Leaked hands-on videos show the Galaxy S23 FE up close

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Earlier today, we came across a couple of leaked promotional videos of the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE. We now have two hands-on videos showing the phone up close. The videos were posted on YouTube some time ago but have just come to our notice, thanks to @sondesix on X.

Galaxy S23 FE leaked in hands-on videos

The leaked hands-on videos of the Galaxy S23 FE show us the Graphite color variant of the phone featuring a silver frame. We can see a flat front and back design with slightly curved edges As usual, the handset has its power and volume buttons on the right side. A microphone hole, USB Type-C port, and speaker grille reside at the bottom. The top edge houses the SIM tray and a second microphone hole.

The 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display has noticeable bezels all around, particularly the chin (bottom bezel). Samsung could have probably made the device look sleeker with thinner bezels. With this design, the Galaxy S23 FE looks more like the Galaxy A54 than an S-series “affordable flagship” phone. The signature Galaxy design at the back doesn’t help its cause. The Korean firm has given the same rear design to all of its phones this year.

Speaking of the back design, we see three cameras stacked vertically in the top left corner. Since there’s no camera bump here, each lens protrudes out of the rear panel individually. We are looking at a 50MP primary shooter, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and an 8MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. An LED flash sits next to three lenses. The selfie camera housed within the centered punch-hole cutout on the display is a 10MP unit.

Samsung has seemingly given the Galaxy S23 FE a glossy finish at the back. It appears the rear panel will retain a lot of fingerprints and smudges, which can look messy when viewed at certain angles. Using a back cover might be a good idea here. Make sure to go for cases that don’t affect the phone’s wireless charging capabilities. The device packs a 4,500mAh battery and supports 25W fast wired charging.

The new Fan Edition phone is nearing its launch

The first of the two leaked hands-on videos of the Galaxy S23 FE was uploaded on September 3. Moreover, both appear to have been captured at a retail store, suggesting that the device has been sitting on store shelves for almost a month now. This means a market debut of the phone isn’t too far off. Teasers from Samsung and its retail partners have hinted at an early October release. We might soon get an official word from the company regarding the Galaxy S23 FE’s launch.


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The UK is fighting for more transparency with AI companies

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AI companies, for the most part, have had free rein to do as they pleased during the first era of the AI explosion that began with ChatGPT. Now, as this craze nears its one-year anniversary, companies are facing intense pressure from several governments to regulate their technology. The UK is now fighting for AI companies to give it access to their technology.

It took several months, but governmental bodies are finally stepping in to help keep AI in check. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that generative AI could have some major impacts on several industries. The biggest problems with AI are evident now, and we’re all hoping that government regulation will help keep things in check.

The UK has requested that AI companies give it access to their technology

We’ve seen different governmental bodies try to keep AI technology from going too far. Now, it’s the UK’s turn. According to Financial Times, the UK is soon to hold the world’s first AI safety summit, and it invited major AI companies such as Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic. During the summit, the UK aims to appeal to these companies so that they could provide them with deep access to the technology that powers their LLMs.

At the time, neither company had shared deep information about their technology with any entity. This makes sense, as we’re talking about deep dark trade secrets that any company would hold close to its chest. So, you can imagine the companies being hesitant.

However, the UK believes that having access to these companies’ AI will help gain a deeper understanding of the technology and be able to identify potential risks.

At this time, we don’t know exactly when the summit will happen, but we know that it will be sometime in November, and it will happen in Bletchley Park. Anthropic agreed to provide the UK with information, but we don’t know to what extent. We’ll need to wait for the summit to happen in order to know for sure.

What we do know is that sharing this information could have an impact on where AI takes us in the future.


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Google’s change of one tab on Android version of YouTube leads to other moves

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Google is currently testing a new tab for the Android version of the YouTube app per 9to5Google. The Library tab will be replaced with one called You and the avatar or profile picture on the upper right of the screen will be moved to the bottom bar. The You tab will look almost exactly like the Library tab with a carousel on top showing thumbnails of your recent YouTube History, allowing you to see which videos you’ve watched lately and watch them again if you want to.
Under History is another carousel named Playlists that shows video playlists that you’ve created. Under that is a vertical list of three options:
  • Your videos-which show a vertical list of YouTube videos that you uploaded to the platform.
  • Downloads-which show all of the videos that you’ve downloaded for viewing when you’re offline.
  • Your Clips-a new category
  • Your movies-which shows movies that you can browse through and pay to view, movies and TV shows that are free to view with ads, and movies and TV shows that you’ve previously purchased.
  • Your Premium benefits-formerly Purchases and memberships, this moves from the YouTube menu and shows you your digital purchases and rentals, and any active memberships.
  • Time watched-moved from the YouTube menu, this page will show you your YouTube viewing metrics and allow you to set reminders to take a break or when to go to bed.
  • Help & feedback-yet another option coming from the YouTube menu
At the top of the screen are three pill-shaped buttons. One will allow you to switch to another YouTube account, another will allow you to switch to another Google account, and a third that allows you to turn on Incognito mode. With the profile picture/avatar moved to the bottom, the gear icon appears at the top right of the display which you tap on to access YouTube settings.
It doesn’t seem that either update has been disseminated to more than a few Android users as of now. Neither update has appeared on the YouTube app on my Pixel 6 Pro running Android 14 QPR1 Beta 1.

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Galaxy Tab S9 FE series specs and prices revealed before launch

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Samsung is all set to launch two new Fan Edition (FE) series Android tablets early next month. Retail listings have confirmed that the Galaxy Tab S9 FE and Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ will debut in the first week of October. While we wait for a formal announcement from the company, leaks continue to reveal more details about the products, including their prices. 91Mobiles has provided a round-up of everything you need to know about the duo.

Galaxy Tab S9 FE rumored specs

The new FE tablets will be more affordable alternatives to the Galaxy Tab S9  flagships Samsung launched in July. Unsurprisingly, they pack more modest specs as well. The standard model sports a 10.9-inch LCD panel with a 2304×1440 pixels resolution, whereas the Plus model gets a 12.4-inch LCD screen with a 2560×1600 pixels resolution. Both tablets should support the S Pen, which should come bundled in the retail box.

Samsung will equip the Galaxy Tab S9 series with its Exynos 1380 chipset, the same SOC that powers the Galaxy A54. The SoC is paired with 6GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB configurations for the base model and 8GB+128GB and 12GB+256GB configurations for the Plus model. There might be a limited release of a 12GB+256GB base model as well. Should you need more storage, the tablets support microSD cards, probably up to 1TB capacity.

The upcoming Samsung tablets feature a 12MP front camera for selfies and video calls. On the back, they both house an 8MP primary camera, with the Plus model adding an 8MP ultrawide lens to the mix.

Since the latter is bigger, it packs a bigger battery as well. The new report mentions a 10,090mAh cell, with the standard Galaxy Tab S9 FE getting an 8,000mAh unit. Their charging speeds are not known but don’t expect anything faster than 25W.

These tablets will be available in Wi-Fi and cellular (5G) versions. They boast Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and IP68 dust and water resistance. Both models will run Android 13 out of the box, likely with Samsung’s One UI 5.1.1 on top. You can find more information in our Galaxy Tab S9 FE Preview.

The upcoming Samsung tablets should be relatively affordable

Earlier leaks have claimed a starting price of €529 (roughly $560) for the Galaxy Tab S9 FE and €699 (roughly $740) for the Plus model. For 5G versions, you’ll have to pay €100 more, the previous report said. However, the Indian e-commerce platform Flipkart has confirmed that the Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ will cost less than ₹40,000 (roughly $480) at launch. We’ll have to wait and see whether Samsung prices the tablets similarly in other markets.


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Epic Games cuts 870 jobs amidst economic hurdles

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Amidst challenging financial conditions, 2023 has witnessed a number of tech giants laying off significant portions of their workforce. Now, in a recent development, Epic Games has reportedly announced plans to cut 870 jobs, impacting over 16% of its total workforce.

In an official statement, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney addressed the company’s financial situation and acknowledged the challenge of spending more than the company earns. Despite earlier assurances to employees about navigating these times through cost-cutting measures and hiring freezes, Sweeney stated that the layoffs were necessary to stabilize the company’s financial standing. However, it is important to note that a significant portion of the layoffs have impacted teams outside the core development.

“I had long been optimistic that we could power through this transition without layoffs, but in retrospect, I see that this was unrealistic,” said Tim Sweeney.

Divesting from other businesses

In addition to the job cuts, Epic Games is looking to sell Bandcamp, an online audio distribution company bought just last year, to Songtradr. Moreover, the company plans to spin off SuperAwesome, a “kid-tech” firm dedicated to creating safe online experiences for children, to make it an independent entity under the SuperAwesome brand, led by its current CEO, Kate O’Loughlin.

Furthermore, due to current economic challenges and currency fluctuations, Epic Games is also increasing the price of Fortnite V-Bucks in the United States and several other countries. The change will average around 12% to 15%, depending on the country, and will take effect on October 27.

Not the only company facing issues

While Epic Games’ decision to lay off employees after previous assurances is a cause for concern, it is not the only game developer facing economic hurdles. This is because major players, such as Embracer Group, have canceled projects, closed studios, and considered asset sales following the collapse of a substantial investment deal. Furthermore, even Activision Blizzard has undergone layoffs in various divisions, including its Hearthstone and Esports departments.


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Here’s your first look at the Samsung Galaxy S24

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The Samsung Galaxy S24 series is coming in the first quarter of next year, most likely. If a recent rumor is to be believed, it may launch as early as January. That being said, the Samsung Galaxy S24 just surfaced in CAD-based renders, providing us with a first look at its design. These renders (and video showing one of the renders) have been provided by @OnLeaks in collaboration with Smartprix.

Thanks to leaked renders, we got our first look at the Samsung Galaxy S24

What we immediately noticed is that the phone’s sides will be flatter than on the Galaxy S23. The Galaxy S23 offered slightly rounded sides all around, but the Galaxy S23 will keep things flat.

The phone’s front and back sides will be flat too, while all the physical buttons will sit on the right-hand side, as will the UWB (Ultra-Wideband) antenna. Three cameras will once again be included on the back. They will be vertically-aligned in the top-left corner. So, the placement will be pretty similar as it was on the Galaxy S23. The LED flash is placed a bit lower, though, between the first and second cameras.

A display camera hole is visible on the phone’s front side, and it’s centered once again. We don’t really get the best look at the bezels here, but they do seem to be thin. We’ll have to wait and see. What you’ll also notice is the Samsung logo on the back, in the usual place.

It will be almost the same size as its predecessor

The Samsung Galaxy S24 is said to be slightly taller and less wide than its predecessor. It’s said to measure approximately 147 x 70.5 x 7.6mm. The Galaxy S23, as a reminder, measures 146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6mm. So, the size will be almost identical.

What about the specs? Well, the source says that the phone will feature a 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. So, basically exactly what we expected, as that’s what the Galaxy S23 offered.

It will support HDR10+ content, and feature Gorilla Glass protection. We do expect an improvement in the overall brightness of the display, of course, but chances are it will still be a fullHD+ panel.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC is expected to fuel the phone, but an Exynos variant may also be a thing. If that ends up being the case, it will all be market-dependent.


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2024’s LG TVs should see a huge boost thanks to AI

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LG is many things, but it’s largely a TV/display company. The Korean giant’s TVs are some of the best that you can get on the market. 2024’s LG TVs are set to get a huge boost in performance thanks to the upcoming Alpha 10 processor powering them.

Just like with smartphones or computers, a TV’s performance depends on the chip that’s powering it. A better chip means better image processing and overall better visuals. LG uses its series of Alpha chips in its TVs to help deliver their superior pictures using machine learning. Now, the next generation is set to launch in the next couple of months.

2024’s LG TVs are going to get a boost in picture quality thanks to the Alpha 10 processor

LG is planning some major changes with this new chip, according to ETNews (via Techradar). It’s the first major leap for LG’s chips since 2018 when the Alpha 9 processor was introduced. Since then, we’ve seen iterative changes to the chip year after year. However, next year’s Alpha 10 processor is meant to be a major leap forward. Unfortunately, we don’t have too much information about the actual tech.

What we do know is that this chip will be a step forward because of its AI prowess. LG offered improvements to its on-device performance. When most devices use AI, they usually need the internet to connect to data centers with much more powerful technology. However, the Alpha 10 processor will be able to employ AI right on the chip.

We’re not sure how that’s going to affect the video quality, but it could be for something a bit more interesting. According to a recent announcement by LG, the company plans to implement a VUI (voice user interface) into its WebOS devices in the near future. This would let users use voice commands to navigate different applications. For all we know, this chip could be a major part of this effort.

There will be other improvements

As you can imagine, there will be improvements to the user-facing aspects of the TVs as well. The company says that there will be improvements to the picture quality as well as AI audio improvements.

LG is also working on technology for a motion detection feature. The TV will be able to detect where the viewer is. While that sounds creepy, we’re sure that it could be used to control your TV with gestures, but we’ll have to wait for more information on that.

Lastly, LG isn’t only planning on using the Alpha 10 chip on its TVs. It could be used in other LG products like its smart appliances. So, 2024 should be an exciting year for the company.


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Galaxy S24 series specs leak: Displays, batteries & more

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The Samsung Galaxy S24 series is coming in the first quarter of next year. Earlier today the Galaxy S24 design surfaced for the first time, and now we get a bunch of specs from all three Galaxy S24 series models.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 specs have just surfaced, way ahead of the launch event

This information is coming from Ice Universe, a well-known tipster. He shared display sizes, resolution, battery info, dimensions, and more. He did that via X (formerly known as Twitter), as per usual.

Let’s focus on the Galaxy S24 first. Based on this info, that device will include a 6.2-inch fullHD+ display with a fullHD+ resolution. Its maximum brightness will be 2,500 nits. It will also pack in a 4,000mAh battery, with 25W charging support. The Galaxy S24 will measure 147 x 70.6 x 7.6mm, and weigh 168 grams.

The Galaxy S24+, on the other hand, will include a 6.7-inch WQHD+ display with a maximum brightness of 2,500 nits. A 4,900mAh battery will also be included in the package, as will 45W charging support. The phone will measure 158.5 x 75.9 x 7.7mm, and weighs 195 grams.

All three phones will have immensely bright displays, and no charging improvements

And ultimately, the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Samsung’s most powerful phone in the series will include a 6.8-inch WQHD+ display with a maximum brightness of 2,500 nits. A 5,000mAh battery will also be included, and the phone will support 45W charging. The Galaxy S24 Ultra will measure 162.3 x 79 x 8.6mm, while it will weigh 233 grams.

It’s also worth saying that all three displays will include a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, and those will be OLED panels, of course. That’s basically all the information that Ice Universe shared this time around.

So, all three panels will be quite bright, there will be different sizes for you to choose from, and Samsung doesn’t plan on improving the charging speed. Wireless charging was not mentioned here. However, it will be included in all three models. A charger will not, however.


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You can show photos on the new Echo Show 8, but at a cost

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Amazon recently held its hardware event where it showed off some neat devices. Among the devices announced, we got a new Echo Show device. Called the Echo Show 8 Photos Edition, this device will act as your picture frame. However, this will actually come at a bit of a cost, according to The Verge.

Amazon announced some interesting news such as new AI capabilities for Amazon Alexa. The voice assistant will use generative AI in its responses, so you’ll be able to use it like you were using ChatGPT. This means that you’ll be able to generate responses like stories, poems, etc. This functionality will be coming to Alexa at a later date. Amazon will start testing it on existing Echo Show devices.

Here’s the Echo Show Photos Edition

If you’re looking at this device expecting some wild improvement to the hardware over the standard Echo Show, you’re going to be disappointed. It’s basically the same as the Echo Show 8 (3rd gen). So, it gives you a well-featured and intuitive smart display experience.

What makes this different is the fact that you can use display photos on your screen as the primary content. You’ll essentially be using your smart display as a digital photo frame. That’s great if you want to have the best of both worlds.

However, this privilege is not without its cost. The regular Echo Show 8 costs $149.99, but the photo edition costs you $159.99. That’s just a $10 difference, and it’ll most likely be negligible when you’re making the purchase. Still, it just seems odd that the company is charging you to display photos on a smart display.

The expenses don’t stop there. After buying the device, you have to activate the subscription. When you buy the device, you’ll activate a six-month free trial of PhotosPlus. This is the subscription service that grants you the ability to display the photos as the main content on your Echo Show. After the six-month trial, you’ll be charged $1.99/month.

The subscription will also grant you 25GB of photo and video storage for your device. If you’re a Prime member, you get unlimited photos and 5GB of video storage.

If you really want a smart display with a digital picture frame added on, you can pick up this device when it launches in the fall.


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CEO of X might not have the app on her iPhone

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Back in May, when X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, was reeling from Elon Musk’s ownership (which is still the case), Musk hired former NBCUniversal ad sales chief Linda Yaccarino to be CEO of X. Since X is now a private company, it is hard to gauge how Yaccarino has fared at the firm since she received the key to the executive washroom. We do know that Musk plans on turning X into a “Super App” modeled after China’s WeChat.
This might be a brilliant idea on Musk’s part since WeChat is the Swiss Army Knife of apps handling group messaging, text messaging, audio and video calls, financial transactions (through WeChat Pay), and more. WeChat has 1.671 billion monthly active users worldwide and 1.48 million monthly U.S. users. We say that Musk has a good idea, but whether he can pull it off is another question.

X CEO Yaccarino doesn’t have the X app icon on her first iPhone home screen page

Meanwhile, CEO Yaccarino might have put herself in a rather tight spot. While attending Vox Media’s Code 2023 conference in New York last week, the executive showed off her iPhone to the media and surprisingly her home screen did not include the X icon. Now, I don’t know about Yaccarino, but most iPhone users put the apps that they use the most on the first home screen page. This writer does that as well.

Now it is possible that the X app icon can be found on another page, but if I were the CEO of X, you can be sure that the X app icon would be right on the first home screen page. And we question the CEO’s ability to think on her feet since she showed her phone to the press and allowed them to take photographs of it knowing full well that the X app icon wasn’t on it.

So what app icons does the CEO of X have on the first page of her home screen? According to 9to5Mac, she has Starbucks (which, to be fair, delivers the caffeine jolt all good executives need), Gmail, Messages, FaceTime, Wallet, Camera, and Calendar. And on her first home screen page you’ll find Facebook and Instagram, but alas, no X. And it’s not like she didn’t have room for it since she puts the Settings app icon in the dock.

During the interview, the executive appeared to be “rattled”

Per The Verge, Yaccarino was “rattled” during her interview at the conference and tried to defend Musk’s actions. She also said that X will turn profitable next year. But as reflected in the absence of the X app icon from the first home screen page, Yaccarino may be CEO, but that title means nothing when it comes to a business owned by Elon Musk.
During her media interview, Julia Boorstin, senior media and tech correspondent at CNBC, asked the CEO about Musk’s recent comment about charging a subscription fee to those who want to post on X. Yaccarino responded by asking “Can you repeat?” “Elon Musk announced you’re moving to an entirely subscription-based service,” Boorstin said. “Nothing free about using X.”

“Yaccarino then asked, “Did he say we were moving to it specifically, or is thinking about it?” “He said that’s the plan,” Boorstin responded, “Did he consult you before he announced that?” “We talk about everything,” Yaccarino said unconvincingly. 

She does say the right things making comments like, “It’s a new day at X, and I’ll leave it at that,” and “X is a new company building a foundation based on free expression and freedom of speech.” But how serious is she about X if she doesn’t even consider it one of the most important apps on her phone-if she even has the app on her phone.

We would wonder how much longer Yaccarino has left at X if not for the thought that finding anyone to take this job would be a daunting task.


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