When you're trying to win the global volume game in an incredibly competitive mobile industry, high-end smartphones aren't everything, a lesson Samsung had to learn the hard way in the last few years as its China-based rivals inched closer and closer to the number one spot in shipments relying primarily on affordable models with respectable features in tow.
As the premium segment got more and more crowded, Samsung finally stepped things up with a very competitive family of Galaxy A-series mid-rangers last year. The Galaxy A50 in particular proved wildly successful around the world, ranking third among the top-selling smartphone models for 2019's third quarter and making quite a splash in the US as well.
Unfortunately, it's impossible to predict exactly when Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint might officially release the 6.5-incher, and its recommended price point also remains under wraps for now. Based on how much the A51 costs in other markets and the $350 US MSRP of last year's A50, though, we can make a pretty solid prediction. Namely, we expect the unlocked variant of the mid-end device powered by an Exynos 9611 processor and 4GB RAM to fetch the same 350 bucks as its predecessor.
Compared to its forerunner, the A51 is even sleeker and prettier, with a premium Infinity-O display (read swanky hole punch design) in tow, as well as a slightly faster SoC under the hood, an extra 5MP macro camera on its back, an upgraded 48MP main imaging sensor, an improved 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 32MP selfie shooter, and the same impressive 4,000mAh battery with 15W rapid charging capabilities.
The Galaxy A51 was announced alongside the higher-end Galaxy A71, but so far there's no word on a prospective US rollout of that particular 6.7-incher following in the footsteps of an A70 that never saw daylight stateside.
The latest speculation comes from Macotakara, a Japanese publication with a mixed track record in terms of revealing things about unreleased iPhones and iPads. Unnamed sources inside the Chinese supply chain claim to know pretty much everything about the overall dimensions and screen sizes of at least three iPhone 12 versions scheduled for a commercial release during the fall of 2020, which is... probably not true.
But assuming these insiders do have a crystal ball showing them precisely how the iPhone 12 lineup compares to some of its predecessors, here are a few of the biggest revelations included in today's report:
No dramatic redesign but the sizes and cameras will be different
By far the most interesting (not to mention surprising) detail freshly rumored here is a "casing design" that the iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 families could ultimately "share." That's certainly not what so many other reports from more or less trustworthy sources suggested these last few months. It's also not what we expected after an iPhone 11 lineup that so closely resembled the iPhone XR/XS/XS Max trio of 2018.
But at least everyone can agree the camera arrangements will be revised to include a higher number of imaging sensors for yet another major boost in performance and versatility. We're most likely talking about two main variants with two shooters slapped on their backs and a jumbo-sized model with at least three rear-facing cameras.
iPhone 12 and 12 Pro concept renders
The largest version, which we assume will be dubbed the iPhone 12 Pro Max, could also feature a fourth imaging sensor capable of various AR tricks enabled by 3D Time-of-Flight technology. This giant is tipped to sport a 6.7-inch display and unsurprisingly stand a little taller overall than the 6.5-inch iPhone 11 Pro Max. What's definitely nice to hear is that the iPhone 12 Pro Max could be thinner than its forerunner too, at 7.4mm vs 8.1mm. Let's just hope the battery life will go unharmed.
Meanwhile, the smallest iPhone 12 model might come with a very compact (especially by 2020 high-end standards) 5.4-inch OLED screen, squeezing somewhere between the 4-inch iPhone SE and 4.7-inch iPhone 8 in terms of overall height. A 6.1-inch iPhone 12 could be taller than the 5.8-inch iPhone 11 Pro but shorter than the 6.1-inch iPhone 11, with two rear-facing shooters in tow.
Finally, there may be another 6.1-inch variant in the works with the same quad camera setup including a ToF sensor as the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max. And if that's not confusing enough, keep in mind that Apple is also expected to unveil an iPhone 9 this spring with a very similar design as the iPhone 8 and possibly an iPhone 9 Plus in the fall as well. For what it's worth, that 5.4-inch "iPhone 9 Plus" sure sounds similar to the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 variant rumored today, so there's a good chance that's one and the same device.
Behold the iPhone 12 Pro in a new eye-catching color
iPhone 12 Pro render in a green-replacing blue paint job
According to Weinbach, Apple could ditch the Midnight Green hue introduced with the iPhone 11 family to make room for an arguably cooler Navy Blue color. Of course, it's a little too early to take such a small but important aesthetic detail for granted, so you should definitely keep your skeptical hat on for both the rumor itself and concept renders showcasing how a boxy iPhone 12 Pro (that Macotakara says isn't happening after all) might look in Navy Blue attire.
2020 is the year 5G will start making a difference for people, but 4G LTE networks aren't going anywhere. If anything, they'll remain the de facto means of connection for much of the world for years, so it's little surprise to see Qualcomm rolling out a trio of modern, 4G-focused smartphone processors.
The company announced the new Snapdragon 720G, 662 and 460 at a press event in New Delhi this morning, and all three share certain characteristics -- think support for WiFi 6 and India's NavIC satellite positioning system. While it's easy enough to read these announcements as overture to an incredibly valuable country, Qualcomm insists these new processors will make their way to the US and other mature markets, too.
But anyway, let's talk about the chips themselves. The octa-core Snapdragon 720G is (obviously) the most powerful of the bunch and will be aimed at higher-end phones, though not full-blown flagships like Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S20 series. The "G" in the chipset's name refers to its focus on gaming, so expect 10-bit HDR and the same anti-cheating measures Qualcomm built into the premium Snapdragon 855.
The chipset also packs Qualcomm's Hexagon 692 DSP for on-device AI operations, plus full support for 4K video recording and high-speed displays running at resolutions as high as 2520 x 1080. Maybe most important, the chipsets X15 LTE modem provides for download speeds as fast as 800Mbps -- you'll likely never see speeds that good, but that's far faster than what you'd see on many 5G networks right now.
The Snapdragon 662 feels like a dialed down version of the 720G. Sure, it too is an octa-core chip, but it top speeds cap at around 2.0GHz (compared to the 720G's 2.3GHz), and X11 modem can only hit a theoretical limit of about 390Mbps down. You might notice the improvements it brings if you're an avid smartphone photographer; Qualcomm says the 662 supports "new triple camera configurations and smooth switching between them," as well as storing images in the super-efficient HEIF file format. Meanwhile, the Snapdragon 460 uses the same modem and lower-tier AI engine as the 662, but its new performance cores and an improved GPU architecture means the chipset performs more than 50 percent faster than the Snapdragon 450.
Qualcomm stands to gain dramatically as 5G becomes more pervasive this year, but keeping its 4G customers happy is good business. In growing markets, the company faces serious competition from rival chipmakers like Mediatek, not to mention smartphone makers that use their own homemade processors -- think Samsung and Huawei. We can't say for sure whether these new chipsets will help Qualcomm beat back its rivals, but it can't afford not to try.
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Samsung’s 2020 flagships are just around the corner. Getting your hands on the company’s latest hardware typically comes with a steep cost of entry, and we expect Samsung’s newest devices will be the worst offenders yet. Don’t necessarily need the latest but still looking for a great experience? With Amazon’s latest Galaxy S10 Plus sale, you don’t have to spend nearly as much to get one of the best Samsung mobile experiences.
Right now, you can get up to $400 off a spec’d out Galaxy S10 Plus device. The highest savings come with the white 1TB variant, though nearly every other configuration sees a $300 discount. That means you can get a brand new Galaxy S10 Plus for as low as $699.
It looks like some device variants are only on sale for the next 15 hours or so. We aren’t sure if that sale deadline applies to all Galaxy S10 Plus configurations or not, but I wouldn’t take the chance. If you are looking to get your hands on one of the best Android devices ever made, you should jump on this deal before it’s too late.
Samsung Galaxy S10 PlusA premium flagship with a bigger battery
The Galaxy S10 Plus differs from the Galaxy S10 by offering a bigger battery and larger screen. It also delivers a secondary depth sensor for selfies. Otherwise, you can expect the same extra features, such as wireless charging and IP68 rating.
Samsung Electronics has named Roh Tae-moon CEO of its key smartphone division, according to Bloomberg. He'll take over the position from DJ Koh, who will continue to head up Samsung's IT and mobile and communication arms. Roh is Samsung's third CEO in the last dozen years, as Koh was appointed in 2015 while Koh's predecessor JK Shin held the job for around six years.
Roh, who came on board with Samsung in 1997, helped develop the Galaxy device lineup and is supposedly a stickler for engineering and design. He'll reportedly try to bolster Samsung's reputation for quality after it stumbled over the past few years. Under Koh, Samsung was forced to kill the flammable Galaxy Note 7 and had to delay the Galaxy Fold due to issues with the display.
Roh's primary goals will be to shepherd foldable products into the mainstream and help Samsung expand in China and India. Roh is also known as a cost-cutter who outsourced smartphone production to better compete with aggressive Chinese rivals like Huawei, Xiaomi and Oppo. He'll be getting to work right away, as Samsung should be unveiling its new Galaxy S20 flagship series and possibly a second-generation foldable device at a February 11th event in San Francisco.
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Samsung's next phone may not be called the Galaxy S11 after all.
Angela Lang/CNET
Samsung can credit the Galaxy S line with securing its place as the world's top smartphone brand. But after more than a decade, rumors say the company is almost certainly shaking up the way it names its Galaxy S devices. The Galaxy S11 could become the Galaxy S20, with next year's phone going by the name Galaxy S21 and so on, to match the calendar year.
Sure can't wait for 2051.
As a writer, I think that names matter. No, not as much as the specs inside the phone, but enough that they can convey what a brand is about. It isn't just me, either: companies spend millions of dollars on focus groups and marketing strategies when choosing a phone name.
A month away from Samsung's Unpacked event on Feb 11, I'm not sure whether this proposed naming convention is good or bad. I'm not convinced that Samsung would stick with the plan to name its phone after the year, and if it does, it could be a missed opportunity for the brand to rededicate the phone as memorable and creative.
Let's consider a few options. Say Samsung follows in the footsteps of Apple'siPad (e.g. iPad 2019) and most car manufacturers by matching each phone name with the corresponding year. There's some logic to this strategy -- you'll always know where you are with a Samsung Galaxy S23, and I welcome bringing a little order to a portfolio brimming over with Galaxy phones.
I'm sure it's also cheaper and easier for brands not to have to worry about finding a unique name that resonates with the public in multiple languages, and that also isn't already earmarked by rivals.
On the other hand, the numbering game tends to feel unruly and meaningless, especially when you get into the higher digits. Would Samsung really commit to this plan long enough to reach the Galaxy S51, assuming we still use phones by then and not chips implanted into our arms?
The time to reinvent the brand is now
If Samsung thinks it hit a natural limit after the Galaxy S10 and wants to liven up the franchise, I'd be happy if it used the moment to reinvent the brand with a new name that stands for an updated set of values. (Of course, we don't know what Samsung will actually do until its big reveal.)
For an example, look no further than the iPhone X. Apple seemed to have changed the name when it unveiled a new type of iPhone, one that overhauled the design, removed the fingerprint scanner and boldly adopted face unlock with an approach that had never before been used in a phone. Apple pronounced the model iPhone "Ten", but many people referred to it as the iPhone "Ex".
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The next Galaxy S phone may have leaked in pictures
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And then Apple ruined it by moving on to the iPhone 11 two years later. At some point, the iPhone's name is going to have to change again, because in my mind anyway, the iPhone 18, 21 and 34 seem too ridiculous to exist. I'm reminded of every Mission: Impossible reboot, or that classic line from a fake newscast in Spaceballs (the movie, not the flame thrower), "Rocky IV...thousand."
I suppose the heart of my thinking is that part of me misses the more fanciful names of a decade ago and more, when a phone name stood for some intrinsic value or feature that the device possessed, like the powerful and mysterious Samsung Omnia, or the zesty, flippy Motorola Citrus. (I'll probably never forgive the LG Chocolate music phone for having nothing to do with actual chocolate.)
There's a benefit to giving a phone a meaningful name. Just look at Android OS. Google was able to gain a hugely invested Android following that avidly followed and excitedly guessed each year's dessert-themed code name... until the fun ended this year with Android 10. While dry names haven't hurt the iPhone's success, Samsung has a chance to be more meaningful.
A leaked image of the Samsung Galaxy S20? Check out that new camera design.
XDA Developers
If the S20 does indeed mark a brand-new direction -- 5G, a new camera philosophy, and bold design -- then a new name makes sense. I just hope it's more interesting than "S20."
I concede to being in the minority here. Today, straightforward phone (and OS) naming seems to mostly be about maintaining order amidst the chaos -- as much to keep models clear on the sales and distribution end, I suspect, as for keeping a sea of variants straight in customers' minds.
Then again, there's such a thing as too much simplicity. I cringe just thinking about the Motorola Moto G, which at one point had at least three different models going by the same name with different carriers. Even Motorola's PR team didn't immediately know which was which until we compared the specs.
Of course, when all is said and done, it's these specs that matter most. The way that a phone works is far more important than how it rolls off the tongue, and that's where companies should absolutely spend their time and attention.
Would a phone's inner workings sound as tempting by any other name? Sure, but if it came down to the Samsung Galaxy Sonic and the Samsung Galaxy S28, I know which one I'd want more.
Samsung Electronics has appointed Roh Tae-moon its new mobile chief, taking over from co-ceo DJ Koh, who’ll continue to lead the chaebol’s IT and mobile communications division. Roh, 52, is said to be “an engineering maven,” according to Bloomberg, “who’s meticulous about phone features.”
Roh joined Samsung in 1997 and has been a key player in the research and development of the Galaxy device lineups. He’s also been instrumental in cutting costs, according to Reuters, through the outsourcing of handset production to better compete with Chinese handset makers like Huawei.
Samsung continues to dominate mobile handset marketshare globally, but has seen an increase in competition at the low- and mid-tier levels from Chinese competitors like Huawei, Vivo, and Oppo. Roh will be tasked with growing important markets like China and India as well as making foldables successful, after Samsung stumbled with the Galaxy Fold.
Samsung is expected to unveil its second-generation foldable alongside its new Galaxy S20 flagship series of phones at an event on February 11th in San Francisco.
