Samsung’s first Bixby smart speaker is the Galaxy Home

This is Samsung’s take on the Google Home Max and Apple HomePod.

Samsung’s August 9 Unpacked event in New York City was filled with announcements. In addition to the Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy Watch, this is also where we got our very first look at the Bixby Home — Samsung’s first ever Bixby smart speaker.

Details are still pretty scant on the Galaxy Home, but this is what we know so far:

• There’s voice control using Bixby (“Hi, Bixby” is the hotword)
• You’ll be able to control smart home devices with SmartThings integration
• A total of 8 microphones allow for far-field voice detection
• The speakers have AKG tuning

And…that’s about it.

More details about the Galaxy Home will be shared at the Samsung Developer Conference this November, and that’s likely where we’ll learn about pricing, availability, music/smart home partners, etc.

What do you think about the Galaxy Home? Is it something you’d consider picking up? Let us know in the comments below!

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on preview: $1000 well spent

Anker’s $13 ultra-slim Bluetooth keyboard works with tons of devices

Works with any Bluetooth device.

The black Anker ultra-slim Bluetooth keyboard is down to $12.99 with code ABCD7111 on Amazon. The keyboard normally sells for around $20 without the code and this is one of the best prices we’ve seen in the last year. You can also get the White version down to the same price with code ABCD7121.

These are wireless keyboards designed to be ultra compact and take up a lot less space than traditional keyboards. That makes them great for use with Bluetooth mobile devices, like the iPad or your smartphone. They have a power-saving mode that helps them last up to three months, which means you don’t have to worry too much about keeping them powered up when you’re on the go. There is space for two AA batteries. They are compatible with iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows. Anker backs them up with an 18-month warranty. Users give the white version 4.2 stars based on more than 3,300 reviews.

Use one of Anker’s $10 portable stands to prop up your phone or tablet while you type.

See on Amazon

Here are the PlayStation VR games releasing in August

Here are the unreleased VR games that we can’t wait to hit the market this year.

PlayStation VR is becoming a much larger VR platform, and with that comes a lot more games. With PlayStation unleashing new games almost every month, it’s hard not to be excited by seeing what has already been released. Here are some of the unreleased VR games that we’re most excited about that are releasing in August of 2018!

Apex Construct

Coming August 28, 2018

The world has been taken over by a sentient robot and her army of “children”. Hint, hint, the children are all also robots. They have destroyed the Earth and left it in ruins while simultaneously advancing in technology beyond any average person’s comprehension. Embark on a journey to retake the world in this phenomenal story where fantastic storytelling meats eye-capturing graphics. Kill the monstrosity robots before they see you… and you just might survive. You can pre-order this title on Amazon for $29.99 and it’s well worth it.

Besides, who doesn’t want to shoot a bunch of robots with a bow and arrow?

Pre-Order on Amazon

Firewall Zero Hour

Coming August 28, 2018

Not too many VR games these days attempt for a more realistic look instead of gunning for the usual high-quality cartoon style we see all too often. Usually, this is the inability to make graphics look good with the low(-er than we’re used to) screens available in a PlayStation VR headset. Regardless of this, Firewall Zero Hour has done a phenomenal job capturing this realism without sacrificing gameplay. In this title, you’ll take on the role of a special Elite unit with a very important job. Instead of robots, you’ll be fighting humans. In a way that kind of makes things a lot more difficult.

Are you willing to do what it takes to get the job done?

See on Amazon

Which VR game are you looking forward to?

Is there a VR game on this list that really caught your eye? Let us know down in the comments or shoot me a Tweet @OriginalSluggo!

Updated August 2018: We’ve updated this article with brand new games we’re excited to see in August 2018!

PlayStation 4

• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

Amazon

This is everything you need to know about the Galaxy Watch!

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch is sleek, round, and powerful. Here are the biggest details.

Following excellent wearables such as the Gear S3 and Gear Sport, Samsung’s coming back to the smartwatch market once more with the Galaxy Watch.

The Galaxy Watch ditches the Gear branding to be more in-line with Samsung’s other mobile products, and while there’s nothing all that revolutionary here, the Galaxy Watch is shaping up to be one heck of a gadget if you’re in the market for a new wrist computer.

Here’s everything you need to know!

It’s available in two sizes

For the first time, Samsung’s selling the Galaxy Watch in two different sizes — including 42mm and 46mm. Seeing as how the Gear S3 was a comically large smartwatch and the Gear Sport was designed more for smaller wrists, it’s nice to see that Samsung’s catering to people of all wrist sizes with one single product.

No matter if you pick up the 42mm or 46mm option, you’ll still get the same design, features, etc., but the 46mm model will have a much larger 472 mAh battery compared to the 42mm’s 270 mAh unit.

The Galaxy Watch is packed with fitness features

Samsung’s Gear products have often been focused on helping people live better lives, and although that Gear branding is no longer here, the Galaxy Watch continues that idea with a heap of fitness goodies.

You’ll find all of the regular suspects here, including calorie and step tracking, reminders to move throughout the day, guided meditation sessions, and heart-rate monitoring. The Samsung Health app on the Galaxy Watch can be used to track up 40 different workouts, can automatically detect six of the most common exercises, and has a built-in GPS to keep you connected while out on a run.

Rounding all of this off, Samsung’s also outfitted the Galaxy Watch with 5 ATM water resistance, Corning Gorilla Glass DX+, and military-grade protection (specifically, MIL-STD-810G).

Tizen 4.0 is available out of the box

Despite all of the rumors claiming that the Galaxy Watch would run Wear OS, the Galaxy Watch is, in fact, powered by Samsung’s own Tizen operating system.

Samsung mentioned that the Galaxy Watch is running Tizen OS 4.0 which is an upgrade from Tizen 3.0 that shipped on the Gear Sport last year.

The software we’ve seen so far looks awfully similar compared to past Tizen versions, meaning that you can control the UI using the Galaxy Watch’s rotating bezel, download apps/watch faces from the Galaxy Apps Store, etc.

Samsung Pay is here…for NFC payments only

The Gear S3 did a lot of things right, one of which was its inclusion of Samsung Pay for both NFC and MST payments. Samsung Pay is making a return to the Galaxy Watch, but similar to the Gear Sport, only supports NFC transactions.

That’s not uncommon for smartwatches that allow for mobile payments, but considering that MST has been such a big draw to Samsung Pay since its introduction in 2015, it is disappointing to see that it won’t be coming to the Galaxy Watch.

Also, if you use the Galaxy Watch with an iOS device (aka an iPhone), you won’t be able to use Samsung Pay at all.

You’ll be able to get an LTE model

One feature the Galaxy Watch does keep from the Gear S3 is LTE support!

We don’t have specifics quite yet on which carriers will support the Galaxy Watch, but Samsung has said that it’ll work on 30+ carriers across 15+ countries.

It works on Android and iOS

If you’re interested in picking up the Galaxy Watch, you’ll be able to use it with both Android and iOS.

As mentioned above, Samsung Pay will not work if you’re using the Galaxy Watch with an iPhone.

Pre-orders open on August 10

Samsung will officially open pre-orders for the Galaxy Watch on Friday. August 10. You’ll need to pay $329.99 for the 42mm variant and $249.99 for the 46mm one.

Following pre-orders, Korea will get the Galaxy Watch on August 24 and then followed by a worldwide release on September 14.

See at Samsung

Updated August 9, 2018: Revamped this guide now that the Galaxy Watch has been announced!

The Ultimate Protection for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Under the Dome, is Life.

It is time, the wait is over. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has just been unpacked, but if you missed the live stream in New York you don’t need to be left out. The phone officially goes on sale in two weeks, so once you get yours, you need to decide what protection is best for you. Well, Whitestone has the answer, and it is DOME GLASS. Whitestone Dome Glass is a specialized brand for the entire high-end market of cellular bezel-less devices, like the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

In today’s world, everyone wants smartphones that are thinner and lighter, but still want to watch videos and play games on the biggest possible screens. Therefore, edge phones and bezel-less phones are leading the way. They make use of limited screen size and maximize it to its fullest extent. The Note 9 is no different. It has increased the screen size to 6.4 inches (up from 6.3″) and slimmed the screen bezel.

With the larger screen and slimmer bezel, it is that much more important to protect every inch. Whitestone provides the first true “full-screen adhesive” tempered glass screen protector for curved bezel-less phones. They do this by using their patented LOCA technology which stands for ‘Liquid Optical Clear Adhesive’. LOCA is a liquid glass which evenly disperses over the entire screen, including repairing existing scratches and scuffs and sets to create a watertight edge to edge protection. Their revolutionary liquid glass adhesive forms around the curved screen to create a single, solid layer of anti-shatter glass. Thus, giving you (and your new Note 9) complete security.

Use Coupon code THRIFT30 for 30% off Note 9 Dome Glass
Use Coupon code THRIFT30 for 30% off Note 9 Dome Case

Now, Whitestone Dome Glass is not cheap, but nor should it be. It was created for high-end model smartphones. Whitestone is the only tempered glass screen protector recognized by SMAPP (Samsung Mobile Accessory Partnership Program) and as such is the best option for your Note 9. The other plastic or urethane protectors have no true protection, are vulnerable to scratches, and even can reduce transparency. Also, most other well-known brands of tempered glass protectors only cover the flat side of your device and falsely advertises themselves as a full-cover tempered glass. They attempt to trick you by using a black cover adhesive along the side to hide lifts, or they cover the areas between glass and screen with dots which makes the device prone to touchscreen errors. But that’s not the case with Dome Glass. Get your Note 9 the security it deserves. Why invest in the top of the line phone and settle for second-rate protection?

Why invest in the top of the line phone and settle for second-rate protection? Get your Note 9 the security it deserves.

The one major difficulty with this screen protector is because it really works so well, you only get one shot at putting it on, so you need to do it right. It’s not hard, but you can’t rush through it. Quality is reflected through commitment, so make sure you have enough time and patience to get an undeniably perfect result.

To prevent errors and air bubbles, an install frame and UV curing light are included. If you just want to throw on a screen protector in a minute before you walk out the door, then this is not the one for you. But, if you follow the simple installation steps, you will get the best shielding available. For help with installation, here is a link to some of their reviews and tutorial videos that show you step-by-step how to do a proper installation.

On top of the comprehensive 3D glass curved surface protection and liquid dispersion technology, it also provides protection against Blue Light. As more and more people are so reliant on their cell phone, it has become even more important to identify the harmful side effects. One of the negative effects of smartphones is the emitting of shorter wavelengths called Blue Light. Studies suggest that, over time, exposure to blue light (especially at night), can cause insomnia or even more serious long-term damage to your eyes. Whitestone Dome Glass decreases the strength of blue light by up to 25%, protecting you and your smart device!

Dome Glass, which is already a top seller on Amazon Worldwide and AT&T and is touted as one of the best-tempered glass protectors by NTT Docomo (the largest cellular provider in Japan) has the maximum strength and scratch resistance rating of 9H (hardness measurement) provides full touch and total edge to edge coverage without any gaps or bubbles and does not fade or fog with extended use.

To top it all off, every Whitestone Dome Glass product comes with a Limited Lifetime Warranty which means that if your Dome Glass is damaged or worn, you could request a replacement through Whitestone’s webpage. Also, for a limited time, our very own Android Central readers can use the code ANDROIDCENTRAL to save 30% off Whitestone Dome Glass for their Samsung Galaxy Note 9. Just click here to order today and for their web page and more information on these screen protectors visit whitestonedome.com. Whitestone Dome Glass protector is #1 in protecting your entire screen and is an essential accessory for any new Note 9 owner. So, with the Samsung Galaxy being unpacked today, it is only right to get it the protection it deserves.

Don’t forget to use coupon code THRIFT30 to save 30% off the Note 9 Dome Glass 2 pack and Note 9 Dome Case on Amazon for a limited time!

Use Coupon code THRIFT30 for 30% off Note 9 Dome Glass
Use Coupon code THRIFT30 for 30% off Note 9 Dome Case

Win a Galaxy Note 9, Dome Glass 2 pack, and Clear Case!

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has just been unpacked, and the phone officially goes on sale in two weeks, but we wanted to give you a chance to WIN one along with some cool accessories from Whitestone to keep it safe.

Whitestone’s Dome Glass, which is already a top seller and is touted as one of the best-tempered glass protectors by the largest cellular provider in Japan, has the maximum strength and scratch resistance rating of 9H (hardness measurement), provides full touch and total edge to edge coverage without any gaps or bubbles, and does not fade or fog with extended use.

Created from Samsung’s original blueprints, the Whitestone Levitation case exhibits precise cutouts that align perfectly with your Note 9. This durable, shock absorbing clear case provides the ultimate protection for the best smartphone. And with only 1 mm between you and your phone, this clear case is light and not bulky; it’ll feel like your device is completely bare. You will definitely want to check out these products to protect your new Note 9!

For a limited time, Android Central readers can score 30% off these accessories on Amazon with coupon code THRIFT30!

Use Coupon code THRIFT30 for 30% off Note 9 Dome Glass
Use Coupon code THRIFT30 for 30% off Note 9 Dome Case

Enter to win a Galaxy Note 9 and more!

THE PRIZE: One Android Central reader will receive Galaxy Note 9, a 2 pack of Dome Glass, and a Clear Case. An additional 10 runners-up will receive a Dome Glass 2 pack and a Clear Case.

THE GIVEAWAY: Use the widget at the bottom of this page. There are multiple ways to enter, each with varying point values. Complete all of the tasks for maximum entries and your best shot at winning! Keep in mind that all winning entries are verified and if the task was not completed or cannot be verified, a new winner will be chosen. Please note that this giveaway is available in the US only.

The giveaway is open through August 22, 2018, and the winner will be announced right here shortly after the closing date. Good luck!

Win a Galaxy Note 9, Dome Glass 2 pack, and Clear Case from Whitestone and Android Central!

By entering you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

Apple Became World’s Most Valuable Company Seven Years Ago Today, Two Weeks Before Steve Jobs Resigned as CEO

Today marks the seventh anniversary of Apple passing U.S. oil giant ExxonMobil to become the world’s most valuable company for the first time, with a market capitalization of around $341.5 billion at the time.

Apple achieved the milestone on August 9, 2011, just over two weeks before the late Steve Jobs resigned as CEO on August 24, 2011, the same day that he nominated then-COO Tim Cook to succeed him in the position. Jobs passed away on October 5, 2011, following a lengthy battle with cancer.

Apple dropped back below ExxonMobil a few times, and was briefly surpassed by Google parent company Alphabet in market cap at times in 2016, but the iPhone maker has been the world’s most valuable company for the better part of the past seven years, and continues to hold that title today.

Apple becoming the world’s most valuable company was a remarkable accomplishment given that it flirted with bankruptcy in the mid-to-late 1990s, until Jobs returned and streamlined its product lineup. Under his leadership, Apple introduced several hits, including the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad.

Apple has continued its success under Cook, becoming the first publicly traded U.S. company worth a trillion dollars last week, shortly after reporting record-breaking $53.3 billion revenue in the third quarter of the 2018 fiscal year. Apple’s stock has appreciated over eight percent since the results came out.

Apple will look to build upon its success by expanding its focus on technologies such as augmented reality, autonomous driving, and artificial intelligence, in addition to services like Apple Music and its upcoming Netflix competitor.

Tag: AAPL
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Google’s New iOS App ‘Cameos’ Lets Celebrities Respond to Popular Questions in Search Results

Google this week debuted a new app called “Cameos,” which lets celebrities record video answers to “the most asked questions on Google,” and then post the recordings directly to Google’s search results (via TechCrunch). The company says that this will let users “get answers directly” from the source when searching for facts and trivia about certain people in the spotlight.

Although anyone can download the app [Direct Link], Cameos requires access to be granted once it’s downloaded. Celebrities who gain access can browse the Internet’s “top questions” asked about them, choose which ones they want to answer, and record a video of their response.

Cameos will push celebrities with new questions and searches to ensure that their Google-related content “stays recent and timely.” With the app, high-profile users can respond directly to their fans’ biggest questions and leave out any potential misinformation provided from other websites sourced from a Google search.

Once a question is answered, Google says that the response videos get posted “right to Google” so that users can see the videos when they search for the celebrity, or similar questions about the person. The videos will also appear on each celebrity’s feed in the main Google app.

Tag: Google
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Samsung Debuts New Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy Watch, Wireless Charger Duo, and Galaxy Home Smart Speaker

Samsung this morning debuted its latest flagship smartphone, the new Galaxy Note 9. The Galaxy Note 9 is equipped with a 6.4-inch 2960 by 1400 Super AMOLED screen, and like previous Note models, it works with the S Pen stylus. Design wise, it looks quite similar to the Note 8.

Inside, the Galaxy Note 9 features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 processor, 6 to 8GB RAM, dual AKG speakers, and a 4,000 mAh battery. Samsung is using the same 12-megapixel dual-aperture camera system it used in the Note 8, with the addition of an Intelligent Camera function that’s able to detect what you’re taking a photo of.

Samsung says that with the Snapdragon 845, it has included “Water Carbon Cooling System” inside the phone for improved performance with processor intensive apps such as Fortnite.

The S Pen that comes with the Galaxy Note 9 introduces new Bluetooth-enabled features that allow it to be used to control the camera of the device for taking selfies and other photos, control video playback, and more. Samsung has created an SDK that will let developers integrate the S Pen into their apps, and that will be available later this year.

The Galaxy Note 9 works with DeX, Samsung’s feature that allows a smartphone to be docked to a desktop and used with a mouse and keyboard. The Note 9 DeX implementation does not require a dedicated dock, instead using a USB-C to HDMI adapter.

The smartphone also features a USB-C port, a headphone jack, a front-facing iris scanner, and a fingerprint reader that’s centered at the back of the device. Though Google just introduced Android 9 Pie, the Note 9 will come with Android 8.1.

Samsung is pricing its Galaxy Note 9 at $1,000, the same price as the iPhone X, with the entry-level model coming with 128GB of storage and 6GB RAM. A version with 8GB RAM and 512GB of storage will be priced at $1,300. Pre-orders for the Galaxy Note 9 start tomorrow ahead of an August 24 launch.

Alongside the Galaxy Note 9, Samsung introduced the new Galaxy Watch, an LTE-enabled device that’s been designed to look like “a real watch” with a circular face and bezel that doubles as a control unit. It offers up Corning’s DX+ glass and better battery life than previous Samsung smart watches, with Samsung claiming that it will last several days on one charge.

Much like the Apple Watch, it offers a breathing guide to calm you down, heart rate monitoring, Bixby support, 39 workout types for fitness, and it’s able to detect six common exercises automatically. Unlike the Apple Watch, though, the Galaxy Watch tracks sleep quality.

To charge the Galaxy Note 9 and the Galaxy Watch, Samsung has introduced an AirPower-like Wireless Charger Duo that’s able to charge the watch and the phone at the same time.

Samsung is also getting into the smart speaker market with the Bixby-enabled Galaxy Home, which is designed to compete with Amazon Echo, Apple HomePod, Google Home, and other smart speaker options on the market. Galaxy Home works with Bixby, and Samsung says that its design is able to send sound in every direction.

For Galaxy Home and across Samsung’s other devices, Samsung has teamed up with Spotify for a “true cross-listening experience” that lets Spotify be used seamlessly across Samsung devices. Spotify will be part of the setup process on all Samsung devices, including Samsung smartphones, the Galaxy Home, and Samsung Smart TVs, with Bixby integration coming to Spotify.

Tags: Samsung, Spotify, Bixby
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Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on: A Fortnite away

Eight years of the Galaxy Note have gone by, and ahead of a momentous year next year, Samsung has unveiled its latest flagship. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 builds on the Galaxy S9 Plus with the addition of the S-Pen, as well as some intelligent features in the camera. But is it the Samsung revolution we’ve been waiting for?

Join us as we go hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy Note 9!

Galaxy Note 9 design and specs: What’s new?

The Galaxy Note range has always stood out thanks to the S-Pen, and the Note 9 is no different. The S-Pen now supports Bluetooth LE, allowing it to act a remote control for your smartphone. The Bluetooth button is programmable so you’re able to customize what apps or shortcuts are activated with a single press, double press, or press-and-hold.

Using the S-Pen, you can launch the camera, switch to selfie mode, and hit the shutter button.

For example, taking a group photo can be quite difficult, but with the updated S-Pen, you can launch the camera, switch to selfie mode, and hit the shutter button. Of course, Bluetooth means the S-Pen now has to charge, and this stylus comes with a super capacitor allowing you to dock it into your phone and charge it to full in just 40 seconds. There’s no word on how big the battery is, but Samsung says a full charge should be good for 200 clicks or 30 minutes of standby.

The Galaxy Note 9 will be available in two colors in the U.S. — Lavender Purple and Ocean Blue — while the midnight black and metallic copper colors will be globally available. The S-Pen has also had a small makeover, with the Ocean Blue Note 9 sporting a yellow S-Pen, and the other colors having a matching S-Pen. The S-Pen also offers screen-off memo like in previous years, allowing you to capture a note on the screen with the display turned off. But now, the text written in screen-off memo mode will now automatically match the color of your S-Pen. Pretty cool!

As you might expect, Samsung opted for the latest hardware inside the Galaxy Note 9. The 6.4-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED display is a tad larger than the 6.3-inch panel found on the Galaxy Note 8. Its powered by the Snapdragon 845 SoC and comes in two options — the base model has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while the premium version has 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. There’s also a microSD card slot supporting up to 512GB of additional memory, so theoretically you can have 1TB of overall storage on your Note 9. Most people won’t need that on a smartphone, though.

Don’t miss: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 specs and features

The biggest improvement over past devices is the 4,000mAh battery. Samsung claims this offers all-day battery life, but the company has said that about its previous devices as well. The Galaxy Note 8 had a 3,300mAh battery and offered around six hours of screen-on time, so we’d expect the Note 9 to offer between seven and eight hours. The Note 9 also offers fast wired and wireless charging, with support for both Qi and PMA wireless charging standards.

There’s also a ton of other hardware features packed into this phone, including LTE Cat. 18 with 4x4MIMO and Carrier Aggregation offering 1.2Gbps download speeds, Bluetooth 5.0, a heart rate sensor, iris scanning, pressure sensor, and more. The fingerprint sensor is on the rear underneath the camera (just like the S9) and Samsung’s Iris Scanning face unlock feature offers another way to unlock your phone.

Related

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 review: This is not a laptop

I wanted to like this tablet. For months, I’ve been looking for something small enough for my camera bag that does just about everything I need on a daily basis. Up until now, I’ve been …

Like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 that launched last week, the Galaxy Note 9 can run Samsung’s Dex desktop solution out of the box without the need for a docking station. Combined with the Bluetooth S-Pen and an HDMI cable, this means you can use just your Galaxy Note 9 for an entire presentation. When in Dex mode, you can use the Note 9 as your trackpad and mouse, and the on-screen keyboard will automatically pop up when you select a text input field.

The camera offers similar hardware to the Galaxy S9 Plus and Galaxy Note 8 but adds intelligence in the form of scene and flaw detection.

Nirave

The camera offers similar hardware to the Galaxy S9 Plus and Galaxy Note 8 but adds intelligence in the form of scene and flaw detection. The camera features the same dual-sensor setup with dual OIS that debuted in the Galaxy Note 8, as well as the super speed dual pixel and dual aperture features found in the Galaxy S9 Plus.

The camera’s new scene optimizer feature means Samsung has finally caught up to devices like the Huawei P20 Pro and LG G7 ThinQ that use AI, neural networks, and on-device machine learning to automatically improve your photos. Like other phones, the Note 9 is able to automatically detect the subject of a scene and fine tune the settings to match the scene.

During our brief testing, we found it boosted the colors in a photo of flowers and — compared to the Galaxy S9 Plus — resulted in a picture that was more pleasing to the eye. The Note 9 can automatically detect 20 different scenes. Samsung says professional photographers helped the company to fine tune the custom settings for each of these scenes.

The flaw detection feature could prove to be useful, although we weren’t really able to test it during our brief look at the Note 9. We’ve all taken a photo that we thought was going to be great, only to find out it’s slightly blurry, someone blinked, the lens had a smudge, or the backlight made the photo unusable. Samsung says that flaw detection means the Note 9 will automatically tell you when there’s a problem with the photo, so you’re able to recapture it straight away before the scene disappears.

Fortnite comes to Android

Fortrise(n)

The rumors were true: Fortnite is available exclusively on Samsung Android phones for a short period.

The rumors were true: Fortnite is available exclusively on Samsung Android phones for a short period, beginning tomorrow, August 10. Anyone with a Samsung device from the Galaxy S7 and upwards can download Fortnite from the Samsung Game Launcher tomorrow. Galaxy Note 9 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 users who download Fortnite will also get an exclusive skin.

The Galaxy Note 9 will be available in stores August 24, with pre-orders launching tomorrow, August 10 at 12:01 a.m. EDT. The base model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage will cost $999, while the version with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is priced at $1,249. Anyone who pre-orders before August 23, 2018 can choose between a pair of noise-cancelling AKG headphones or 15,000 v-bucks for use in the Fortnite game. Alternatively, if you can’t pick between the two, you can have both of them for a one-off payment of $99.

The Galaxy Note 8 was one of the best phones last year, and the Galaxy S9 Plus continued that trend. The Galaxy Note 9 hopes to build on this, but with very small tweaks over previous generations it remains to be seen whether an exclusive tie-up with developer Epic Games on Fortnite is enough to make this a best-selling smartphone.

What do you think of the Galaxy Note 9? Are the small changes and an exclusive tie-in with Fortnite enough for you to buy Samsung’s new flagship? Let us know your views in the comments below!