Every New Features on Note 9 S Pen

Despite the lack of change on the surface for the new Samsung Galaxy Note 9 compared to its predecessor, internal specs have all been upgraded. Other than the 4000 mAh battery, available 1 terabyte storage and 8 GB of RAM, Note 9's new S Pen stylus is definitely one of their key selling points. Now, the new S Pen comes integrated with Bluetooth Low Energy and transforms the mere note-taking accessory into a full-fledged remote control.

Here are all the functions it has right now:

1. Presentations
The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will come pre-loaded with Microsoft apps, and it is a powerful device enough to run a PowerPoint presentation directly from the phone on a larger screen or a projector. With the phone in your pocket, you can single click the S Pen button to advance and double click to reverse to the previous slide.

2. Photos
By default, by holding down the S Pen button launches the camera, single click to take a picture, and double click to flip the camera between front or rear facing. This would be especially convenient such as when taking group photos.

In the gallery, single clicking the S Pen button advances to the next photo and double click to reverse back much like the function in PowerPoint.

3. Video and music streaming
In media apps such as downloaded music, voice recorder, and YouTube, users can single click the S Pen button to either play (record for voice recorder) or pause and double click skips to the next track.

Of course in Samsung fashion, they provide a full range of customization. Users can either enable or disable S Pen functions for specific apps. Also, single click and double click functions can be changed to your desire. And long pressing the S Pen button to launch a certain app can also be changed.

The S Pen with its Bluetooth capabilities can recharge with just 40 seconds and has a half hour battery life. Even without any battery, the S Pen still functions like a regular stylus. It is great to have a peace of mind for users not worrying and managing battery life. Even better, Samsung has announced that the S Pen is open for developers, we'll see what else we can do in the future.

Samsung Releases 970 PRO and EVO SSDs

Based on the M.2 form factor and PCIe Gen 3 with 4 lanes, Samsung unveils their third generation solid state drive lineup. The newest 970 PRO and EVO maximizes NVMe bandwidth to deliver unparalleled performance on processing large volumes of data such as 3D or 4K graphics and data analytics.

970 PRO will have a read speed up to 3,500 MB/s and a write speed up to 2,700 MB/s.
970 EVO will have a read speed up to 3,500 MB/s and a write speed up to 2,500 MB/s.
That's 30% faster than the previous generation on write speed.

Samsung also includes the improved warranty, the SSDs will feature a 5-year warranty or 1,200 terabytes, a 50% increase in write endurance rating compared to the previous generation. Overheating has been addressed as well, a heat spreader and new nickel-coated controller can lower the operating temperature. Beyond that, there will be Dynamic Thermal Guard that automatically monitors and maintains optimal temperatures.

970 PRO will start at $329.99 with capacities in 512GB and 1TB.
970 EVO will start at $119.99 with capacities in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB.

The 970 PRO and EVO will be available for purchase starting May 7, 2018.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Reference Phone Benchmark

Since Qualcomm released their next generation Snapdragon chip December of last year, they have finally released the benchmark scores for the Snapdragon 845 just one week before Samsung Galaxy S9's launch at February 25 during MWC 2018 in Barcelona. As usual, Samsung will be the first phone to carry the new chip, then soon be followed by other manufacturers like Google, Sony, and LG.

Qualcomm promised last year the upcoming Snapdragon 845 is going to have a 30% increase in performance, 2.5x the display output and 30% less consumption compared to the Galaxy Note 8 which has an 835 chip. 

According to Geekbench 4.0, the Snapdragon 845 scored 2,439 for single core performance and 8,200 for multi-core performance. Both of the categories are 27% faster in performance. Better yet, the 845 graphics test shows a buttery smooth video quality for its customer devices as it completely wipes the competition. 

Minded, I have to tell you that the testing was done by on a reference phone built by Qualcomm, it is just a phone they build by themselves solely for the sake of testing. It is supposed to resemble a real phone as close as possible (see picture on the right). With consumer products, the benchmark will be better due to software optimization. 

New Samsung Patents for Galaxy Display - Under-screen Fingerprint Sensor, Fully Curved Edges

It's definitely no secret that Samsung has been working on an under-screen fingerprint sensor for some time now, from its original rumors in early 2017 that set to be released on the S8, then later on the Note 8 device. But time has run out. Don't worry, new hopes awakens.

Recently, Samsung has been granted a patent by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which details the multiple layers within the phone display, featuring the fingerprint sensor and three pressure sensors. As the images suggest, the scanner can be used on any part of the phone's screen for a variety of security measures.

Also found in the patents from the WIPO, it shows a 180-degree curved display on the edges that go all the way to the back. Offering a "completely new user experience" and an "improved grip".

Links:

xda-developers.com: Samsung Granted Patent for Under-screen fingerprint Sensor

xda-developers.com: New Samsung Patent Shows a Fully Curved Galaxy Smartphone

Samsung Galaxy S9 Leak - new design, new processor, headphone jack to keep

Just as Apple's iPhone X hit the market and into the consumers' hands, the design of the next flagship Samsung phone, Galaxy S9, has been leaked. The Chinese leaker, Ice universe, tweeted the massive resigned Galaxy S9. Ice universe was also the leak of the Note 8 with a 100% precision. In the picture, it seems like the Galaxy S9 will have a similar look in the front as the S8, which is not a bad thing at all since it already looks much sexier than opponents. In the back of the phone, it will sport a dual camera setup with an easier to reach fingerprint sensor.

Comparing to the iPhone X, not only the fingerprint sensor isn't getting removed, but also the 3.5mm headphone. But sadly, the Galaxy S9 isn't expecting to have a fingerprint sensor integrated into the display. Other leaks suggest the Samsung Galaxy S9 will be the first phone with a Qualcomm  Snapdragon 845 processor; just like the S8, Samsung has a period of exclusivity as they already purchased every bulk of 845 processors. Only time will tell in early next year, this is only a leak.

Read more: 

Forbes - https://goo.gl/VyaaN3