Tag Archives: Samsung

Accessories, Computers, Gaming, Lifestyle, News

Samsung Launches the Odyssey Neo G9 – The Future of Gaming by Samsung is Here

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Ultrawide monitors are amazing technologies. We love an ultrawide monitor because it eliminates the need for us to run two monitors at the same time. It is also sort of a more economical way of running multiple monitors in terms of space. Instead of having to fit two monitor stands, you only need one.

Ultrawide monitors are great for gaming too, in our opinions at least. You see more of the gaming world. You get more information from the environment around you. In games like Horizon Zero Dawn, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, you get a little more immersion and situational awareness from an ultrawide view. When you go into racing games like Forza Horizon, or Assetto Corsa, or even Need for Speed titles for that matter, you get to go full immersive mode by putting yourself into the cockpit of the racing car and having all your information on one display. You only need to swivel your head to find information you need in your cockpit.

Imagine our excitement when Samsung first announced their Odyssey G9, a 49-inch gaming monitor that is a beast to work with. It packed dual 1440p displays to create a 32:9 aspect ratio that is quite unheard of. It also pushes the envelope of gaming with up to 240Hz in refresh rate, higher than any high-end monitor that boasts 1440p QHD in resolution.

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Source: Samsung

Samsung has upped the ante when it comes to the ultimate gaming monitor though. They have introduced the behemoth that is the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9. To be fair to the monitor too, the technologies fitted to it sounds more like a high-end television than a gaming monitor.

It did not lose any heft and size at 49-inch. It has not lost that ultrawide magic too at 32:9 aspect ratio on the display. At 1000R, the curvature is exactly the same as the older Odyssey G9 too. In fact, side-by-side, the Neo G9 and the original G9 looks practically the same.

Dig deeper though, and you find a world of difference in the Odyssey Neo G9 compared to the original Odyssey G9. You now find a Quantum Mini LED panel to push the same 5,120 by 1,440 pixels (Dual QHD) out of the ultrawide 49-inch display. That means more brilliant colours and brighter display.

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Source: Samsung

You get 12-bit colour depth over the 8-bit on the original G9, far more colours also mean smoother colour gradients and better lighting control on the display itself leading to more realistic and accurate colour representation from the display. At 2,048 dimming zones compared to 10 in the previous generation G9 too, the Neo G9 ensures that there are no halos on your images sitting over dark backgrounds which adds to your immersion and image accuracy. At Quantum HDR 2000 with peak brightness of 2,000 nits and 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, black and white on the display are as black and as white as they can get.

It is an impressive feat, fitting high-end television features to a gaming monitor. What is even more impressive is that the Odyssey Neo G9 is not just a regular high-end TV in a 49-inch ultrawide guise. It comes packing the latest HDMI 2.1 to take advantage of a higher data transfer bandwidth to fully take advantage of the 240Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time on the panel. It even has both NVIDIA G-SYNC and AMD’s FreeSync Premium Pro capabilities to ensure you get the best gaming experience on either platform.

To cap the whole thing off though, the rear of the monitor features a new infinity core lighting that features up to 52 colours with five lighting effects. It also comes with a new CoreSync feature that syncs the lighting system to your games to create a higher level of immersion in games. The only issue with that system is that you do want to be in a dark room and your monitor should be facing a wall to fully experience the capabilities of CoreSync.

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    Source: Samsung
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The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 with Quantum Mini LED will be available globally by the 9th of August 2021. Pre-order starts on the 29th of July 2021 and it will be priced at US$ 2,499.99 (MYR 10,575.26*). There are no colour options when it comes to the shell though, but if you place and use the Odyssey Neo G9 the right way, you will not be noticing the white coloured shell all that much anyway. More information on the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 with Quantum Mini LED can be found on their website.

*approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.23 on xe.com as of 27/07/2021

Accessories, Android, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Google Just Revealed the Name of Their New Wearable Platform

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Nope, it is nothing revolutionary new. They call it the Wear OS 3, and nothing more. The name of the upcoming update to Google’s Wear OS is less revealing of the updates that is coming for Google’s wearable platform though.

Google Wear OS 3 can be seen as the biggest overhaul to the platform since its introduction. It started out, at least for us, when Google and Samsung announced their collaboration and commitment to smartwatches in the 2021 edition of Google I/O. The announcement from Samsung only means that the South Korean electronics giant is abandoning Tizen OS that they have developed and nursed over the years over Google’s Wear OS.

To be fair, while that is a huge commitment from Samsung, it is also a sensible move for them. It means that Samsung gets to merge their existing developer base to Google Wear OS’ larger developer base. It only means that they get more content and potentially more features for their Samsung Galaxy Watch platform too.

Source; Google

For Google, having a partner that is considered the best in the business with plenty more accolades than themselves means a lot more than just getting a helping hand. Sure, the extra hand in developing Wear OS is great. It is also a great way to understand how Samsung made the Galaxy Watch brand the brand that it is. Their partnership with Samsung is also quite natural in a lot of ways, since Samsung has been one of Google’s strongest partner brands in the Android smartphone world. Partly, it also means that Google have one less thing spend resources for development.

Samsung announced a few weeks ago that their upcoming Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, suspected to be launching in the August 11th Galaxy Unpacked event, will be the first in their line-up and the probably the world to be running this new mash up of Google’s Wear OS and Tizen OS. They called it their One UI; of course. But One UI is just an overlay of the Operating System (OS) that is the Wear OS. At that point, it was nameless.

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Source: Samsung

Google sort of announced Wear OS 3 about 15 hours ago. While it was not a revolutionary name, it is a significant update over the older Wear OS. They have started detailing which devices will get the update, for example. Most of the older generation hardware will not be getting Wear OS 3, unfortunately. In that case, if you are running a Wear device that has existed in the market for more than a year, you might want to consider retiring it and getting a new one. Of course, we will tell you to wait for the first Google Wear OS 3 devices to hit the market first before deciding.

One of Google’s biggest Wear OS device partners, Fossil has confirmed that they will be updating some of their latest generation smartwatches to Google Wear OS 3 in the coming months. They are also promising new generation wearables later on after the launch of Wear OS 3. While not officially available in Malaysia, you might want to consider looking at Mobvoi’s latest generation smartwatches if you want something that can be updated to Wear OS 3. Of course, if you can wait until September 2021, why not just get the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4?

The next big update to Wear OS, the Wear OS 3 is expected to come to watches launching in this half of the year onward. You can expect Samsung to also be among the first manufacturers to boast Google Wear OS 3, albeit in their own One UI skin. Updates to current generation smartwatches to Wear OS 3 is expected to come in in the mid of 2022 onward.

Lifestyle, Mobile, News

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

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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; 11th August 2021. Indeed, Samsung confirms that the next Galaxy Unpacked event will happen in August 2021 and on the 11th 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?

Android, Mobile, News

[MWC 2021] Samsung Shows Off One UI Watch for Upcoming Galaxy Watch 4

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It has been nearly a month since Google’s I/O keynote. In that same time, we were reeling back from the shock we got from the keynote itself about Google and Samsung joining hands to co-develop Android Wear moving forward. That announcement also means that Samsung is abandoning their Tizen OS for future Galaxy Watches. It also seems like Samsung might give up on the idea of their own unique looking UI on their smart watches with the announcement. Now, it does not seem so.

They call it the One UI, and yes, it is based on Google’s Android Wear UI. At least according to Samsung, One UI is developed and built jointly with Google for the Galaxy Watch platform. It is meant to be a unified platform that combines the best of both Google’s wearable platform and Samsung’s Watch platform.

All this is meant to create a Galaxy Watch experience that is familiar but somewhat new to users. But at the same time, the new One UI platform is designed to be more integrated with your Android smartphones as well. That also means that you get a more unified experience between your smartphone and your Galaxy Watch.

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Source: Samsung

With the new One UI, the Galaxy Watch responds almost simultaneously with your Android smartphone. For example, if you change the information you want on your clock app on your smartphone, the changes will be reflected on your Watch as well. When you download apps with a complementing app for the Watch, your Watch downloads and installs the complementing apps at the same time too. When you block calls or messages from your smartphone, that gets directly translated on your Watch as well.

The biggest difference between the older Tizen OS powered Galaxy Watch and the new upcoming One UI powered Galaxy Watch is where you get your apps. One UI gets all its apps from Google’s trusty Play store. That should be good news to Galaxy Watch users though. It means you get access to popular apps like Google Maps, and YouTube music, finally.

Samsung is not the only one that gets the benefits of this partnership though. Samsung is bringing their clever watch face design tool for developers into the Android Wear ecosystem. That also means that designing watch faces for Android Wear is even easier now. More watch faces is always better, especially if you can get great looking watch faces from the Galaxy Watch ecosystem.

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Source: Samsung

Of course, the new One Ui unified platform from the Samsung and Google partnership will be featured in the new upcoming Samsung Galaxy Watch device. The full functionalities of One UI will also be announced and showcased in the upcoming Samsung Unpacked event. There are already leaks of how the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 floating around on the internet, and all of those gets us more excited about Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 that is coming soon.

Gaming, Lifestyle, News

Samsung Flattens the Curve in Odyssey Gaming Monitor Lineup

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Samsung’s Odyssey Gaming Monitor lineup has been the talk of the town since it debuted last year. Last year, the company introduced two models which stole the limelight with their curves. This year, it looks like Samsung’s Odyssey Gaming Monitors are flattening the curve, bringing more options for gamers.

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Source: Samsung

The expanded line up still brings the hallmark features of the Samsung Odyssey lineup with high refresh rates, NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync compatibility and most importantly, Samsung display technology which infuse more vivid, vibrant colours to the gaming experience. The four new models span three lineups: the premium G7, the balanced G5 and the affordable G3.

The largest of the new additions to the line up is the Odyssey G7 (G70A) which comes with a large, 28-inch display. The display comes with VESA DisplayHDR 400 which certifies it for colour accuracy and vibrance. It comes with a Ultra High Definition (UHD) resolution of 3,840 x 1,260 pixels and has a 1ms gray-to-gray (GTG) response. For those looking for high refresh rates, the Odyssey G7 comes with 144Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 400cd/m3 . It also comes with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-Sync compatibility. The G7 is also the model with the widest array of ports coming with a Display Port 1.4, 2 HDMI 2.1 ports, and 3 USB 3.0 ports.

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Source: Samsung

The Odyssey G5 (G50A) comes with a slightly smaller 27-inch display with a Quad HD (QHD) resolution of 2,560×1,440 pixels. It has HDR10 certification for colour accuracy and vibrance. It has a peak brightness of 350cd/m3 and also comes with 1ms GTG response time. However, it has a higher 165Hz refresh rate with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-Sync compatibility. Both the G5 and G7 support low input lag mode which allows for better latency while gaming. They also have support for Samsung’s Super Arena Gaming UX and CoreSync Lighting. The G5 only comes with 2 inputs: 1 Display Port 1.2 and 1 HDMI 2.0 port.

The G3 (G30A) comes in 27-inch and 24-inch sizes. Like the other monitors announced, it has a 16:9 aspect ratio but only has a peak brightness of 250cd/m3 – the lowest among the bunch. It comes with a Full HD resolution of 1.920×1,080 pixels with a 1ms motion picture response time (MPRT). Like the G7 it has a 144Hz refresh rate. However, it only supports AMD’s FreeSync Premium and doesn’t support the various features mentioned above in the G5 and G7. On the ports front, it has two ports: 1 Display Port 1.2 and 1 HDMI 1.4.

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Source: Samsung

Pricing & Availability

The Samsung Odyssey monitors will start being available globally starting on 21 June 2021. No Pricing has been announced internationally.

Computers, Mobile, News

Samsung’s Galaxy Book Go and Galaxy Book Go 5G Brings Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Compute Platform to Windows.

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Qualcomm has been teasing their Snapdragon platform to run on PC and Windows for a while now. To be fair, the possibility of having a Snapdragon SoC running Windows is not such a far-fetched idea. The processing chips that have been staple for Android, at least on the flagships, are already as powerful, if not more powerful than a regular CPU made by Intel and AMD. They are also a lot more power efficient, which also means that it runs cooler and benefits battery life.

While they have been teasing, there are no notable products to put the concept into practice. The closest we got to a modern Qualcomm Snapdragon compute platform on Windows is the JOI Book SK3000, an attempt at creating an affordable notebook by a Malaysian firm. To be fair, we see a lot of potential from that attempt, even if they are using a somewhat dated System on a Chip (SoC) that was not even made for Windows.

 Today though, all that is about to change with Samsung’s introduction of the Samsung Galaxy Book Go. The new Galaxy Book Go comes in three variants too, for good measure. The regular Galaxy Book Go can be fitted with LTE connectivity, but there is a 5G variant. Naturally, two variants also mean two different SoCs. The standard Galaxy Book Pro with or without LTE comes with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7c  Gen 2 platform and the Galaxy Book Pro 5G comes with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 platform.

Source: Samsung

Again, because the power consumption requirements are lower than before, the notebook is touted to have an all-day battery life. Even if you need to plug it into a wall socket, your 25W charger should be larger than a smartphone charger. Thanks to USB Type-C too, you can charge your smartphone using the same charger. All of that also, while remaining constantly connected to the internet.

It features a 14-inch Full HD display with slim bezels to fit a body that is likened to an old 13-inch notebook. eUFS memory (up to 128GB) also means that you get instant boot and load speeds from the Galaxy Book Go. With up to 8GB of RAM, Windows 10 should be running nicely without too much strain. On top of all of that is Dolby Atmos certified speakers for all kinds of entertainment needs.

All of that power is packed into a body that is 14.9mm thick, or thin, depending on how you look at it. It could be thinner, but they do need a little bit of space to fit a full-sized USB Type-A port on the side of the Galaxy Book Go. Still, it only weighs 1.38kg and it does not need a fan to run a whole day.

Source: Samsung

It is very much a Samsung product though with Galaxy ecosystem a part of the Samsung Galaxy Book Go. The Galaxy Book Go works nicely with Link to Windows and Microsoft’s Your Phone app on your Android device. With Smart Switch also, you can easily transfer settings from your old PC to the Galaxy Book Go quickly and easily. There is even SmartThings built into the Galaxy Book Go for all kinds of IoT use at home.

The Samsung Galaxy Book Go Wi-Fi and LTE will be available in select market June 2021 onward. The selected markets does not include Malaysia at this time though. If you are in a market where the Samsung Galaxy Book Go with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 platform is available, it starts at US$ 349 (MYR 1,439*). The Samsung Galaxy Book Go 5G variant will be available sometime later in the year 2021. For more information on the Samsung Galaxy Book Go and other Samsung products, you can visit their website.

*Based on approximate exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.12 as of 03/06/2021 on xe.com

Accessories, Computers, Lifestyle, News

Samsung Smart Monitors go Bigger and Smaller than Ever.

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Last year Samsung launched something of a game changer, in our opinion. It has nothing to do with gaming, or entertainment, to be fair. It has more to do with work than anything else.

In November of 2020, Samsung introduced the world to their first ever desktop monitor that is also outfitted with Tizen OS. Effectively also, the particular monitor is Samsung’s first smart monitor. They introduced the world to what is effectively a 4K smart TV in a 32-inch desktop monitor form factor. They called it the Samsung Smart Monitor M7. They also introduced two Full HD variants called the M5 series.

To be fair, there is not that much in terms of choice with Samsung’s Smart Monitors at launch. You get to choose between two sizes for the Full HD variant and no choice at all if you want the 4K UHD variant. That has changed this year though.

Samsung Smart Monitor M7 43-inch

  • Source: Samsung
  • Source: Samsung
  • Source: Samsung
  • Source: Samsung

Samsung has just introduced a 43-inch variant of the 4K UHD M7 series Smart Monitor and 24-inch variant of the Full HD M5 series Smart Monitor for 2021. On top of that, they are also introducing a new white colour option for the existing M7 and M5 models. Now you can really spice up your workspace at home.

The 43-inch Smart Monitor M7 (43M70A) is technically similar to the 32-inch model. It features a 4K UHD resolution for starters. It also supports HDR10, not exactly HDR10+ of their high-end TVs to be fair, but good enough for you to enjoy a variety of contents. Like the 32-inch variant, the 43-inch M7 is also a VA panel desktop monitor, which also means you are not necessarily getting a premium OLED experience.

Still, VA panels are bright and vibrant enough for a high colour accuracy, especially for making quick work of simple video and photo editing work. While it only boasts 60Hz in refresh rate, that is good enough for something like a PS4 Pro. Even the new gaming consoles can easily take advantage of the 4K resolution.

Samsung Smart Monitor M5 24-inch

  • Source: Samsung
  • Source: Samsung
  • Source: Samsung

On the smaller scale end, the M5 now comes in a 24-inch variant (24M50A). Unlike the 4K UHD 43-incher it launches with, you get an IPS panel with the 24-incher though. Even its bigger 27-inch and 32-inch M5 siblings are fitted with VA display panels. That also means that the Full HD 1080p panel should display images with great colour contrast and highly accurate colours. It is also an HDR10 display to ensure you get the best out of Tizen OS. It only refreshes at 60hz though. Then again, it is not a gaming monitor.

The new Smart Monitors M7 and M5 both are Wireless DeX enabled too. That also means that if you have modern Samsung Galaxy device with wireless DeX enabled, you do not even need to get extra cable to connect to the display. You do not even need to get your PC to connect to your smartphone for it. The Tizen OS fitted monitors are also Apple AirPlay 2 enabled, so even if you are on an iOS device, it will work for you too.

Like a Smaller, More Productive Smart TV

Samsung’s Smart Monitor M7 and M5 also comes with a modern SolarCell solar powered remote. The smart remote is very much like your Samsung Smart TV remotes and functions with Voice command like one too. Additionally, you do not have to replace any batteries, just leave it under the sun near the window to keep it charged.

Tizen OS also means that you get access to Netflix, Prime Video, and the upcoming Disney+ app without even needing to connect to a PC, or smartphone. In that case, your enjoyment is also not limited to your supporting hardware. With TV Plus, you get access to selected live and on-demand contents for free. This technically can be your TV if you have limited space.

You can plug your PC in via USB Type-C Thunderbolt connection (43M70A). If not, you have the benefit of HDMI 2.0. DisplayPort is not technically necessary for this display. The 43-inch monitor can also double as your USB hub as well with 3 additional USB ports. The 24-inch has one additional USB port for an added working flexibility.

What makes the Samsung Smart Monitor M7 and M5 though is the fact that you can work with Microsoft 365’s PC on screen. It is technically a remote PC technology that allows you to access your Microsoft 365 suite from the display, even if your PC is not necessarily plugged into your monitor. All you need is a Microsoft 365 account and internet connection.

Price and Availability

The Samsung Smart Monitor M7 and M5 is already available in select regions. Malaysia is not part of those select regions though. Currently, the 32-inch M7, 32-inch M5, and 27-inch M5 are available in Malaysia from MYR 1,188 (RRP) onward. For more information for the newly released Samsung Smart Monitor M7 and M5, do head over to Samsung’s website.

Accessories, Editorial, Health, Lifestyle, News

[Google I/O 2021] Google & Samsung Take Wear OS to the Next Level

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Android Wear or Wear OS as it was renamed a few years ago has been a little anaemic when it comes to updates; that is until NOW. Google took the stage at I/O 2021 to announce what could be the biggest and most important update to Wear OS: Google and Samsung are partnering to push Wear OS to the next level. The announcement confirms rumours which have been making their rounds for months.

Source: Google

The new partnership sees Samsung bring their know-how, expertise and features from their successful Tizen OS to Wear OS. As the companies put it, they are bringing “the best of their platforms together into one unified experience”. So what does this mean exactly? Well, the biggest change is that Samsung’s next Galaxy Watch will be shipping with Wear OS instead of Tizen OS. While this might seems like Samsung will be leaving their older watches behind, the company reassures its users that Galaxy Watch and other Tizen OS powered wearables will be receiving updates and support for at least 3 years after their launch.

Improvements Under the Hood

That aside, the new collaborative Wear OS approach also brings a slew of improvements that will not only be improving the user experience but also making developing for Wear OS a lot easier. The collaboration’s biggest improvement comes in its improved load time. Google is touting a whopping 30% improvement in app load times. In addition, Samsung and Google have made improvements to the lower layer of Wear OS to improve battery life. If you’ve used Wear OS smartwatches, you’d know that battery life can be an issue with them.

Source: Google

Google and Samsung have optimised background processes, making them more efficient and less intensive on the processors. In fact, processor-intensive processes like continuous heart rate monitoring have been optimised to use lower power cores to conserve power. This also opens the doors to more power-efficient features for wearable devices. Samsung has also helped with power efficiency with its bundled sensors which allow them to include more than one sensor in a single module.

More Diverse User Experience

Aside from improvements under the hood, the improvements are also creating a more diverse user experience. Manufacturers are now allowed to skin the operating system to have a more unified look across their devices. This also means that we might see slightly different experiences from manufacturers like Tag Heuer, Fossil and even Samsung will have their own design language when it comes to the user interface for their wearables. Google is expecting that the new customizability will result in a more diverse Wear OS ecosystem.

Google is also opening up more features in the OS to developers. Developers will be able to bring features like tiles to their apps. They have also integrated development for Wear OS into Android’s Development Studio. They are creating a more unified development experience across Android and Wear OS with a single touchpoint for development. Development is also made easier with Google’s Jetpack development suite which allows developers to call and implement API more readily. In addition, they are bringing Kotlin APIs to Wear OS.

Wear OS is also getting more focused on health with help from Samsung. Developers will be able to create new apps and improve their current apps with a more streamlined and simplified work flow. This comes thanks to the new Health Services platform which allows developers to retrieve data without building from scratch. Developers are able to take advantage of continuous data from the sensors and other contextual metrics without impacting the battery life of the device too much.

New Apps, Better Experience

Finally, these improvements directly impact how the OS performs and how accessible apps will be for the platform. The most direct improvements that users will be benefiting from is improved navigation on wearables. Google is bringing simple improvements like a double-tap to jump to your most recent app and even simpler swiping gestures to access your information.

Source: Google / Double Tap for Recent App
Source: Google / Tiles

Google is starting the ball rolling with updates coming to its core apps like Google Maps, Google Pay, Google Assistant and YouTube Music. The first change that will be coming to these apps is the adoption of the new “Material You” design. In addition, Google Maps will be getting better, more visible turn by turn navigation to help with using the app on the go. There are plans to take Google Maps offline. The same applies to YouTube Music as well. Google Assistant and Google Pay will be getting improvements as well. The latter will be making its way to 26 countries in the next few months while the former will become more user friendly on Wear.

It isn’t just Google that is improving its offerings. Spotify has revamped its experience on wearables; allowing users to seamlessly move on the go. The simplified interface allows users to not only control their music but also seamlessly switch between speakers and their Wear OS device. Other companies like Nike, Calm and Adidas have been working on revamping their experiences on OS. Fitbit will also join the Wear OS family. Wear OS apps will also be more visible on the Play Store with a dedicated section and recommendations.

The new Wear OS will be making its way to the market in the coming year. Current Wear OS devices find out if they are getting the big update in the coming months.

Business, Computers, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Samsung and Lenovo Not Attending MWC 2021 in-Person.

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Mobile World Congress 2021 (MWC 2021) is upon us. The conference is set to happen in Barcelona next month and it is where some of the world’s electronics giants meet to introduce new products or new concepts for 2021. It is a place where we might get to see new smartphones being launched as well.

Last year’s MWC was cancelled for obvious reasons. While MWC has kicked-off as a physical event for 2021, a lot of people still think it is a bad idea to attend the conference in-person. One of those people who recently decided that it was not a good idea is Samsung. Lenovo joined that boat soon after.

Samsung cited health and safety reasons for not attending MWC 2021 in-person. This does not mean that they are not participating in the conference though. Samsung will still be present at MWC remotely. In other words, MWC 2021 will still happen for Samsung, but taken completely online.

Samsung and Lenovo join several high-profiled giants in their physical absence in Barcelona for MWC 2021. Among the big names that announced their physical absence at Barcelona includes Sony, Nokia, Ericsson, Oracle, and even Google. All of them cited health and safety concerns for their staffs for not attending MWC 2021.

All of this is not particularly unexpected though. The COVID-19 pandemic that started in 2020 is still a major global concern with new strains discovered every other month or so. The current infection numbers are not particularly encouraging as well, leading governments to close their borders and restrict movements and employing tighter regulations to curb the pandemic. The decision to bring events online is also inline of Apple, Google, and E3’s decision to bring their conferences and events completely online and completely free to attend for people around the world.

While the numbers are dwindling, there are still some key attendees yet to announce their physical absence for MWC 2021 though. Among some of those names are LG and Xiaomi. LG though has announced that they are pulling out from the smartphone business recently.

GSMA claims that they have anticipated the move from manufacturers to back out of being physically present in MWC 2021. In light of the pandemic and their cancellation in 2020, GSMA has also developed their own virtual platform to ensure that participating brands can still have their MWC presence. The online platform also ensures that attendees still get to experience MWC 2021, albeit in a more personal and private manner.

Source: Reuters, Tech Crunch

Lifestyle, News

Samsung Brings More Customisability with the Expansion of Bespoke Appliance Line Up

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Samsung’s appliances have been one of the most trusted in the world. Late last year, the company took things to the next level with the announcement of their new Bespoke line up of refrigerators. It brought options for consumers to customise and express themselves when it came to creating a refrigerator which was able to blend seamlessly into the interior design choices you make in your home. There was only one limitation – availability. That changes today with the expansion of ability to North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, select regions in Asia and Africa and more.

Source: Samsung

The customisability of their Bespoke line up is also being expanded with more options coming to the line up. In South Korea, customers will be able to choose from a range of over 360 colours and finishes to create appliances that fit seamlessly into their home. In addition to colours, customers are also able to choose from unique designs from artists such as Thibaud Herem and Andy Rementer.

Samsung’s Bespoke brand is not only expanding in customisability. It’s also expanding to include other appliances such as water filters, ovens, microwaves and more. The now extensive Bespoke range covers every aspect of the home that you can think of. Samsung introduced the Bespoke Air Purifier, Bespoke Jet and Jet Bot AI+, Bespoke Refrigerator, Bespoke AirDresser, water purifier, Bespoke ShoeDresser and Bespoke Cube Refridgerator. All of these appliances come with colours and finishes that are hallmark of the Samsung Bespoke line up.

Source: Samsung

The Bespoke Fridge is spearheading the Bespoke paradigm with increased customisability. You’ll be able to select from a range of finishes and sizes. The Bespoke refrigerator comes in all shapes and sizes in a modular form factor that allows users to pick and choose what they want according to their needs and space restrictions. The updated Bespoke fridge also comes with some features from Samsung’s FamilyHub fridge including a flex zone which allows users to customise the zone according to their needs. It can go from a normal fridge to a crisper to a freezer. The Bespoke fridge also comes with reversible doors which allow you to choose how and which way the fridge door opens.

Source: Samsung

Naturally, the Bespoke line up integrates seamlessly into Samsung’s SmartThings Platform. This allows the Bespoke line up to become seamlessly connected to your IoT setup. Using SmartThings, Bespoke users can access even more functionality such as SmartThings Cooking which provides access to personalised meal plans and recipes, SmartThings Pet which allows you sync your Bespoke appliances to make life as comfortable for your pet even when you’re not around, SmartThings Air which allows you to sync your air purifier and air conditioner and SmartThings Clothing Care for more efficient laundry management.

Pricing & Availability

Samsung’s Bespoke line up will be making it’s way to North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, select regions in Asia and Africa and more in the coming months. No pricing or specifics have been announced just yet.

The Bespoke Refrigerator will be available in multiple configurations. In the U.S., the fridge will be available in a 4-door flex, 1-door column and a bottom mount freezer. It will be available 1-door column, slim 1-door column and bottom mount freezer options. The U.S. will see the roll out of a full range of kitchen appliances including the Bespoke microwave, oven and more. No information on the availability and models in other regions have been shared by Samsung just yet.