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Samsung and Google continue to provide more innovative experiences to Galaxy users
Galaxy users have long enjoyed the integration of Google’s app ecosystem, and now that optimization is coming to YouTube and the Galaxy Z Flip. Samsung and Google reached a new level in their collaborative efforts to deliver a new user experience design that fits the Galaxy Z Flip’s innovative form factor. It is the latest development that arises from a long and fruitful relationship between the two companies.
“For the past 10 years, the Samsung-Google partnership has been the driving force behind many of the industry’s most important innovations,” said Dr. TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics at Galaxy. Unpacked 2020. “Now, as a new decade begins, our partnership is more important than ever as we work together to pioneer a new generation of innovative mobile experiences.”
Recent updates to YouTube are just a milestone in the developments that the two companies have brought to Samsung’s iconic foldable devices. Thanks to the partnership, Galaxy users get an optimized experience for the most popular Google applications, such as Google Maps and Google Play Store, and enjoy greater reliability, application continuity and security. Last year, Samsung and Google ushered in a new mobile era by creating a perfect folding experience for the Galaxy Fold. Here’s a closer look at some of the latest ways Samsung and Google are offering a more valuable Android experience on Galaxy devices.
A new YouTube experience with flexible mode
With the exclusive Galaxy Z Flip folding system, you can put your Galaxy Z Flip on the table and watch your favorite YouTube channel hands-free. And now, this hands-free experience is taken to the next level with support for Flex mode. When you enjoy YouTube with your Galaxy Z Flip hands-free, the screen is evenly divided into two 4-inch screens. While watching a video in the upper half of the screen, you can use the lower half to search for other videos, read descriptions, and write comments without distraction.
Unfolded / half folded
The YouTube app optimized for Flex mode also ensures that regardless of the aspect ratio of the video you are watching, you can comfortably watch by adjusting the way the video fits in the upper half of the screen. Square and vertical videos will almost fill the entire space, while 16: 9 videos will fit in the center. But the compatibility of Flex mode with YouTube was more than a simple update of the user experience.
Working together, Samsung and Google engineers redesigned the app from the operating system level. This included integrating the Android Support Library, making it easy to bring Flex mode to more third-party services. Through collaboration, Samsung has worked closely with the Android developer community to drive innovation for folding devices. Galaxy Z Flip users can download the Flex-optimized YouTube app from the Google Play Store starting April 22one and enjoy the enhanced features that come with the latest update.
Galaxy users can also get up to 4 months of YouTube Premium for free and enjoy benefits like ad-free viewing, offline playback, and background playback.two
Beyond the latest YouTube updates, Samsung and Google have been working on various other innovations for Galaxy devices.
The best features that come to Galaxy Devices
For starters, Samsung is providing support for Google’s Rich Communication Services (RCS) to Galaxy smartphones to make their conversations smoother.3The two companies have been working since 2018 to bring the features to Samsung devices.4 4
The Samsung Messages app with RCS enables users to do more, including chatting over Wi-Fi and mobile data, sending and receiving high-resolution photos and videos, receiving reading receipts, and creating group chats with many features. The Messages app is also available on the desktop, making it easy to seamlessly transition from mobile to PC.
In addition to RCS integration, Samsung launched 2020 offering immediate integration for Google Duo on both the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Z Flip. Google Duo not only offers high-quality, high-speed video calls, but also allows up to 12 people to join a single video conference. On the Galaxy Z Flip, users can enjoy the app in Flex mode, where video chats appear in the top half, while call controls appear in the bottom half. Collaborations with Google also bring more exciting features to Galaxy devices.
With the ability to transcribe and subtitle media in real time with incredible precision, Live Caption is one of the most exciting features of the Galaxy S20. Taking advantage of Google’s artificial intelligence, Live Caption can produce subtitles for any audio or visual content, including YouTube videos, podcasts, and videos that you and your friends have recorded. Developed in collaboration with the deaf and hard of hearing community, Live Caption is particularly useful if you have hearing loss or are in an environment where you do not want to increase the volume. Users can enable the feature in the Accessibility or Sound options in the Device Settings menu.
As a result of the ongoing partnership with Google, Samsung is bringing monthly and quarterly security updates to Galaxy devices to further enhance user confidence and ensure the security of their data. These include Google patches for Android and Samsung patches for vulnerabilities and exposures.
“It has been surprising to see Samsung continually push the limits of what is possible on mobile devices on the Android platform,” said Hiroshi Lockheimer at Galaxy Unpacked 2020, senior vice president of platforms and ecosystems at Google. “Looking to the future, we are excited to continue working together to build the next wave of useful and mobile innovation.”
In the coming year, Samsung will continue to work closely with Google to pioneer the next wave of mobile innovations that will change the way we communicate with the world.
* * The user interface shown in the images is only a simulated representation. The actual user interface is subject to change.
oneThe update release date may vary by market and carrier. Flexible mode optimization will apply to version 15.15.38 of the YouTube app.
twoMarket dependent availability. The Galaxy S20 5G, Galaxy Z Flip, and Galaxy Fold series are eligible for up to 4 months, and all other mobile devices, including the A series, are eligible for up to 2 months.
3Availability of the Samsung Message app with RCS capabilities varies by market, device, and operator.
4 4Samsung and Google collaborate on RCS messaging for Android
