To use Samsung's language, I've been on the fence about the Galaxy Z Flip series for a few years now. I can almost relate to those On the Fence ads from Samsung, save for the fact that, instead of having a hard time choosing between an iPhone and a Galaxy Z Flip, I'm having difficulties leaving my Galaxy S flagship behind. And this year, so far, it hasn't been any different.

I started using the Galaxy S24+ roughly six months ago, and so far, I have no complaints. In my eyes, the S24+ is just as perfect as the Galaxy S22+ was two years ago. Maybe even better, given the super bright 2,600 nits display, which I'm a big fan of, especially now during the bright summer days.

But I'm also a fan of flip phones. I've always liked them, even before they were smart. For the past few years, I kept thinking about switching to the flip side. I haven't done so yet, and that's just a testament to how good the Galaxy S Plus phones have been to me. And I'm starting to wonder if I ever will.

It's hard for a Plus user to get on board with the Flip

If I were in a position where I'd now choose my first-ever Galaxy phone, I'd probably pick the Galaxy Z Flip 6. It's gorgeous, and Samsung's foldable display technology never ceases to impress me.

However, as an existing Galaxy S24+ owner, I find it too hard to hop over the fence and jump into the flip side of Samsung's garden, so to speak.

The story continues after our Galaxy Z Flip 6 review video

You see, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is a beautiful foldable phone, and in my book, it is the best of its kind in 2024, hands down! However, compared to the Galaxy S24+, which I think is the closest slab-type phone alternative to the Flip 6, it compromises too much in favor of its dual-screen hinged design.

The Galaxy S24+ has a higher-resolution display, better (and more) cameras, the same chip and memory configuration (except it runs on Exynos 2400 in most regions), a bigger battery with faster charging, support for Samsung DeX support and Ultra Wideband, and a more resilient build with a higher IP68 rating.

My only reasonable choice might be Samsung's other foldable

I'm slowly reaching the conclusion that, as an existing Galaxy S24+ owner, I'd have to really want the Flip and minimalist cover screen experience in order to leave a near-perfect S24+ behind. And as much as I appreciate the Flip series, I just don't think I like it that much.

It might be a lot easier to buy the Flip 6 if you upgrade from an older or lower-end phone — or a different brand — but for me, to exchange the Galaxy S24+ for a Flip is asking a bit too much.

With that in mind, I find it very interesting that the more foldable phone generations get released and the more I sit on the proverbial fence, the more I wonder if the only reasonable foldable phone for me — an S Plus series fan — is a Fold rather than a Flip.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 does look very good to me. It looks better than all its predecessors. It's slick and powerful, and I love its sharp edges and corners. Besides, at least I can say that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 beats the Galaxy S24+ in more areas, has a larger foldable display, and doesn't compromise as much as the Flip 6 in favor of the hinged form factor.

All in all, after all these years of waiting for the perfect time to buy a Galaxy Z Flip, I'm beginning to think that maybe I never will, and I'll eventually end up on the Fold side. I haven't made up my mind yet, and I'll probably wait for the Galaxy S25+ to come out before I make my decision.

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Now that Samsung has launched its flagship foldable phone for the year, there is only one brand yet to launch its flagship foldable, and that's Google. The company will announce the Pixel 9 Pro Fold on August 13. Chinese firms have already beaten the Galaxy Z Fold 6 in terms of thinness and hardware specs, and Google is about to do the same.

Pixel 9 Pro Fold is thinner, brighter, and better-specced than Galaxy Z Fold 6

The design and specifications of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold have leaked before its launch. Per the leaked information, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold appears thinner and better-specced than the Galaxy Z Fold 6. The next-generation foldable Pixel is reportedly 10.5mm thin (dimensions: 155.2 x 77.1 x 10.5mm) when closed. That is 1.6mm thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

It is heavier than the Galaxy Z Fold 6, though, at 257g. Samsung's new foldable weighs 239g, which is almost as light as the Galaxy S24 Ultra (232g).

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold's inner screen reportedly measures 8 inches diagonally, making it slightly bigger than the Galaxy Z Fold 6's. Moreover, the screen is said to reach peak brightness of up to 2,700 nits, 100 nits brighter than the Galaxy Z Fold 6. The Pixel's cover screen is reportedly 6.3 inches diagonally, but it is wider with an aspect ratio of 20:9 as opposed to the Galaxy Z Fold 6's 22:9 aspect ratio.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold seems to have a 4,650mAh battery. That's 250mAh bigger than the Galaxy Z Fold 6's battery.

The story continues after the video.

According to another leak, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has the Tensor G4 processor and 16GB RAM. The Pixel has more RAM than Samsung's foldable.

It has a 48MP primary camera, a 10.5MP ultrawide camera, a 10.8MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, and two 10MP selfie cameras (one on the cover screen and another on the inner screen). The telephoto camera has a higher zoom than the one on the Galaxy Z Fold 6

Despite being thinner, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold seems to be better equipped than the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Of course, it has the advantage of having a bigger screen, which means Google has more width to fit a bigger battery and a bigger telephoto lens. However, it could have a weaker processor, as Tensor chips have been historically slower and less efficient than their Exynos and Snapdragon counterparts.

Hopefully, Samsung will bring a thinner and better-specced foldable phone with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim later this year.

The post Even Google’s foldable is thinner, better-specced than Z Fold 6 appeared first on SamMobile.

Among all other foldable phones, Samsung's new Galaxy Z Fold 6 ranks highest in terms of camera performance, according to independent review website DxOMark. Interestingly, the Fold 6 even beats the Pixel Fold in the zoom department, even though Google's foldable phone technically has a superior telephoto camera.

By camera performance, DxOMark ranks the Galaxy Z Fold 6 1st among all other foldables and 45th in the global ranking. Its camera setup scores 133 points, which is the same as devices like the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, Pixel 7a, Galaxy S24 and S24+, and Galaxy S23 and S23+.

By sub-categories, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 scores 135 points in the zoom department, which is substantially higher than the 117 points achieved by the Google Pixel Fold.

Interestingly, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom capabilities, whereas the Pixel Fold boasts a 10.8MP telephoto shooter with 5x optical zoom. The latter is superior on paper, but DxOMark suggests the Fold 6's telephoto camera wins over Google's despite the hardware differences.

What other things does the Z Fold 6 do well

Across other camera characteristics, the independent review website praised the Galaxy Z Fold 6 for its fairly wide dynamic range and good exposure, low noise in bright environments, good depth estimation in bokeh photos, effective video stabilization, good colors in video recordings, decent telephoto details in long-range shots, and good video detail in most conditions.

The story continues after the video

On the other hand, no camera is without fault, and DxOMark criticizes the Galaxy Z Fold 6 for things like autofocus errors in low light, some luminance and chroma noise in low light, occasional color rendering inaccuracies, luminance noise in ultra-wide shots, underexposed night shots when not using the flash, unstable autofocus and refocusing in video mode, and a few other issues.

There are many more camera-related details in DxOMark's test, so you should check it out if you want the full picture — no pun intended. And if you'd like to hear more about the Galaxy Z Fold 6 beyond camera performance, you can check out our full review, which covers everything about the phone, from displays and performance to design and software.

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Samsung rolled out the July 2024 security update to the Galaxy Note 20 5G last month. In fact, it was one of the first devices to which the company released the security update. However, back then, the brand made it available only for the carrier-unlocked variant of the phone. Now, almost twenty days later, the tech giant is rolling out the July 2024 security update to the international variant of the phone (SM-N981B).

At the moment, Samsung is rolling out the July 2024 security update to the Galaxy Note 20 5G in many countries across Asia and Europe as well as in Australia and the UK. The new firmware carries version N981BXXSCHXG1. The latest security update fixes 58 security issues. To get it, head to Settings » Software update » Download and install. You can also download the new firmware from our database and install it using Odin.

The story continues after the video…

Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 20 5G in August 2020 with Android 10 (One UI 2.X). After offering Android 13 (One UI 5.X), the company stopped releasing major software updates to the device. If you want to experience the features that Samsung’s One UI 6.1.1 or the upcoming One UI 7.0 offer, you will have to get a newer device. If you are looking for one with S-Pen, you should consider the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

The post Galaxy Note 20 5G’s July 2024 security update reaches more regions appeared first on SamMobile.

Update: As pointed out by our readers, Samsung offers a toggle for turning off the 2G network in some countries. You can check it out in the screenshot below. However, this feature isn't available in most regions.

The original story follows…

Google has just published an article on the Google Security Blog. It highlights the lack of a feature in Samsung’s smartphones and tablets that could expose people to privacy and security attacks leading them to fall for fraud and scams.

Criminals can use unsafe 2G network to attack Android devices

In the blog post, Google explains that fraudsters or scamsters can use cell-site simulators, also known as False Base Stations (FBS) or Stingrays, which are radio devices, to create their own 4G and 5G networks. They can then customize those to make them appear as networks provided by well-established carriers.

At this point, mobile phones nearby might start connecting to these fake networks as they might not be able to differentiate between a fake and a real one. Once that happens, criminals force these devices to connect to a 2G network created by them.

Now, the 2G network lacks many crucial security measures that 4G and 5G networks offer. Leveraging the lack of those security features, criminals can send an SMS containing spam to those devices, which could lead their owners to fall for frauds and scams, as well as surveil them and intercept their communications.

Google says turning off 2G network protects you from those attacks

To safeguard from these privacy and security attacks, Google asks people to turn off the 2G network on their Android devices. According to the company, Android has been offering people the option to turn off the 2G network since Android 12.

Unfortunately, Samsung’s phones and tablets don’t offer an option to turn off just 2G network and keep other networks (3G, 4G, and 5G) working, even though Android has been offering it for more than two years. Samsung's devices provide only the network modes that you see in the screenshot below.

This exposes Galaxy phone and tablet owners to scams and fraud through the attacks mentioned above. We hope that Samsung is taking note of this and offers a software update to all Galaxy devices that adds the ability to turn off just the 2G network.

Additional screenshot: Angel Castro Lagunes 

The post Samsung phones open to security attacks as they can’t turn off 2G appeared first on SamMobile.

Samsung is one of the most important Olympic Partners. The company has put a lot of resources into the Paris 2024 Olympics, sponsoring many athletes and teams, creating a fourth medal out of recycled glass, and gifting every Olympian a brand-new special edition Galaxy Z Flip 6.

The company delivered roughly 17,000 Galaxy Z Flip 6 Olympic Edition phones, and athletes have been using them to take selfies on the Olympic podium. That's a first in the history of the Olympic Games. Athletes have never before been allowed to carry phones to the podium.

Samsung gifted nearly $20 million worth of state-of-the-art limited-edition Flip 6 models to Olympians last month. However, judging by their actions, some athletes seem to care little about Samsung's sponsorship or the special edition Galaxy Z Flip 6. Not even as memorabilia, which is baffling.

A few of these rare Samsung phones are now up for sale on websites like eBay and Marktplaats. Samsung isn't the one selling them. Athletes are, and some say they're not doing it to make a profit.

Showing complete disregard for one of the Olympic's biggest sponsors

Technically, Olympians who have received Samsung's gift (all of them) are not prohibited from selling these rare phones. However, their actions show disregard to a major sponsor. The 2024 Olympic is ongoing, and these athletes lacked the courtesy to at least wait for the Olympics to end before trying to sell the phones they've received as gifts.

Although some Olympians can earn up to $768,000 for winning gold, winnings vary by country (via CNBC). Some olympians aren't paid very well. Despite that, they put in a lot of work to reach that high level of performance. But some never reach the podium, and others could use the $1,000 they could get from selling an Olympic Edition phone.

However, according to some athletes who are selling these rare Galaxy Z Flip 6 Olympic Edition phones through online marketplaces, they're not doing it for profit but because they already have a phone (via AD). And, judging by their actions, they don't care about keeping the Galaxy Z Flip 6 Olympic Edition as a piece of memorabilia, either.

Selling a gift never looks good. But selling a major sponsor's gift online while the Olympic Games are ongoing looks even worse. It comes off as ungrateful and shows complete disregard for the sponsor, which isn't very sportsmanlike.

The post Some Olympians seem ungrateful about Samsung’s sponsorship appeared first on SamMobile.

One of the worst things that can happen to a foldable phone is to suffer from a foldable display failure. Although they get tougher every year, foldable panels remain more susceptible to breakdowns and damage than standard non-foldable displays. It is one of the reasons why many people remain reluctant toward foldable phones and haven't bought one yet. That and the high costs associated with replacing a state-of-the-art foldable display.

Nevertheless, Samsung stands by its foldable phones with something called ‘Galaxy Z Assurance,' not to be confused with Samsung Care+ insurance.

Galaxy Z Assurance is a sort of stamp of approval and comes with a one-time discounted foldable screen replacement. It appears to be specific to the US market, where the following Galaxy Z Assurance render is featured on the online store's landing pages for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6.

Samsung's stamp of approval claims that the latest phones are “Built to withstand” and are tested and verified for at least 200,000 folds or “10 years of approximate use.”

You'd have to fold the Galaxy Z Flip 6 or Z Fold 6 roughly 55 times a day to reach 200,000 folds in 10 years. Nevertheless, assuming you will need a foldable screen replacement, the Galaxy Z Assurance program could save you some money.

One-time $200 screen replacement for a limited time

Samsung's Galaxy Z Assurance policy states that you can get a cheap(er) one-time foldable screen replacement for your Galaxy Z Fold 6 or Galaxy Z Flip 6 should you need it. It will set you back only $200.

Without this policy, replacing the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 inner screens would cost you $549 and $319, respectively. However, there is a caveat you'll need to keep in mind.

More details after our review video

What might disappoint you is that this Galaxy Z Assurance policy has an expiry date. So, if you planned on using your foldable phone for many years — maybe seven or so — and thought you could use this repair policy later, you won't be able to.

More specifically, Samsung states that the one-time discounted screen replacement must be claimed within two years of the date of purchasing the Galaxy Z Fold 6 or Galaxy Z Flip 6.

After that, you'll have to pay the full price for a screen replacement, should you need one, regardless of whether or not you used your Galaxy Z Assurance ticket within the first two years.

The post ‘Galaxy Z Assurance’ for Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 explained appeared first on SamMobile.

Sometime this month or the next, Samsung will launch the One UI 7.0 Beta Program and invite Galaxy smartphone users in select countries to test the next version of One UI and Android 15.

Samsung will use feedback provided by beta testers to fix bugs and issues so it can get the final version of the Android 15 and One UI 7.0 update out as quickly as possible.

Not everyone will be able to test the new software, even if they own a device eligible for One UI 7 and Android 15. Only a limited number of Galaxy smartphones will be eligible for the beta program.

The latest flagships, like the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy Z Fold 6, are sure to be on the list, but what about other devices?

Galaxy phones that could get One UI 7.0 (Android 15) beta

Samsung has not officially revealed details about the One UI 7.0 beta as of August 2, but we can make an educated guess based on Samsung's long history of One UI beta programs. The following are the devices that have a high likelihood of getting the One UI 7.0 beta.

• Galaxy S24 series
• Galaxy S23 series
• Galaxy S22 series
• Galaxy S21 series
• Galaxy Z Fold 6
• Galaxy Z Flip 6
• Galaxy Z Fold 5
• Galaxy Z Flip 5
• Galaxy Z Fold 4
• Galaxy Z Flip 4
• Galaxy Z Fold 3
• Galaxy Z Flip 3
• Galaxy A55
• Galaxy A54
• Galaxy A35

Samsung may include more devices, particularly mid-range ones, in the beta program. However, Samsung doesn't follow a set pattern when it comes to bringing One UI beta updates to mid-range devices. We will have to wait and see what the company has in store this year.

For flagship phones launched in the last couple of years, One UI 7.0 will be preceeded by One UI 6.1.1. The time frame for the One UI 6.1.1 update's release is unknown as of August 2, but we expect it to go live sometime before September.

Be sure to bookmark this page so you can check back for any new information that becomes available in the coming days and weeks.

One UI 7.0 features: What to expect

One UI 7.0 will be among the biggest upgrades in years, especially as far as the user interface is concerned. Quite a few of the expected changes and new features have leaked online, and some of the major ones are listed below.

• New system app icons
• New background interface
• A new control area at the bottom of the lock screen
• Adjustment of shortcut icons (size?) in the left and right corners of the lock screen
• Pull-down shortcut bar and notification can be independent/merged
• The pill-shaped UI element in the upper left corner notification bar can display more apps
• Added interruptible animation and optimized app opening and closing animation curve
• New battery icon and charging animation bar
• New camera user interface
• Added support for 5G SMS messages
• New notification pop-up animations and closing animations
• Added unlock animation
• New button touch and page return animation
• Added many new desktop widgets of various sizes
• Added more lock screen widgets
• Added large folders

One UI 7.0 may not bring new Galaxy AI features. The new AI features from the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6, which you can check out in the video below, will come to supported devices with the One UI 6.1.1 update.

The post One UI 7 (Android 15) beta: Which Galaxy phones will get it? appeared first on SamMobile.

Samsung was expected to release the One UI 7.0 update last week, but that didn't happen. We reported that the company delayed the release, and the One UI 7.0 beta update will likely be released later this month. Ahead of that release, a massive leak has revealed many One UI 7.0 features.

Several One UI 7.0 features have leaked weeks before the release

Reliable tipster Ice Universe has posted (via Android Authority) a list of some One UI 7.0 features on the Chinese microblogging site Weibo. According to the tipster, One UI 7.0 has new app icons, a new background (wallpaper?) interface, and a new control area at the bottom of the lock screen. The lock screen shortcuts now seem to have bigger icons.

He also claims that the notifications area and the quick settings panel can be merged if the user wants to. Those pages can also stay independent (similar to One UI 6). There is apparently a pill-shaped animation that can display ongoing activities from more apps (like the timer). One UI 7.0 reportedly introduces a new animation while unlocking a device's screen.

Samsung has reportedly added animations that can be interrupted by the user (like opening an app from the home screen but stopping it by clicking the home screen). Moreover, the South Korean firm is said to have improved app opening and closing animations. The tipster said One UI 7.0 brings a new battery icon and a bar-shaped charging animation.

The South Korean firm seems to have added several new widgets (of various sizes) for the home screen and the lock screen. The tipster also claimed that One UI 7.0 will bring support for large-sized app folders on the home screen.

Ice Universe also confirmed that One UI 7.0 includes a completely redesigned camera app. The new version of One UI reportedly also supports SMS sending and receiving using the 5G network. There also seem to be new animations for notification pop-ups and closing animations.

Leaked One UI 7.0 features list:

• New system application icons
• New background interface
• A new control area at the bottom of the lock screen
• Adjustment of shortcut icons (size?) in the left and right corners of the lock screen
• Pull-down shortcut bar and notification can be independent/merged
• The pill-shaped UI element in the upper left corner notification bar can display more apps
• Added interruptible animation and optimized app opening and closing animation curve
• New battery icon and charging animation bar
• New camera user interface
• Added support for 5G SMS messages
• New notification pop-up animations and closing animations
• Added unlock animation
• New button touch and page return animation
• Added many new desktop widgets of various sizes
• Added more lock screen widgets
• Added large folders

Watch the leaked icons for the stock Clock and Samsung Internet apps in our video below. Those icons will be available with the One UI 7.0 update.

Samsung will likely open the One UI 7.0 Beta Program for the Galaxy S24 series before the end of this month. The beta program could be available in China, Germany, India, South Korea, the UK, and the US. However, the company's plans can change, so nothing can be said for sure right now.

The post Massive One UI 7 leak lists several upcoming features appeared first on SamMobile.

Last month, Samsung unveiled its new foldable phones, smartwatches, and wireless earbuds. After the announcement, several people started mocking Samsung and accused it of copying Apple's design language with the Galaxy Buds 3 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra, which reportedly made Samsung's chief angry at the mobile division for plagiarism.

Samsung chief Lee reportedly got angry and stepped in after accusations of copying Apple's design

According to a report from AjuNews (via @lafaiel), Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee ordered the company's mobile division, Samsung MX, to reexamine its plans. Lee's strict orders reportedly came after people accused Samsung of copying Apple's design language for the Galaxy Buds 3, Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, and the Galaxy Watch Ultra. They look like Apple's AirPods, AirPods Pro, and Apple Watch Ultra, respectively.

Apparently, actions have been taken against some people in the smartphone division, including Samsung MX leader (TM Roh). An insider reportedly claimed that tensions are rising inside Samsung MX after this move. He said, “The chairman (Lee) himself stepped in after the controversy over Apple's design plagiarism and quality issues surrounding the Buds 3 series and Galaxy Watch 7 released last month. The internal atmosphere is currently very bad.”

At the media briefing held at Samsung Store Hongdae in South Korea, reporters constantly talked about Samsung's new devices looking exactly the same as Apple's.

The Galaxy Buds 3 and the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro now have stems, similar to AirPods and several other wireless earbuds in the market. Their pinch and swipe gestures are also similar to AirPods. The boxy and chunky design and orange theme of the Galaxy Watch Ultra also look similar to the Apple Watch Ultra. Long-time Samsung fans have been disappointed with Samsung for dropping its own design language in favor of Apple's.

To make things worse, Samsung also faced quality control issues with the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. Some people received units with uneven gaps and fragile ear tips that are prone to tearing. Jay Y. Lee, who generally has a calm demeanor, reportedly shouted and gave strict orders to the Samsung MX division.

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