hardware treatment from the Galaxy Book Pro series, the Samsung Galaxy Book is also one capable Samsung device that should fit into your Galaxy lifestyle easily. It still allows you to work with a Samsung Galaxy tablet as a secondary display. Link to Windows and Your Phone app works better than ever now too. The Galaxy Book also connects to your Galaxy Buds easily with Easy Bluetooth connection.

Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung

The Samsung Galaxy Book is available in Mystic Silver and Mystic Blue colour options. The notebook will be available 14^th May 2021 onward in selected markets at US$ 549 (MYR 2,253*). There are no information or confirmation on its availability and pricing for the local (Malaysia) market just yet. For more information on the Samsung Galaxy Book, you can head over to Samsung’s website.

*Based on approximate exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.10 as of 30/04/2021

Computers, Mobile, News

Samsung Unpacked Event Launches the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360

April 29, 2021 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Samsung just had an unpacked event last night and we found it quite odd. We did not expect a major unpacked event to happen at this time of the year. Still, it happened, and they launched something we did not really expect them to launch since a few years ago.

Welcome to Samsung’s first notebook PC product in many years. Welcome to the Samsung Galaxy Book ecosystem. First on the menu, are the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360.

We are going to assume that the Samsung Galaxy Book and Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 is the premium thin and light in their expanding stables of notebook products. The Galaxy Book Pro is light though at less than a kg. Specifically, it weighs just a little under 870g (13.3-inch). The 15.6-inch variant is not that much heavier too at a maximum of 1.15kg.

The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360 are Intel EVO certified platforms with some new tricks up their sleeves to make it even more seamless for users than ever; we will talk about this later. Intel EVO also means that it packs Intel’s latest 11^th Generation Core i7 (up to) to boot. Alongside Intel’s Core processors also is a very capable Intel Iris Xe Graphics. You can opt for an NVIDIA GeForce MX450 discrete GPU (Galaxy Book Pro 15.6-inch) too if you want to and it is available in your region. The powerful Intel processor can be matched to an ample 32GB (up to) of RAM to make quick work of your tasks on the Galaxy Book Pro. It even packs up to 1TB of SSD space to store all the important documents and even your videos.

There is more inside the Galaxy Book Pro and the Galaxy Book Pro 360 though. All Samsung Galaxy Book Pro models, including the 360, packs WiFi 6E capabilities for smooth, stable network experience anywhere they can find WiFi signals. The Galaxy Book Pro 360 (13.3-inch) even has a SIM tray with 5G capabilities. The Galaxy Book Pro (13.3-inch) only has LTE capable SIM tray at this point, but LTE is plenty useful too when you are constantly on the go.

Both the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360 comes with AMOLED (Super AMOLED for Galaxy Book Pro 360) display pushing images at Full HD 1080p resolution. What that means is that you get crisp, saturated, vivid, and very pretty images and videos on your Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360 notebooks. Thanks to the added colour accuracy, editing photos and videos on the notebook should be an experience. You can even edit your photos via Samsung’s own Gallery app now ported to Windows on the Samsung Galaxy Book series.

They have redesigned the keyboard as well for a better typing experience. The new Pro Keyboard, as they know it, supposedly features an optimum key travel of up to 1mm and is designed to be quieter and softer than ever before. All that allows for a smooth and comfortable typing experience especially when you are working on long emails. The Pro Keyboard is also a repositioning of the keyboard to maximise your typing position and therefore maximizing the trackpad for a more intuitive navigation through Windows 10.

Both notebooks in the series receive AKG’s treatment for audio with Dolby Atmos certification. That also means immersive sound on both ultrabooks. You even get to immerse yourself in movies even longer with up to 20 hours of video playback time and 16 hours in work/play time from the battery. Of course, that is what is being quoted by Samsung anyway, we have not had our chances to put it through our paces, so we can only take Samsung’s word for it at this time. Both notebooks also come with 65W Fast Charging via USB Type-C ports. The chargers are included of course. You can use the same charger to fast charge your Samsung Galaxy S21 device too.

What’s more impressive is that they managed to fit both the Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360 with a full-sized HDMI, and a full-sized USB Type-A port into the slim bodies of both notebooks. But that is really not the most impressive part of the notebook. The most impressive part of the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360 is how well they seem to integrate Samsung’s own ecosystem into Windows, and how Samsung integrates their Android experience into Windows.

Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung

If you are already a Samsung device user, you get to benefit plenty from the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360. For one, you get a very familiar S-Pen on the Galaxy Book Pro 360. It is about as big as the one you get from the Samsung Galaxy Tab S, and it is as brilliant, supposedly. But if you own a Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 for example, you get to treat that tablet as a secondary display. It is a secondary touch sensitive display too, so you can naturally draw on the tablet and transfer it to the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro series instantly and seamlessly.

Easy Bluetooth Connection automatically detects other Samsung devices like the Samsung’s Buds earphones line-up for example, or even the Galaxy Watch devices. That also means you do not have to dig through Window’s annoying Bluetooth settings to pair up your earphones and synchronize your Samsung Bluetooth devices. But Samsung’s collaboration with Windows also means that it is now easier than ever to link your Android smartphone to windows with Link to Windows and Your Phone app. You need not download DeX anymore to get your device to seamlessly work on Windows.

You even get access to Smart Things within the Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360 to control all your smart home products from your notebook instead of your smartphone. Quick Share is now a part of the Windows ecosystem so you can start sharing any files instantly to Android devices in your vicinity quickly and seamlessly. These are truly the next step to integrate your devices into a single ecosystem, a way to access everything anytime, anywhere, every time, everywhere.

Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung

Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung

The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360 will be available May 14^th onward in selected markets. The Galaxy Book Pro starts at US$ 999 (MYR 4,098*) and is available in Mystic Silver, Mystic Blue, and Mystic Pink Gold colour options. The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 starts at US$ 1,099 (MYR 4,509*) and is available in Mystic Navy, Mystic Silver, and Mystic Bronze colour options. There are no confirmation or information currently on its availability or official pricing in the local (Malaysia) Market. For more information on the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360, you can head over to Samsung’s website.

* Based on approximate exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.10 as of 29/04/2021

Accessories, Android, Consumer Electronics, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Samsung’s Galaxy Upcycling Programme Turns Your Old Smartphones into an IoT device!

April 22, 2021 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

There is a problem with the smartphone and smart device industry today. That problem is accentuated by the accelerated growth of the industry as well. It is not just a localised problem, mind you.

That problem is electronic waste. Technically, electronic waste has started becoming a problem since electronics have become a part of our lives. Today, electronics are an excessively big part of our lives. Wherever you go, you carry your smartphones with you. Every where you go too, you are exposed to at least one electronic display that is not your smartphone. When these devices go out of phase and gets replaced, it becomes electronic waste. We are sure you could be spared from the lecture though.

In that case, plenty of the current electronics manufacturers look for ways to reduce their own electronic waste, or waste in general in some cases. Apple claimed that they are reducing their own electronic wastes by not including charging adapters when you buy your Apple iPhone 12 series devices. Samsung followed suit with their Samsung Galaxy S20 devices. Superficial or not, you have to admit that your old chargers are still effective in charging your modern devices, albeit at a slightly lower speed (that also protects your battery a little bit).

Samsung also took liberties in redesigning their packaging so that users can opt to repurpose their unused packaging for some other purposes, like a pencil holder or something. This is all part of their Galaxy Upcycling Programme, very clever stuff. But your old smartphones are still collecting dust in your drawer.

With SmartThings Labs though, your old Samsung Galaxy devices can stop collecting dust in your drawer and be a smart home accessory. Of course, this is not a new thing that we have heard about. Samsung has been talking about upcycling their older Galaxy devices into an IoT device for a couple of years now, correct us if we are wrong.

Via SmartThings Labs within the SmartThings app on a Galaxy device, your old device can now become an enhanced sound and light sensor. The implementation uses Galaxy’s improved Artificial Intelligence (AI) to accurately distinguish sounds in its surroundings. It can even record certain sounds too, if you want it to. You can get it to record knocks, dogs barking, baby crying, and even cat meowing. If any of those sounds are recorded, it will send notification to your current smartphone of choice and you can listen to the recording yourself. Nothing too new here, except you do not need the camera function.

Other than sounds, Samsung Galaxy device can be turned into a light sensor. Thanks to the existing light sensor on your smartphones, the Galaxy devices can measure the brightness level of a room quite accurately. That could also be an indication to automatically turn on the lights in a room or even adjust the brightness level of your TV through SmartThings.

What makes it cleverer is that Samsung’s SmartThings implementation to make your device a smart sensor for sounds and lights technically reduces its battery consumption as well. Your smartphones already uses its mic and light sensors constantly anyway, which also means that they devices already consume minimal battery life on their own. With the implementation though, Samsung also introduces their very own battery optimisation solution to minimise battery consumption. We suspect that the implementation turns off other sensors in favour of the sensors the device has exclusive access to for the purpose of measuring light and sounds. So, is this another glorified light sensor? Sort of, but it is a start.

Design

Hardware

Specifications

User Interface – One UI Full Flex

Settings Menu

Spotify

YouTube

Gmail

Plenty to Work On

The Fold, Now with S Pen

Performance

Benchmark

Call Quality and Connectivity

Gaming

Multitasking and Productivity

Battery Life

Displays & Audio

Secondary Display

Main Display

Under Display Cam – Not Just a Hole

Cameras

Gallery

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 – The Z Fold2, just Better Everywhere

Making a Note-able Comeback

Packed with Cutting Edge Technology

Pricing & Availability

Official Specifications

1. No Notes

2. Folding and Flipping into the Future

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3

3. New Wear OS in the form of One UI for the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch Active 4

4. One UI 4.0 on Android 12

5. Samsung Galaxy Buds 2

All Will be Revealed Tonight at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021

Tech Your Way