Samsung has the Galaxy S25 FE smartphone in the launch pipeline, and it will bring not-so-exciting upgrades over its previous self, except for one camera aspect.

This will be the fifth chapter of the fan edition phone saga, which gained popularity with the Galaxy S20 FE. Since then, Samsung’s held back its interest in advancing this smartphone lineup, only adding subtle changes with new models.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S25 FE press renders have already leaked, revealing a familiar design. So, there’s not much to hope for on that side, but we might have a chance to see at least one upgrade this year.

The Galaxy S25 FE will bring the vertical camera layout, consisting of three lenses. From the current leaks and rumors, these are likely to remain the same, which means. The S25 FE will have a 50MP main camera with optical image stabilization, an 8MP 3x telephoto, and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera.

Image by evleaks

That’s pretty classic Samsung stuff because the previous generation also had the same rear camera specs. So, what’s new? Based on the reports, the new FE edition could adopt a 12MP front camera, ditching the 10MP lens used in the S24 FE.

Upgrading a front camera is quite a niche choice because the FE series has a user base that prioritizes selfies. More pixels mean better image composition, and its users may end up appreciating this new lens.

Other than the camera, the Galaxy S25 FE will retain last year’s Exynos chipset, but Samsung intends to increase battery capacity and add 45W fast charging support. This phone is expected to launch within a few months.

Samsung is one of the biggest VMware customers, but new price hikes are forcing the Korean company to look for alternatives and reduce reliance on this software virtualization platform.

Samsung Group’s major subsidiaries – Samsung Electronics, Electro-Mechanics, and Display are reconsidering their partnership with VMware to achieve cost-effectiveness. In this direction, Samsung Electronics is developing its solution with virtualization and cloud specialists. It has been doing technology verification since last year and could build a private cloud with a specialized company and put its own staff in charge of all operations.

Besides internal efforts, Samsung is conducting some open-source projects. It aims to operate the cloud environment centered on open source instead of commercial software such as VMware.

The company isn’t immediately cutting ties with VMware and will continue to use to until its own solutions gain maturity or a viable alternative is found. Etnews reports that Samsung and VMware have conducted around $29 million in business to date.

The price hike saga began after Broadcom completed the $61 billion VMware acquisition in 2023. This deal brought a significant change in its customer landscape, impacting its user base. The core reason is the new licensing model, as it transitioned to subscription from one-time purchases.

Customers now require Support Subscription contracts for updates and support, and the renewal costs have seen a major increase.  This impact is also shared with small and medium-sized businesses, renewal quotes posted online show as much as a 1200% price increase, which doesn’t look feasible compared to the previous licensing.

Industry insider says some companies have already been asked to pay five times more than 2024, and it is expected that Broadcom will continue to push new VMware price hikes and swipe away customers, including Samsung, to alternatives.

Samsung has brought Now Bar as a quick glance hub to keep you updated with the active apps, but a recent Google Gemini upgrade has given me an idea to improve this useful feature.

A now bar appears at the bottom of the lock screen. Besides information, it also gives you interactive controls based on the app. For example, you can change the playback or stop the stopwatch. The One UI system can show multiple live notifications and stack them, overlapping each other. You can switch between active now bars with a vertical swipe gesture.

A few days ago, Android Authority shared an insight into the upcoming Gemini Space for Pixel devices, which appears to be inspired by Samsung’s now bar. At first glance, the sports widget reveals similar aesthetics, except for the background shape, which is more rectangular in Gemini Space.

Source – AndroidAuthority

These cards sit on the home screen and the lock screen. Unlike One UI, Google’s alternative could be placed on top. However, the main attraction to me is the slide indicators. That means you can swipe horizontally to change the card or bring it back. This tiny change provides a clean UI and calls for the user’s action.

I’ve found this card-swapping style intriguing and tried to create a similar version for Samsung Now Bar. Eventually, I was pretty satisfied with the outcome.

This is due to the fact that the screen only shows one now bar, instead of another one peaking from the bottom. Also, the indicators are separate, and they also enhance the overall appearance. Check the comparison between the current and the concept now bar below.

However, this change only applies to now bar, and the home screen live notifications should remain the same.

What do you think of this Google Space-inspired Samsung now bar? Does it look good, or do you prefer the existing overlapping version? Let us know via our social media channels.

Google is making a big shift in its Android development and distribution mechanism. Recently, the company announced Android Canary, which may impact Samsung’s One UI.

Android development and testing involved three stages: Developer Preview, Public Beta, and Stable Release. Android 16’s Developer Preview and Public Beta have ended, with the Stable rollout scheduled for June this year.

After that, Google announced QPR Beta to test new features for Pixel Feature Drops. These feature-packed updates drop for Pixel phones and the Android ecosystem every quarter. However, the launch of Android Canary would change everything.

Folks over at Android Authority are calling Android 16 a “mess.” This is because Google’s new Android plans have made it heavily confusing. With Android Canary not tagging a specific Android version, determining feature releases has become impossible.

Google drops newly crafted features in Developer Preview, which gain usability improvements in Public Beta. After the two stages, Android users receive the changes and features as part of the software update rollout.

That said, if Google deployed something in Developer Preview, it’s most likely to be seen in Public Beta, followed by general release. Meanwhile, Android Canary is replacing the Developer Preview, making the anticipation game a total mess.

Source – Google

Android 16 has been rolled out, and Samsung is running the One UI 8 Beta Program. The new OS will start hitting older Galaxy devices probably next month. However, the Canary effect would be reflected in Android 17 distribution.

One UI relies on Android for core changes and security features. Android also impacts the application ecosystem and key features with API support. As Android Canary in the game, the effect could be seen in future One UI rollouts.

Samsung may also utilize Google’s Canary approach to elevate the One UI experience on Galaxy devices.

Samsung has made a strong impact in the Indian smartphone market once again. The company recently launched three new models – Galaxy Z Fold7, Galaxy Z Flip7, and Galaxy Z Flip7 FE. These new foldables have created a huge buzz in India, breaking pre-order records within hours of launch.

Within just 48 hours (2 days) of the launch, Samsung’s new foldables received a massive response. The company has confirmed that they got 2.1 lakh (210,000 or 210k) pre-orders across India.

This is a big achievement and one of the highest pre-order numbers Samsung has seen for its foldable phones in the country. This number is almost equal to the pre-orders received for the Galaxy S25 series launched earlier this year.

Source – Samsung Mobile Press

Samsung’s foldables are available to pre-order from all major online and offline stores. To make the pre-order offer more exciting, Samsung is giving amazing offers like the 512GB model at the price of the 256GB version.

Consumers can also get up to 24 months of no-cost EMI to make it easier to own these high-end phones. Notably, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 starts with ₹1,74,999, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is priced at ₹1,09,999, and the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE costs ₹89,999.

Samsung says the strong response shows that more people in India are ready to try new technology. JB Park, President and CEO of Samsung Southwest Asia, said that the phones are made in India and come with the latest software, One UI 8.

The high number of pre-orders, 210k in just 2 days, shows that foldable phones are becoming more popular in India. If you are interested in foldable, you can also pre-order the phone now.