A few years ago, Samsung used to be terrible at releasing updates for its devices but that is no longer the case now. The smartphone market leader is only bested by Google when it comes to updates. Now, Samsung is taking it to another level and even surpassing Google by extending the duration of security updates for several of its phones.

In a press statement released today, Samsung revealed that it will be extending updates for several of its Galaxy products launched since 2019. These phones, which include models from the Galaxy “Z, S, Note, A, M, XCover, and Tab series will now receive at least four years of security updates”.

Samsung says that it has had to work with its OS and chipset partners as well as more than 200 carriers to ensure that its Galaxy devices receive timely security patches.

While Samsung doesn’t say, not all of these devices will receive updates monthly. A lot of them will receive security updates every quarter while some will fall under the “other regular” security updates group.

Below are the devices that will receive security updates for four years:

• Galaxy Foldable devices: Fold, Fold 5G, Z Fold2, Z Fold2 5G, Z Flip, Z Flip 5G
• Galaxy S series: S10, S10+, S10e, S10 5G, S10 Lite, S20, S20 5G, S20+, S20+ 5G, S20 Ultra, S20 Ultra 5G, S20 FE, S20 FE 5G, S21 5G, S21+ 5G, S21 Ultra 5G
• Galaxy Note series: Note10, Note10 5G, Note10+, Note10+ 5G, Note10 Lite, Note20, Note20 5G, Note20 Ultra, Note20 Ultra 5G
• Galaxy A series: A10, A10e, A10s, A20, A20s, A30, A30s, A40, A50, A50s, A60, A70, A70s, A80, A90 5G, A11, A21, A21s, A31, A41, A51, A51 5G, A71, A71 5G, A02s, A12, A32 5G, A42 5G
• Galaxy M series: M10s, M20, M30, M30s, M40, M11, M12, M21, M31, M31s, M51
• Galaxy XCover series: XCover4s, XCover FieldPro, XCover Pro
• Galaxy Tab series: Tab Active Pro, Tab Active3, Tab A 8 (2019), Tab A with S Pen, Tab A 8.4 (2020), Tab A7, Tab S5e, Tab S6, Tab S6 5G, Tab S6 Lite, Tab S7, Tab S7+

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Samsung Electronics is ahead of any other company in terms of foldable smartphones. To stay ahead of the competition, the South Korean tech behemoth has been patenting foldable devices in various sizes and forms. Just last week, a patent filed by the firm’s sister company Samsung Display was unearthed by LetsGoDigital. Now, the publication has spotted another patent filed by Samsung Electronics.

Foldable smartphones are said to be the next big thing in consumer electronics. They are already here but are out of reach for most people. Thankfully, they are expected to get cheaper in the coming years as the tech matures. In the meantime, companies like Samsung will continue to patent new designs.

The newly spotted foldable design patent was filed by Samsung Electronics with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) in April. It got approved and published on October 15 titled ‘Foldable electronic device including a plurality of camera modules’.

EDITOR’S PICK: Samsung patents hideaway hinge with LED indicators for foldables

The patent includes three different designs – two with an outward folding screen like the HUAWEI Mate Xs and one with an inward folding screen like the Galaxy Z Fold2. 

However, all three of them have a cutout on the front display so that the cameras present inside can be used even when the phone is closed. Hence, the title includes the term plurality of camera modules.

Anyway, we don’t see Samsung ever implementing this design in a commercial product. The current-gen devices have already moved on to punch-holes. The notch on the original Galaxy Fold offers a less immersive experience and has app compatibility issues.

Since these newly patented designs also have to make a similar compromise with the display like on the company’s first commercially available foldable smartphone, we don’t think Samsung will ever implement them.

UP NEXT: OPPO files a utility patent for clamshell foldable smartphone hinge

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Samsung is the leading player in the foldable smartphone category. The latest foldable from the company is Galaxy Z Fold2. This device is also set to launch as a China-exclusive limited edition Galaxy W21. Ahead of it, a utility patent regarding LED indicators in foldables filed by the South Korean tech giant has been published.

Samsung filed a utility patent for a hideaway hinge with LED indicators with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in March using Galaxy Z Fold2 as a reference. However, this patent was only approved and published on October 1.

It was unearthed by none other than LetsGoDigital. The publication also created 3D renders showcasing the patent in action.

According to the documents, if this patent is ever utilized in a foldable smartphone, that device will come with a six LED module hidden inside its hinge. These red, blue, green and white lights will be covered by a translucent layer to diffuse their rays.

EDITOR’S PICK: Explained: Under Display Cameras & its Application with the CEO of OTI Lumionics

As per the patent, the above-mentioned four different-colored lights can be used to form more combinations. Talking about their use case, like most LED strip on smartphones, they are merely meant for notifications and aesthetics.

The Galaxy Z series of foldable phones are premium consumer products. These lights make them look fancy, which is not ideal for everyone. Hence, we don’t think Samsung to introduce this as a feature in its next foldable.

That doesn’t mean the company may never use it. As foldable devices become more durable and affordable in the future, the South Korean tech giant could implement it in a separate foldable gaming smartphone series.

Right now, all we can say is Samsung has patented this utility purely to secure this idea.

UP NEXT: OLED sales to rise by 107% in second half of 2020: Report

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Samsung is the only company to sell foldable smartphones on a large scale. The South Korean tech giant has so far launched four foldable devices under its Galaxy Z series; they are Galaxy Fold, Galaxy Fold 5G, Galaxy Z Flip, and Galaxy Z Flip 5G. The fourth and fifth devices – Galaxy Z Fold2 and Galaxy Z Fold2 5G are expected to launch next month. But none of them is affordable. Hence, to lure more customers, the firm is working on a budget foldable smartphone.

It is not the first time we are hearing about an affordable foldable handset from Samsung. In late June, a report claimed the chaebol to have postponed the launch of this phone to next year – 2021. The exact marketing name of this product is a mystery.

But now, an exclusive leak by SamMobile reveals this smartphone to carry model number SM-F415. For those unaware, Samsung uses SM-Fxxx for its Galaxy Z series phones. Also, the leak claims this handset to come in 64GB and 128GB storage configurations.

Unfortunately, that’s the only information the publication has managed to procure so far. It is not known how cheap it will be compared to the current-gen foldables from the company. To lower the price,  it may come with a mid-range processor and inferior cameras.

Anyway, it is a good sign for the commercialization of foldables. Soon, we may find this form factor in every price segment in no time if it all goes fine like the smartphone revolution.

UP NEXT: Here’s the official list of Samsung Galaxy devices eligible for three generations of Android updates

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Samsung is expected to launch the successor to Galaxy Fold in August. Ahead of it, the foldable smartphone has been rumored and leaked multiple times since the past few months. Now, a new leak says that this upcoming device will be called Galaxy Z Fold 2 and not Galaxy Fold 2 as everyone thought.

According to an exclusive report by SamMobile, the forthcoming Samsung foldable smartphone will be marketed as Galaxy Z Fold 2. The publication received the information from their reliable sources and it could be mostly true.

Earlier this year, the South Korean tech giant confirmed to Bloomberg that it will use “Galaxy Z” branding on all of its future foldable smartphones. But somehow, this news remained hidden in the tech community so that people simply called the next foldable from Samsung as Galaxy Fold 2.

In fact, the branding was right under our nose on the Samsung website. The company has listed both Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Fold under “Galaxy Z” series category.

That said, Galaxy Z Fold 2 is expected to launch on August 5 alongside Galaxy Note 20 series. It is reported to start shipping in September, followed by Galaxy S20 Fan Edition (S20 Lite) in October.

UP NEXT: Report: Galaxy Fold Lite launch postponed to 2021

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