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Samsung will let you remap the Bixby button on older phones too
If the Bixby button on your Samsung Galaxy phone doesn't get much use, you might prefer to make it open another app. Samsung noted the remapping option when it revealed the S10 lineup this week, but if you have a slightly older Galaxy phone (namely, Note 9, S9, Note 8 or S8), you can customize the button too if your device is running Android Pie.
Samsung's AR Emoji will soon be a little more realistic
Samsung's unsettling AR Emoji were the standout feature during the Galaxy S9's reveal last year, and now it's giving them an update. The company promises more granular adjustments for facial features like smiles, noses, ears, eyes and cheeks are en route. "This means that, for instance, when a child creates an AR Emoji, they'll be able to adjust the shape of their face so that it more closely mirrors their own," Samsung claims. Maybe Elastigirl will look more natural, too.
Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus now support ARCore
ARCore is Google's answer to Apple's ARKit -- an easy tool for developers to make augmented reality Android apps. It's a great idea, and an awesome way to make AR more accessible to all levels of developers. The catch was that it was only compatible with a limited number of phones. Now, it appears that the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus support ARCore.
Bloomberg: Samsung's chip biz was still its top earner in Q1 2018
Samsung took over Intel's throne as the biggest chipmaker by revenue in the last quarter of 2017, and it isn't showing any signs of slowing down. The Korean conglomerate has released its earnings guidance for Q1 2018, and while the figures include Galaxy S9 sales, Bloomberg says it's mostly thanks to its chip business that its profit is expected to be higher than projected. Samsung's chip division is reportedly responsible for the largest portion of its profit from January to March. It estimates its profit to be around 15.6 trillion Korean won (US$14.7 billion), up a few hundred million from Q4 2017.
For this iPhone clone maker, it's all about survival
A Chinese company called Leagoo made headlines at MWC for showing off its S9, a cheap Android phone that looks like an iPhone X and swiped Samsung's flagship name. These kinds of clones have been a part of the industry forever, clogging up eBay and disappointing whoever buys them. The S9 is indeed the latest in a long line of clones, but as I discovered, the forces that brought it to market are more interesting than the facsimile itself.
Watch Samsung's Galaxy S9 launch in under 11 minutes!
And just like that, Samsung's Galaxy S9 has arrived. Today, at MWC 2018, the company introduced its new flagship handset with the slogan "The camera. Reimagined." While the bulk of improvements to the Galaxy S9, over the S8, are imaging-focused, there are also new features like AR Emojis -- Samsung's answer to Apple's Animojis. You can watch a recap of the Unpacked 2018 event here, where you'll also learn more about the updated DeX desktop experience, which now uses the S9 as a trackpad.
Watch Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked 2018 event right here!
Samsung's getting ready to unveil its next flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S9, at MWC 2018 in Barcelona. You can watch a livestream of the Unpacked 2018 event in the video below, and don't forget to follow the action on our liveblog, as well -- where we'll have colorful commentary from our senior editors Cherlynn Low and Chris Velazco. It all starts at 9AM PT/12PM ET, so you have a few minutes to grab a drink and a snack before finding out what the Galaxy S9 looks like.
Live from Samsung's Galaxy S9 event at MWC 2018!
Today is the day Samsung will be unveiling its highly anticipated Galaxy S9, the company's latest flagship smartphone. As we discussed earlier this week, you can expect an improved, smarter camera on the handset, as well as an answer to Apple's Animojis, animated emojis that will use face recognition technology to make your phone more interactive when you message friends or family. We'll learn all about the Galaxy S9 in the next few hours, so stay tuned to this post to keep up with the action as it happens. The event kicks off at 12PM ET/6PM Barcelona time. Enjoy!
We're live from MWC 2018 in Barcelona!
Spring season is right around the corner, and that means it's time for Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the world's biggest phone show. This year, you can expect to be introduced to Samsung's next flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S9, as well as a slew of other handsets from big-name companies like BlackBerry and Nokia. Yes, you know you love BlackBerry and Nokia. Of course, we'll likely also come across a bunch of other tech products, such as wearables and others things that could be revealed at the show -- Facebook has a press conference, for instance. We're on the ground for the next week, which means you need to keep your eyes peeled to the site so you won't miss a thing from MWC 2018.
Samsung leak shows off the Galaxy S9's new DeX Pad
When reports came out late last year that Samsung was going to reveal the Galaxy S9 at CES 2018, it was bundled with rumors about a new DeX docking station. Well, the S9 reveal didn't happen at CES, but that part about a new DeX device might just be true: noted leaker Evan Blass (evleaks) has posted images of "the so-called DeX Pad" on his Twitter account. Like what previous reports said, it's a flat dock unlike the first DeX device for the S8, which looks like more like a traditional dock.
This is how Samsung thinks about design
Samsung said it would launch a website that showed off its design chops, and it's delivering as promised. The newly launched Make it Meaningful page dives into the inspirations behind the Korean company's products, complete with an abundance of giant artwork, marketing speak and promo videos. It's not just breathless prose about "timeless" TVs (the S9) and "sharply refined details" (the Galaxy S 4), though. The tech giant also addresses the more pragmatic concerns behind certain products -- Samsung notes that it built one washing machine just for India, where humidity and limited electricity rule out conventional appliances.
Samsung plans to launch 65- and 55-inch 4K TVs in June
When Samsung unveiled its first 4K Ultra HD TV at CES this year, it said other sizes would follow, both larger and smaller than the initial 85-inch version. Now it's apparently ready to fulfill part of that promise, announcing in Korea that 65- and 55-inch models will launch next month. Of course our next question is how these smaller models will compare to the $39,999 MSRP 85S9 UHD TV in price. Hopefully they'll follow the path blazed by Sony, which recently introduced models at that size with pricing well below the $10,000 benchmark, although we expect Seiki's 50-incher will still hold the crown for value pricing. The press release mentions they will feature Samsung's upgradeable Smart TV platform and the "micro dimming ultimate" LED lighting of their larger cousin, but the odd "Timeless Gallery" frame / stand (pictured above on the 85-incher) was not listed.
Samsung announces pricing for S9 UHD TV: $39,999, shipping in late March
At its home entertainment event in New York City today, Samsung filled in the details about the HDTV lineup we first glimpsed at CES 2013 in January. If you recall, several high-profile sets were first unveiled at the show, and pricing is unsurprisingly steep to match. The 85-inch S9 UHD TV, with a slick, easel-style frame and "Precision Black Pro" display tech, will go for $39,999 when it launches at the end of March. Samsung also announced pricing for its Smart Evolution Kit, a hardware set of products -- including a quad-core processor, GPU and memory -- that plugs into the back of a Sammy-designed TV to keep hardware and software up to date as new models are released. The kit will go for $300 when it debuts in May, and it wil come bundled with the latest Smart Touch Remote. And finally -- because what ultra-luxe home entertainment system is complete without high-end audio? -- there's the HW-F750 soundbar, which incorporates the company's vacuum tube technology and boasts a wireless subwoofer. The HW-F750 will connect with select Samsung Smart TVs via Bluetooth, and it will set you back $799 when it goes on sale in March. Hit up the press release past the break for more info.
Samsung's 85-inch Ultra HD TV up for pre-order in Korea, priced at just $38k
At CES last week Samsung set a new benchmark in size with its 85-inch S9 that edged past the Ultra HD competition by one inch, and now it's setting a new high mark for price as well, at least in Korea. While we still don't have any US pricing or release details, the first 77 models encased in that "Timeless Gallery" frame are going up for pre-order, priced at 40,000,000 won ($37,877 US). Other than the obligatory 214cm of 4K goodness, it has built-in 2.2 channels speakers, quad-core CPU and Precision Black Pro LCD panel. We've heard that sales of Sony and LG's models have been surprisingly brisk despite their high prices so you may want to run, not walk to your local Korean high-end electronics retailer to get one first. Of course, if you wait, you can always snag the 95- or 110-inch model that are promised to ship later this year, albeit at similar prices. While you're deciding, check out our hands-on pictures and video to get an idea of what awaits.
Panasonic Toughbook S9 claims to be the world's lightest 12.1-inch laptop with a DVD drive, we believe it
Panasonic's Toughbook line hasn't only been impressing in extreme durability lately, but also in extreme weight-loss. Joining the 3.2-pound Tougbook C1, is the newest 12.1-inch Toughbook S9, which weighs just three pounds. And yes, Panny's claiming it's the lightest 12-incher with an optical drive, and our quick research seems to prove that claim right. Even more impressive is the power that's packed into the featherweight chassis -- it's got a Core i5-520M processor, 2GB of RAM, and a shock-mounted 320GB hard drive. Thought that Panasonic gave up the durability for that weightage? You'd be wrong -- the magnesium alloy case can still withstand a 2.5-foot operating drop, meets all the Mil Spec 810-G drop procedures, has a spill-resistant keyboard, and can take more than 220 pounds of pressure on its lid and base. It does sound great for when someone drops it off the airport security belt, but that's until you hear about the physical beating it'll take on your bank account -- it'll retail for $2,499. Yeah, we wish we had better news to end on, but perhaps the press release and pictures below will turn that frown upside down.%Gallery-103417%
Motorola Droid and Dell Adamo latest to get Gorilla glass
Corning's darn-near-impenetrable Gorilla glass certainly isn't new -- in fact, we spied it in a few of Motion Computing's tablets just a few months ago -- but it's still not commonplace on mainstream gizmos. Yet. SmartPlanet sat down with Dr. Donnell Walton, senior applications engineer at Corning, in order to discuss the merits of the display technology as well as its importance in the gadget space. The discussion also mentioned that both Motorola's Droid and Dell's Adamo (not to mention Cowon's S9 PMP) are sporting the glass, which acts to make displays "damage-resistant." Not surprisingly, the company is seeing huge demand in the smartphone arena, where touchscreen-centric phones are being shoved into pockets at random and then costing manufacturers big bucks as return rates creep up. It's a pretty interesting read if you're into that type of thing, and yes, we did just give you permission to try and split your Droid display wide open in a moment of frustration. Just don't count on Motorola to accept that as a valid excuse for your RMA. [Thanks, Jeff]
Cowon S9 pales in white
It's hard to beat the chrome and titanium black versions of the Cowon S9 players in terms of aesthetic design. And black is always the best choice to frame its high-contrasting, 3.3-inch AMOLED if you're the type who likes to see the display fade into the device during particularly dark video sequences. Still, choice is good, and white DAPs are trending (again) so why not ceramic white? It's not like the S9's viewable display actually stretches end-to-end like you might assume. [Via Pocketables]
Cowon S9 gets pulled apart, put back together again
It was bound to happen sooner or later -- this poor Cowon S9 got the vivisection treatment and the startling pics have been posted in the Anything But iPod forums. And guess what? It's choc full of tiny components, a little bit of "wax paper or something," and let's not forget that world renowned AMOLED touch screen. This endeavor hasn't been undertaken in vain, however -- the good doctor has included tons of pics and step-by-step instructions in case you ever have to conduct the operation yourself. You know, in the name of science.
Cowon's 32GB S9 PMP goes on sale in America
We knew you'd do the right thing Cowon, we just knew it. Barely a fortnight after the company introduced its most capacious S9 to date over in South Korea, said player has made its way stateside... at least that's the impression that we get. Listed now as "in stock" on Amazon, the 32GB Titanium / Black unit is shown as being sold by JetAudio, which just so happens to be Cowon's official online home for sales. If you surf over to the S9 section on JetAudio's website, however, the 16GB model is still listed as the largest one available. We're guessing the latter's admin hasn't had time to update things between that Friday night rave and that six pack of Dos Equis on Saturday, but we hear Amazon has a pretty good reputation, anyway.[Via PMP Today]
Lenovo netbook with built-in 3G hits the FCC -- destined for AT&T?
The Lenovo S9 and S10 have already been approved by the FCC, so the appearance of this mysterious nine-inch Lenovo netbook in Uncle Sam's all-knowing database is certainly thought-provoking -- especially since it's got a built-in AT&T-compatible 3G card in it. That suggests to us that Ma Bell's about to start offering a subsidized S9 alongside its current stable of laptops, but we haven't seen or heard anything definitive yet -- do let us know if you spot something amazing in the SAR reports, would you?