Samsung Uses UWB To Turn Galaxy Phones Into Digital Car Keys

After announcing it earlier this year, Samsung is finally adding support for using certain Galaxy flagship smartphones as digital keys to unlock your vehicles. Known as Samsung Digital Key, the new feature uses Ultra Wide Band (UWB) and NFC to enable “passive entry”, meaning that the car will unlock when you’re nearby without you needing to take out your phone, similar to Apple’s car keys introduced last year.

Samsung’s iteration will launch by the end of this year in South Korea and will initially support only one car model for now, which is the Genesis GV60. Interestingly, the car already comes with several smart features of its own, including a built-in face scanner on the side of the car known as Face Connect, and a fingerprint scanner. Both of which are used to biometrically verify the driver’s identity without requiring a physical key.

Back to Samsung’s new tech, the digital key also uses the company’s embedded Secure Element (eSE) technology to protect sensitive information, and is stored in the Samsung Pass app. The company says that using UWB as a car key prevents potential relay attacks, meaning thieves can’t start your car without having your physical phone in the vehicle. Additionally, the key can be shared with friends and family with the ability to set a time limit, and even allows each driver to preset seat and mirror positions when they get in the car.

When the feature was announced, Samsung revealed four automaker partners — Audi, BMW, Ford, and Genesis. With that in mind, we can expect the Samsung Digital Key to be compatible with the other brands some time in the future, although their expected rollout has not be revealed as of yet. The Galaxy devices that come with UWB are the Galaxy S21+, Galaxy S21 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold2, Galaxy Z Fold3, and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

WhatsApp Expands Cross-Platform Chat Migration To More Samsung Phones

WhatsApp has officially rolled out its new chat history transfer feature to a longer list of Samsung phones. The feature allows users to transfer their account’s data from iOS to any Samsung smartphone running Android 10 or higher, but still not the other way around. The tool had previously been announced last month but the messaging app said that it would initially only be available for two phones, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and the Z Flip3.

The migration feature allows you to transfer your account information, profile photo, individual chats, group chats, chat history, media and settings. However, the transfer does not include your call history, display name, or peer-to-peer payment messages. Instead of backing up and migrating to the cloud, migrating your WhatsApp data from an iPhone to an Android phone requires a physical connection using a Type-C to Lightning cable, and you’re allowed to use adaptors if you don’t have this.

To migrate from iOS, you first need to reset your Samsung phone to factory settings, especially if you’ve been using it for a while. Then, you need to connect the two phones using the aforementioned cable and open up Samsung’s SmartSwitch app. Scan the QR code using your iPhone and the general data migration should start. Make sure you log in WhatsApp on your Samsung using the same number as the one on your iPhone. Once you’re done, just confirm the import, then boom, you should see your chat history appearing on your new phone. Take note that your old device will still have your data unless you wipe it or delete WhatsApp.

This implementation has been in the works for a few months now, when WABetaInfo sighted a “Move chats to Android” tool in one of the betas. Before this, there has been no official way of migrating between the two operating systems. There are third-party apps that can do this but they can be very expensive and may not be worth it for one-time use. WhatsApp says that the feature will be made available to more Android phones soon, but still no word on whether Android to iPhone transfers will also be supported in the near future.

Germany Wants Phones To Get Seven Years Of Security Updates

With phones across the price range getting sequels and successors basically every year, it’s easy to think that each generation will be short-lived. That being said, if you’re really careful, you can definitely keep it running for very long, sometimes beyond the last security update that it gets. Germany wants this to change, and it is looking to get phone makers to provide seven years of security updates.

German publication Heise reports that the country’s government has made a proposal to that effect, alongside extended repair support. Not only must phones get security updates for seven years, spare parts for them must also be easily obtainable and at a reasonable price.

The report also mentions an opposing view in the form of DigitalEurope, an industry association that represents brands like Apple, Samsung and Huawei. The association says that security updates should be limited to three years, and software updates at two. Spare parts should also be limited to batteries and displays, as other parts “rarely fail”.

On the face of it, the battery is probably the biggest hurdle in getting a phone to last anywhere near seven years. Add in the fact that many phones come with some sort of water resistance (even if they’re not advertised features), and this makes battery replacement, and maintaining water resistance after that, tricky.

This App Tests The Water Resistance Of Android Phones

You may remember the Apple slogan (that the company trademarked) that goes “there’s an app for that”. Now, there is one that can actually test for a phone’s water resistance. Though ironically in the context of this paragraph, the app is only available for Android phones.

The app in question is simply called Water Resistance Tester by Ray W. The test is also pretty simple. All you have to do is run the app, leave it alone for awhile, then press down on two parts of your phone’s screen when prompted.

The way it works is by using the barometer that some phones have, to help track vertical location. If the phone is sealed well enough for water resistance, this will build up pressure inside the phone, which the app will tell you about.

Ray W also has a post on Reddit detailing a number of scenarios where it will be useful. Most notably, if you’ve sent your phone for servicing or repair, you can use the app to check if the people doing that sealed the phone back up properly. If you have an old phone and suspect it’s no longer water resistant, the Water Resistance Tester app will also let you know.

All that being said, because it is a third party app, don’t expect it to be something you can use to get a warranty claim if your supposedly waterproof phone drowns. Even if phone makers these days tout their devices as waterproof, these have generally not been covered by warranty ever since Sony reversed its waterproof stance with the Xperia Z3 back in the day.

New Samsung Galaxy Foldable Phones And Smartwatches Tipped To Launch In August

Samsung might be holding a launch event for four new products in August, according to two industry leaksters. The devices in question are believed to be the brand’s Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch Active4.

The first to relay this information is none other than Max Weinbach, who tweeted that the event (most likely a Samsung Unpacked or equivalent) will take place on 3 August 2021. The leakster did not name the brand or aforementioned devices specifically, but his vague hints were easily understood by other insiders and those familiar with the industry.

Meanwhile, the second source is YouTuber Jon Prosser, who claims that Samsung will ship the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 on 27 August, while the Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch Active4 may roll out as soon as 11 August. Keep in mind that Weinbach’s tip emphasises on the event date, while Prosser’s focuses on the products’ release schedule. But as usual, there’s still a possibility that neither information is accurate until officially confirmed by Samsung themselves.

In terms of hardware specifications and features, not much is known for all four devices. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 could be the more interesting of the bunch, as unofficial sources such as Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) claims that it will be Samsung’s first smartphone to feature its Under-Display Camera (UDC) technology. Allegedly leaked images of the foldable phone reveals a somewhat similar form factor to its predecessors, sans a punch-hole cutout or notch on its inner display which corroborates to the UDC rumour. 

Other than that, earlier leaks featuring the Galaxy Z Flip 3 shows, again, a similar form factor to foldable’s predecessor, but now with  a new tiny display on the exterior shell. Its internal hardware and camera capabilities are still unknown at this time. Oh, and another thing you may have noticed is its name. Chronologically, there was never a Galaxy Z Flip 2 that was released prior to this. But in favour of the foldable series’ numbering system, Samsung is said to have skipped a number for the clamshell smartphone. This isn’t the first time the brand has done this, as it previously allowed its Note series to skip a number and jumped straight to the (now infamous) Galaxy Note 7.

The lack of viable information also applies for the upcoming smartwatches, especially the Galaxy Watch Active4. In the Galaxy Watch4’s case, sources claim that it will be offered in two sizes: 42mm and 46mm, which comes with 240mAh and 350mAh batteries with 5W charging respectively. Aside from the usual features and health tracking capabilities from its predecessor, both versions of the Galaxy Watch4 was initially rumoured to come with blood glucose monitoring. However, a more recent report from a South Korean source suggests that Samsung might not proceed with this addition. As per Samsung and Google’s announcement during the latter’s I/O keynote, it is highly believed that the new Galaxy Watch4 and Active4 will drop the brand’s Tizen OS in favour for the newly introduced version of Wear OS.

With the tipped launch and release date still more than a month away, it’s possible that we might not hear an official word from Samsung anytime soon. On a somewhat related note, earlier rumours hinted that the supposed event was originally to include the unannounced Galaxy S21 FE as well. But that may seem unlikely, as newer reports are claiming that Samsung has delayed the phone’s production – which the brand itself seemingly denied.