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Fitbit’s Blood Oxygen Monitoring Now Available in More Countries

Fitbit is now activating blood oxygen monitoring feature in more countries. When the company enabled the function it was only available for a small fraction of users in the US to test the functionality. Now the company has released it for the users in the UK & Canada as blood oxygen saturation data has appeared in the app. As we confirmed with many users, it has now available for Fitbit Versa, Versa Lite, Versa 2, Ionic and Charge 3 wearables.
The company has also enabled this feature for more US users on the mentioned Fitbit wearables. There is also some chatter about the availability in Sweden but we haven’t confirmed it yet though you can check it manually in the Fitbit app. The blood oxygen monitoring sensor on the back of the device uses to detect the sleep apnea and also track your sleep quantity & quality—the sensor work by detecting blood flow through the outer layer of the skin.
The Fitbit CEO Jack park said it is the first step and the company’s goal is to get FDA clearance for a sleep apnea diagnosis feature. Further, he noted Fitbit is collecting clinical data to test & develop FDA-cleared function. Like before, the blood oxygen variation will be available for limited users in UK & Canada and later, more users will get it. To see the enabled function open the Fitbit app and head to the Sleep section.
February 20, 2020
At Current Samsung Will Not Sell Galaxy Home Mini Separately
In answer to the query of a customer, Samsung representative in South Korea says for now there is no plan to sell Galaxy Home Mini separately. At the current, the home speaker is only available as a gift when customers in South Korea pre-order Galaxy S20 series smartphones. That means the customers who pre-ordered Galaxy S20, S20+ or S20 Ultra will use it first though they will receive it on March 6. At the deleted post, Samsung had mentioned launching Galaxy Home Mini on February 12 but later canceled it without proper specification.
Here is the reply from Samsung representative at South Korea (Translated),
“Hello, I am in charge of your Samsung mobile phone. I’m sorry for the late reply. Thank you for contacting Homi Mini. We will guide you through inquiry. At present, the Galaxy home Mini is not going to be sold separately when the relevant department is confirmed, and it is currently only available as a free gift of S20 pre-order purchase benefits.”
Many Samsung customers are eagerly waiting to get their hands on the home speaker but the official says they don’t have any specific release date. The other tragedy is the customers who have waited for a long time to purchase the home speaker are not in the mood of Galaxy S20. As per the deleted post, the Galaxy Home Mini will be available for $83 in the market so I don’t think any user will pay for galaxy S20 to get a free gift.
Samsung has to come up with a fixed launch date as the Galaxy Home Mini was announced in 2018 along with Galaxy Note 9. Last year, Samsung had also started a beta program to test the speaker and recently, the leaked videos and photos told us more about it. Google & Amazon is now in the market with its Google Home Mini & Amazon Echo respectively so Samsung should take one step further.

February 18, 2020
Android 10 Rolled Out for Galaxy A30 & Galaxy A50s
In the next phase of the Android 10 roadmap, Samsung has finally started to distribute One UI 2.0 version to the mid-range smartphones. The Galaxy A30 & Galaxy A50s are the two lucky devices to test Google’s newest Android 10 update. The users in Vietnam are now receiving Android 10 for their Galaxy A50s & the Indian users are receiving it on the Galaxy A30 smartphone. In December, Galaxy M20 & Galaxy M30 was only budget devices that received the latest version. The new firmware will seed the A507FNXXU3BTB2 version on the next successor of galaxy A50 – Galaxy A50s. The other Galaxy A30 will get the A305FDDU4BTB3 firmware number.

As per the updated roadmap, the new software for both devices supposed to come in April, but Samsung surprised again with another move. Samsung did it with Galaxy S10, Note 10 & even with the Galaxy S9 series by launching a new update before the scheduled time. The most surprising move was for Galaxy M20 & M30 smartphones that received Android 10 version way before any other premium smartphones.
The sooner updates mean another galaxy A series & M series devices will get OneUI 2.0 version in the coming days or weeks. The Galaxy A50 & Galaxy A70 could be the next popular smartphone that would lift to the new version. To install the latest version, go to Settings – Software Update – Download & Update options on your smartphone. The other countries may get the firmware in the coming days.
Source: SamMobile 1, 2
February 14, 2020
Samsung Offers Free Galaxy Home Mini with Galaxy S20
Samsung announced the next decades of Galaxy smartphones – Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+ & Galaxy S20 Ultra devices in the special event. To boost sales, Samsung announced to give free credits or gifts to customers in many countries. Now to attract the customers in South Korea, Samsung is giving free Galaxy Home Mini, who pre-orders the new Galaxy S20. To get benefits of the offer & to pre-register Galaxy S20, users can visit the Samsung Digital Plaza in the nearest place or from the official website. Once you book any of the Galaxy S20 series devices, then you will get your free gifts when the company starts shipping the product.
The customers that don’t want to get Galaxy Home Mini as a gift then they can choose Nemonic sticky note printer. In the other benefits users also get 4 months free YouTube premium & 50% off on the cost of display damage repair insurance in a year. Last week, Samsung accidentally leaked the release date for Home Mini as February 12 but later removed the post. There is no independent sale for the smart speaker but the Galaxy S20 users can now use it. In South Korea, the pre-orders will start from February 27 and the pre-sale will start from February 14 till February 26. The offer to get Galaxy Home Mini will begin from February 14.
In the presence of global media & exclusive fan members, Samsung has introduced its new decades of Galaxy S20 & Galaxy Z Flip smartphones. We hope Galaxy Z Flip will walk on the path of Galaxy Fold and avoid the mistakes that the first-generation foldable phone had made. The event was all about Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+ & Galaxy S20 Ultra smartphones. There was also room for Galaxy Buds+ to show its glory in the same event.
February 12, 2020
Galaxy Home Mini Scheduled to Launch on February 7
This week, Samsung posted an article about the official release date for Galaxy Home Mini in South Korea. Later, Samsung deleted the post that was mentioned on the February 12 release date with other information. Now, the Samsung customer support in South Korea says the rescheduled launch date for Galaxy Home Mini is February 7. Many users have asked about the release date and all got the same answer. If we go with this, then Samsung will release its smart speaker on Friday in the home country.
One of our reader sent a screenshot that we captured from the official website and asked Samsung customer support team about the actual release date. Here is the answer from the in charge of Samsung Mobile Phone of South Korea. It is in the South Korean language so below is the translation in English.
“Hello, I am in charge of Samsung Mobile Phone. Sorry to let you wait a long time first. I received the attached file which sent well. The release date is scheduled for Friday, February 7, but please note that it may change depending on the situation. The price is expected to be 99,000 won. Thank you for taking the time to contact us and we look forward to providing you better products and services.”
The Samsung representative has again mentioned that the company could change the release date as per the situation, that will be clear on February 7th. The price for the Galaxy Home Mini will be 99,000 in South Korea. Still, there is no word on the release date for other regions.
February 5, 2020
Gear S2 Update Improves Battery Life & Adds New Interface
Good news for Gear S2 users, Samsung has released a new firmware update for a 4-year-old smartwatch. The Samsung Gear S2 has received a new version after almost two years. The last update had seeded on the watch in 2018. The firmware version R730AUCU3CQK1 is now releasing for the watch that weighs 6.79MB in size. The new update has got the new interface of Galaxy Watch Active 2 that you will see all the icons & widgets the same as the new Galaxy watches.
The new version will improve the battery usage time of the Gear S2 smartwatch. It is now a very old smartwatch so Samsung tried to enhance its battery life. After the use in daily life, we will get a clear picture of the battery life though it is good that Samsung is trying to drive it longer. The company has also implemented a stability code for device security. It kills minor bugs to increase the overall quality of the watch.
As we noticed, users can now delete all the notifications at once. Previously, you have to clear all the notifications one at a time. The firmware number of the new version and the last update are the same but this time it releases to improve the security & battery life of the wearable. To get the latest version go to Settings – About Gear & Update Gear.
February 3, 2020
Galaxy Home Mini Will Release on February 12
Samsung is working on Galaxy Home Mini for quite a long time. Since the announcement, Samsung had never announced the release date. We got the first sign when Samsung opened a beta testing program for Galaxy Home Mini in August last year. Now after long waiting, the company has finally revealed the launch date for its AI-based smart speaker. Samsung will officially launch Galaxy Home Mini on February 12. South Korea will be the first country to get Galaxy Home Mini smart speaker for 99,000 won.
Last month, In the CES 2020 event CEO of Samsung’s consumer electronics division, Hyunsuk Kim hinted to launch the product in early 2020. That means, soon the smart speaker will land in other major regions. On the reason for the delay, the company said it delayed due to the company focused on making it control hub for other smart home devices rather than just Bixby voice assistant. The beta program for the smart speaker was also part of it.
Update: Samsung has removed the original article from its official website for some reason or to update the information. You may encounter the broken link so here is the screenshot (in Korean) from official website, taken before it went down.
The Samsung Galaxy Home Mini was introduced in August 2018 and since then, it had seen many launch dates. Now finally, Samsung decided to make it official for the customers, at least in the home country. Samsung will unveil Galaxy S20 series smartphones on February 11 and the next day we will see the first smart speaker from the company. In the market, it will compete with Google Nest Mini & Amazon Alexa Echo smart speakers.
February 3, 2020
New Amazfit GTR & GTS Update Improves GPS Speed & Accuracy
Huami has listened to all its customers who have complained about slow & inaccurate GPS functionality. The Amazfit GTR & Amazfit GTS were the two smartwatches that have GPS issues for an extended period. Now Huami has released a new software update in China to improve the GPS positioning on both watches. The firmware version 1.6.7.41 is available for Amazfit GTR 47mm and firmware version 0.1.0.47 is available for 42mm model. The Amazfit GTS is getting a 0.0.8.37 firmware version in China.
In the last update, both devices have received an automatic screen timeout feature for Always-on Display along with fixes for the black screen problem. Both missed dealing with the actual problem of having since the beginning. The latest update only mentions, “Optimized GPS positioning speed and accuracy.” It means that Huami has rolled out this version solely to tackle with GPS issue and to improve the speed and accuracy. Most of the customers have a problem with slower GPS and its accuracy while doing outdoor activities and we hope the company has solved it.
The new firmware is rolling out In China so, at this time, we can’t review the GPS on both watches. If any of you have installed it, then you can share your experience with updated GPS in the comment box below. The new version for both Amazfit GTR & Amazfit GTS will available soon in other countries.
January 17, 2020
Fitbit Activates Blood Oxygen Monitoring (SpO2) Feature
Finally, Fitbit has activated blood oxygen monitoring or SpO2 feature on its Versa family, Ionic & charge 3 wearables. Today, many Fitbit users are reporting first-time blood oxygen saturation data with a graph inside the Fitbit app. Fitbit included a SpO2 sensor on Versa series & Ionic to improve the health tracking powers. The recent fitness tracker, Charge 3, had also come with it but the company postponed to activate the function. It is impactful to track the stop breathing during sleep and monitoring blood oxygen levels so most of the fitness-centric users were waiting for it.
Earlier this year, Fitbit CEO, Jack Park, promised users to enable the function for all users in the coming fall. He said the SpO2 graph would be available for all the devices that have a SpO2 sensor. Now, almost a year after the launch of Charge 3, the company has opened the feature for all the users. The function is helpful in the sleep score metric to measure sleep quantity and quality. Also, it best in the detection of sleep apnea.
You will notice the Estimated Oxygen Variation option enabled in the Fitbit app when you receive the new update. As per the report we received while writing this article, the update is available in the USA. It is now rolling out on first-generation Fitbit Versa, Versa Lite, Versa 2, Ionic and Fitbit Charge 3 devices. The SpO2 is already available on Honor Band 5, 5i, Huawei Band 4 Pro and some Huami Amazfit smartwatches.
January 15, 2020
Galaxy Watch Active 2 Now Supports WhatsApp Images
Samsung has today launched a new firmware update for Galaxy Watch Active 2 smartwatch. It is the little update as per the changelog but it brings one of the most crucial support to the watch. The firmware version R820XXU1BTA1 is now rolling out in South Korea & Germany. After the update, users can now see WhatsApp images on their Galaxy Watch Active 2. When the users receive WhatsApp notifications with pictures inside then users can view it. It is the first Samsung smartwatch to get this support and the WhatsApp is the first app to get it.
Before it, When users get any messages they were only able to view the text from the message and the images show a camera icon. Previously, to view the pictures users have to open the app on a smartphone. These days most of the WhatsApp notifications come with pictures inside. Specially, on the occasion of festivals & New Year, users send or receive image only messages. It is better to view all the incomings on watch, and again it is one step forward to use your smartwatch without mobile.
As we said earlier, the new firmware is available in South Korea & Germany. It has also brought general stability & improvements to the smartwatch. It is possible in the upcoming updates all the other apps like Facebook, Instagram & Twitter will get the same treatment. There is also a chance to release it on older Galaxy Watch & Galaxy Watch Active smartwatches with their future updates.
January 10, 2020
Mi Band 5 Will Have 1.2-inch Screen, Google Pay Support
Xiaomi Mi Band 4 is now widely available in all major countries. It became one of the best selling fitness bands all across the world because of its future-packed functions at a low price. Now, Xiaomi is moving ahead to launch Mi Band 5 with more advanced features. As we got the exclusive information, Xiaomi will increase the touch screen size to 1.2-inch on Mi Band 5. It will be lighter and more contrast, which makes it better readable in the sunlight. The current Mi Band 4 has a 0.95-inch display so the next tracker will have more readable space. Of course, it will be a full-colored AMOLED screen.
As we said in October, the next Mi Band 5 will support NFC function outside China. Now we have insider news confirms NFC on a global version for contactless payments. It opens the door for Google Pay & other payment services to take advantage of it. Currently, only Mi Pay works on Mi Bands to pay any purchases and to pay for travel in transit. At present, the NFC is only supported on Mi Band 3 & Band 4 in China & only for residents. It will be going to change on the next band as the demand for the NFC version is growing fast.
The price for Mi Band 5 will be 179 Yuan in China, which is nearly 26 US dollars. The prices may vary in other countries. Mi Band 4 is selling at $35 so we could see a little price bump with the next band. Huami has confirmed that it is making Mi Band 5. Huami said there is no exclusive deal signed between both companies though it will work with Xiaomi on many upcoming projects. It is now confirmed Xiaomi will launch Mi Band 5 in June and China will be the first country to get it.
January 9, 2020
Samsung Releases New Update for Galaxy Fit e
It’s been a while since the Galaxy Fit e has received a new firmware update. The last update for Galaxy Fit e had been released in September where it received plenty of watch faces with new brightness & timeout settings options. Now, at the beginning of the new year, Samsung has released new firmware to fixes the known issues. The firmware version R375XXU0ASL1 that weighs 1.81 MB in size is rolling out to squash the two major problems on the fitness band. The latest software version is currently available in India.
As per the changelog, these two issues have been fixed. First, the vibration error that occurred while receiving calls in certain circumstances has been fixed. Second, the issue where the heart rate icon disappeared has been fixed. After the last version, many users had complained about the disappearance of the heart rate icon. Finally, Samsung brings it back so users can use it with a quick tap.
We have thought Samsung would introduce a music control feature on Galaxy Fit e, but we missed it in this version. The company has already introduced music control on the Galaxy Fit band so we think in the upcoming updates there is a chance to see the function on the Galaxy Fit e. To get the latest firmware, go to Wearable app, and then tap on Update band software. The update is rolling out over the air and it will take some time to reach in your country.
January 7, 2020
Amazfit GTR Update Brings Screen Timeout to Always-on Display
When Huami launched Amazfit GTR at that time the watch came up with basic features. In the beginning, Mi Band 4 & the GTR watch shared almost same functions. It made a huge difference when the company had released some significant updates to the Amazfit GTR. Like the last two updates wherein the November, it got PAI function to motivate you in a workout session. And in December it received custom watch face to add your style to the main screen. Now, the latest firmware is rolling out for the Amazfit GTR with a couple of features.
The firmware version V1.3.5.32 brings a screen timeout feature for Always-on Display. It will now allow users to set a specific time so after that watch will go on sleep. Previously, when you enable Always-on Display function then it always stays active until you turn it off. It always puts pressure on the battery life so to deal with now you can set time. For the lazy persons, the alarm ring time has increased to 30 seconds so yes, you have some extra seconds to wake up.
The other notable change in the new software is when the AGPS session expires, it will now remind you by pop-up. As per the changelog, it has fixed an occasional black screen problem. We haven’t received or heard any issues in this area but still, it is good that the company is taking care of every user. The new version is now available in Malasia and soon it will hit in India & other regions. To get the latest version, head to Settings -> Check for update in the Amazfit app.
January 7, 2020
Skagen Falster 3 Spotted on Amazon, Releasing on January 25
A subsidiary of Fossil, Skagen is soon releasing new Falster 3 smartwatch on Wear OS platform. Fossil has made some remarkable smartwatches with Wear OS and the previous Fossil Gen 5 is the best example of it. Now our colleague has spotted upcoming Skagen Falster 3 on the Amazon that runs on Wear OS by Google. The leak reveals several features of the watch with the launch date of January 25. As we can see on the leaked image, the look of the watch is the same as its predecessor Falster 2. But we sure they have made some changes to it.
As the information we received, it gets heart rate & activity tracking, GPS, NFC functions along with swimproof design and smartphone notifications to stay you updated. In some pre-installed apps & services, you will get Google Pay, Google Assistant & Google Fit. On the Amazon, it listed with Black Silicone, Blue Silicone Gunmetal, Steel Mesh, and Leather -Silicone Backed variants of straps. Falster 3 promises 24 hours of battery life with regular use; previous Flaster 2 had also promised the same battery life.
The predecessor Falster 2 was launched in 2018 and many of us thought the third-generation watch would come in 2019. Now, finally, the official listing of the product on Amazon confirmed some of its features and the launch date. The price for the Falster 3 on Amazon has set to $295 for all the listed color straps. You can now pre-order the smartwatch on Amazon and you will get a delivery date after its launching on January 25.
January 3, 2020
Galaxy A30s & Galaxy A50s Launched in the US & UK
Samsung has today launched its two mid-range smartphones – Galaxy A30s & Galaxy A50s in the US & UK markets. Samsung is selling both smartphones through Amazon in both countries. The company has announced Galaxy A30s & Galaxy A50s in August and India was the first country to get both devices in September. Now to expand in the more countries, both smartphones have come to the US & UK. The price for Galaxy A50s in the US is $379.99 (6GB/128GB) and Galaxy A30s available for $222 (4GB/64GB). Right now, the other variant of Galaxy A50s, 4GB/128GB and 4GB/128GB model of Galaxy A30s is not available for sale.
In the UK, Galaxy A50s has set to £297 and Galaxy A30s priced at £210 on the Amazon UK site. Both smartphones are slightly upgraded versions of Galaxy A30 & Galaxy A50. The galaxy A50s offers a 48MP triple camera, NFC-based Samsung Pay and Exynos 9611 processor with Night Mode and Super Steady Mode camera features. In the storage, it comes with 6GB/128GB & 4GB/128GB memory space. The Galaxy A30s is a cheaper model that gives you 4GB/64GB & 4GB/128GB storage space. It has a triple rear camera (25MP+8MP+5MP) and a 16MP secondary camera. It powered with Exynos 7885 SoC Samsung Pay feature.
The game booster feature to enhance the experience of gaming comes with both Galaxy A30s & galaxy A50s smartphones. Currently, official Samsung website pages in both countries not mentioning any of these smartphones. To purchase any of these, head to the Amazon listing pages of both smartphones.
Sources: Amazon US 1, 2 | Amazon UK 1, 2
December 23, 2019
Galaxy Note 9 Receives Third Android 10 Beta Version
Samsung is now starting to roll out the third Android 10-based One UI 2.0 beta version for Galaxy Note 9 users. The latest software version means to fix many issues and boosts user experience. The firmware N960FXXU4ZSL7 is released and currently rolling out in India & the firmware version N960NKSU3ZSL8 in South Korea. The new version is 395 MB in size and comes with the December security patch. Two weeks ago, in the second beta release, the company had squashed major bugs and stabilized most of the functions. In this rollout, Samsung has fixed the SPen Aircommand translation issue, as SPen is the essential part of any Note series device.
The mobile hotspot connection now stabilizes and the issue while using Samsung Pass has also been solved. The other fixes come to Iris recognition for Secure Folder is failed & FC occurs while editing LED icons. The Secure Folder problem was in all beta versions of most of the smartphone, but Samsung always fixed in the later releases.
Samsung is now moving fast to upgrade all its smartphones to the latest stable Android 10-based One UI 2.0 version. Till now, Samsung’s this year’s premium smartphones Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10 5G, Galaxy Note 10, and Galaxy Note 10+ have received the new version. In the mid-range segment, Galaxy M20 & Galaxy M30 are lucky devices to get stable Android 10 updates before any Galaxy A series of smartphones. The roadmap shows Galaxy Note 9 will get stable version in January 2020 but as Samsung’s previous moves, we could see it happen earlier.
December 18, 2019