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Game Reviews

Forget Pricey Tablets From Apple and Samsung, This Galaxy Tab A9+ Plus Is Going for Nothing Before October Prime Day

by admin September 27, 2025


If you’ve been perusing for a fancy new tablet, do take note that the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ just got its price chopped down over at Amazon. Usually this Samsung tablet starts at  $220, but right now you can score the 11-inch Android for just $159. The 28% discount amounts to a savings of $61. That’s for the 64 GB model by the way. Double your storage, and you can still save as the 128 GB model dropped from $270 to just $209. That one is a 23% discount which works also out to you saving $61. Both versions are available in either black or silver.

This 2024 Galaxy tablet has a nice and large 11-inch LCD screen which can display in resolutions of up to 1200p with a refresh rate of 90 Hz. According to the product page, the Galaxy Tab A9+ can deliver a “cinema-like audio experience,” which is, uh, an obvious embellishment. No one is expecting something you can hold in your hands to match that of an AMC theater. What this is really saying is the tablet has Dolby Atmos support. You can expect terrific sound that’s loud and clear as far as tablets go coming from the on-board speakers.

See at Amazon

The build of the Galaxy tablet is slim and light, yet durable —exactly what you’d hope for on a device you’d likely to take with you out and about. Bring it from home to your office, down to a coffee house, then over to a friend’s no problem.

Storage we covered. You have a choice between either 64 GB or 128 GB. The price jump from one to the next is an even $50. If you expect to be downloading a bunch of movies or TV shows or storing tons of photos, you may decide it’s best to splurge. Otherwise if streaming and documents saved to the cloud will be the main way you use it, just stick with the cheaper 64 GB.

Full Flexibility

Android OS is able to run multiple apps at the same time, allowing you to view them side-by-side. This is excellent when multitasking, letting you work more efficiently. You can even view multiple tabs in you web browser next to each other. Transferring files is easy as Quick Share allows you to send stuff to another nearby device with just a couple button presses.

If you have little ones at home, they can enjoy your Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ as well. The Samsung Kids app is filled with all sorts of playful and colorful content to keep them entertained.

See at Amazon



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September 27, 2025 0 comments
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Indian flag (Naveed Ahmed/Unsplash)
GameFi Guides

Coinbase, Sony and Samsung Back $14.6M Round for Stablecoin Startup Bastion

by admin September 24, 2025



Stablecoin infrastructure startup Bastion has raised $14.6 million in a new funding round led by Coinbase Ventures, the company said in a press release shared with CoinDesk, bringing its total funding to over $40 million.

Bastion builds white-label stablecoin systems that let companies issue digital dollars without writing code or applying for regulatory licenses. The round included participation from the venture arms of Sony and Samsung, as well as Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto division and Hashed.

The startup is led by Nassim Eddequiouaq, a former Meta and a16z crypto executive who worked on Libra, Meta’s now-defunct stablecoin project. Eddequiouaq said Bastion’s product suite goes beyond simple issuance: it includes wallets for users and off-ramps that allow conversion to cash in over 70 countries.

The valuation of this latest funding round wasn’t revealed, and the company raised $25 million back in 2023 in a round led by a16z crypto.

The company said it’s seeing particular traction in Asia, where demand from enterprise customers is rising. The fresh funding will support product expansion and hiring. Bastion has also recently added new leadership across compliance, treasury, legal and revenue, the company said.

That positions Bastion to compete with firms like Paxos and newer players like Agora. The firm declined to name which corporations are currently using its platform, but Eddequiouaq said announcements are coming within the next nine months.

The funding comes amid a broader stablecoin boom. Stripe recently acquired stablecoin startup Bridge for $1.1 billion, USDC issuer Circle went public over the summer, while leading stablecoin issuer Tether is reportedly looking to raise up to $20 billion at a valuation that could be as high as $500 billion.

UPDATE (Sept. 24, 13:58 UTC): Updated story to add that Bastion said it’s seeing traction in Asia and details the use of funds.



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September 24, 2025 0 comments
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An elderly sad woman in a wheelchair looks at a tablet and talks to her family via video call - stock photo
Gaming Gear

Steam’s new store look is out and is earning a mixed response: ‘Thanks Valve I am a grandma using Steam on a giant old touchscreen Samsung tablet’

by admin September 24, 2025



I’m beginning to think I have far-too-strong feelings about changes to Steam minutiae. Why? Because when I heard that Valve had finally unleashed its updated storefront from beta, I fired up the site so quickly you’d have thought it was giving out candy. No one should care this much about website UI updates. I do. This is my cross to bear.

Anyway, Steam’s storefront update is out of beta and the frontpage is a whole lot slicker now. Also, wider. Valve has merged the two constituent parts of its old UI—that big list of categories down the left-hand side and the blue bar up top—into a single easy-to-navigate bar.

As part of that merge, the Categories section now displays, well, actual categories. Before, when it was consigned to the sidebar, the Steam categories you could select consisted of things like “Top sellers,” and “New releases.”


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Now, hovering over the new Categories display section shows much more useful game genres, letting you easily browse by things like racing, stealth, and what-have-you. Also, the categories that appear are personalised for you, which is either very convenient or yet another intrusion by the dead hand of surveillance capitalism. Whichever you prefer.

I like the look of it, though I suspect the most stalwart PC gamers among you might recoil a little at how clearly mobile-friendly the new layout is. Indeed, some of the community response on Reddit has been a little mixed. “Thanks Valve I am a grandma using Steam on a giant old touchscreen Samsung tablet,” writes dogdillon, who may in fact be a grandma on a giant tablet but is more likely a sarky Steam user. “Yet another site update that gets worse on pc in favor of mobile. Bigger icons, less information, more clicks to navigate menus…” concurs hooliganmike.

It’s a brave new world. (Image credit: Valve)

Still, at least some people do like it. “Good lord, it’s actually so, so much better,” writes Xedronic, “and the categories tab is ACTUALLY COMPREHENSIBLE to look at!”

Me? I like it. Or at least, I disliked how it looked before enough that this feels like an improvement. Hey, take the wins where you can: at least Valve hasn’t installed a helpful AI chatbot prompt up there.

Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.



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September 24, 2025 0 comments
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Product Reviews

Early sales on gear from Apple, Anker, Samsung, Beats and others

by admin September 20, 2025


Amazon Prime Day has returned in the fall for the past few years, and 2025 is no exception. Prime Day will return on October 7 and 8, but really, you don’t have to wait until the official start date to save. Amazon typically always has early Prime Day deals in the lead-up to the event, and this year we’re already seeing some solid discounts on gadgets we like. Here, we’ve gathered all of the best Prime Day deals you can get right now, and we’ll keep updating this post as we get close to Prime Day proper.

Best Prime Day deals: Engadget’s top picks

Apple

Apple Mac mini (M4) for $499 $100 off): If you prefer desktops, the upgraded M4 Mac mini is one that won’t take up too much space, but will provide a ton of power at the same time. Not only does it come with an M4 chipset, but it also includes 16GB of RAM in the base model, plus front-facing USB-C and headphone ports for easier access.

Apple iPad Air (11-inch, M3) for $449 ($150 off): The only major difference between the latest iPad Air and the previous generation is the addition of the faster M3 chip. We awarded the new slab an 89 in our review, appreciating the fact that the M3 chip was about 16 percent faster in benchmark tests than the M2. This is the iPad to get if you want a reasonable amount of productivity out of an iPad that’s more affordable than the Pro models.

Apple MagSafe charger (25W, 2m) for $35 (29 percent off): The latest version of Apple’s MagSafe puck is Qi2.2-certified and supports up to 25W of wireless power when paired with a 30W adapter. The two-meter cable length on this particular model gives you more flexibility on where you can use it: in bed, on the couch, at your desk and elsewhere.

Anker 622 5K magnetic power bank with stand for $28 (42 percent off): This 0.5-inch thick power bank attaches magnetically to iPhones and won’t get in your way when you’re using your phone. It also has a built-in stand so you can watch videos, make FaceTime calls and more hands-free while your phone is powering up.

8BitDo Pro 2 controller with travel case for $40 (34 percent off, Prime exclusive): We generally love 8BitDo controllers, and the Pro 2 has been one of our favorites for a long time. This model works with Switch 2, Steam Deck, Android and more, plus it has Hall Effect joysticks and a slew of customization options.

Anker Nano 5K ultra-slim power bank (Qi2, 15W) for $46 (16 percent off): A top pick in our guide to the best MagSafe power banks, this super-slim battery is great for anyone who wants the convenient of extra power without the bulk. We found its proportions work very well with iPhones, and its smooth, matte texture and solid build quality make it feel premium.

Best Prime Day deals on tech

SAMSUNG

Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go speaker for $23 (34 percent off): This small Bluetooth speaker gets pretty loud for its size and has decent sound quality. You can pair two together for stereo sound as well, and its IP67-rated design will keep it protected against water and dust.

Anker Soundcore Space A40 for $45 (44 percent off): Our top pick for the best budget wireless earbuds, the Space A40 have surprisingly good ANC, good sound quality, a comfortable fit and multi-device connectivity.

Anker MagGo 10K power bank (Qi2, 15W) for $60 (25 percent off): A 10K power bank like this is ideal if you want to be able to recharge your phone at least once fully and have extra power to spare. This one is also Qi2 compatible, providing up to 15W of power to supported phones.

Levoit Core 200S smart air purifier for $75 ($15 off with clippable coupon): This compact air purifier cleans the air in rooms up to 140 square feet and uses a 3-in-1 filter that removes microscopic dust, pollen and airborne particles. It has a mobile app that you can use to set runtime schedules, and it works with Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands.

Amazon Fire TV Cube for $100 (29 percent off): Amazon’s most powerful streaming device, the Fire TV Cube supports 4K, HDR and Dolby Vision content, Dolby Atmos sound, Wi-Fi 6E and it has a built-in Ethernet port. It has the most internal storage of any Fire TV streaming device, plus it comes with an enhanced Alexa Voice Remote.

Rode Wireless Go III for $199 (30 percent off): A top pick in our guide to the best wireless microphones, the Wireless Go III records pro-grade sound and has handy extras like onboard storage, 32-bit float and universal compatibility with iPhones, Android, cameras and PCs.

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 for $200 (20 percent off): These Beats earbuds have a hook design that will be good for anyone who wants the most secure fit while doing strenuous workouts. They also have a built-in heart rate monitor and up to 45 hours of battery life with their included charging case.

Nintendo Switch 2 for $449: While not technically a discount, it’s worth mentioning that the Switch 2 and the Mario Kart Switch 2 bundle are both available at Amazon now, no invitation required. Amazon only listed the new console for the first time in July after being left out of the initial pre-order/availability window in April. Once it became available, Amazon customers looking to buy the Switch 2 had to sign up to receive an invitation to do so. Now, that extra step has been removed and anyone can purchase the Switch 2 on Amazon.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.





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September 20, 2025 0 comments
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One UI 8
Gaming Gear

A major Samsung One 8.5 UI leak may have revealed the next big software update headed for your Galaxy phone

by admin September 20, 2025



  • Images of Samsung One UI 8.5 have leaked
  • Some visual changes and flourishes are visible
  • It’s not clear when the software may roll out

With the Samsung One UI 8 update (based on Android 16) now rolling out to Galaxy phones and tablets worldwide, we’ve got what looks to be a sneak preview of the big One UI 8.5 update that’s going to be on the way next.

Pictures of the software have appeared on SammyGuru, and show some significant changes to the user interface. The Settings pages have more compact menu items, the search bar is down at the bottom, and there are gradient effects at the edges.

With a few drop shadows added too, the overall impression is of an interface that’s a little easier on the eyes, and with a bit more in the way of visual flourish. Other tweaks include a back button that floats over the rest of the interface.


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As pointed out by SammyGuru, some of these changes are somewhat similar to what we’ve seen from Apple with iOS 26, but the imitation isn’t too egregious – this still looks very much like a mobile operating system made by Samsung.

Leaks and betas

Samsung One UI 8.5 Brings iOS 26 Inspired Design To Galaxy Smartphones – YouTube

Watch On

What we don’t get here are any indications of new features or functions that might be introduced with One UI 8.5. Given that the version number is only jumping up by 0.5, we might not see much in the way of upgrades.

Before an official rollout and beta testing phase, we’ll no doubt see several leaks too: Android Authority has already spotted a One UI 8.5 feature that seems designed to prevent seizures caused by photosensitive epilepsy.

There’s also no indication yet as to when this software might start appearing on phones and tablets, though Samsung has increased the pace of its One UI updates in recent months – with OneUI 8 following on quickly from One UI 7.

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The One UI 8 software made its debut with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 foldables, and is rolling out now to Galaxy S25 handsets. After that, it’ll make its way to older devices over the coming weeks.

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September 20, 2025 0 comments
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Samsung HW-Q990F Soundbar System Review: Glorious Atmos
Gaming Gear

Samsung HW-Q990F Soundbar System Review: Glorious Atmos

by admin September 17, 2025


Most people aren’t using physical media anymore, which is why I spent the majority of my time testing the HW-Q990F with streaming media. I find that Apple TV has the best audio quality of any of the major streaming services, which tracks with my experience testing this bar: Atmos-mixed shows like sci-fi hit Foundation come through with gorgeous clarity and dynamic bass as you’d expect with any soundbar worth its salt.

It’s the overhead, object-based Atmos audio effects that really stagger me. Raindrops and creaky chairs seem to exist in my testing room with me; the burbling engines of Ford GT prototypes fill the room when watching Ford v Ferrari.

Samsung has both stellar processing and the ability to bounce sounds around smaller and medium-size rooms nailed. The side speakers on the satellite drivers and the various angled speakers on the main bar really make you feel like you are being attacked on all sides by audio. I really loved the way sounds swirled around me when watching my 4K Blu-Ray copy of Blade Runner 2049, with wavy synths meeting ship sounds and rainy backgrounds among other on-screen noises in 3D space.

Photograph: Parker Hall

There’s tons of adjustability when it comes to sound modes (Standard, Game, Surround, and Adaptive), EQ levels, and volume of each speaker, and I’d recommend tuning the settings to your personal taste in your specific room. I found the settings to be pretty bang-on out of the box; I have a fairly traditional home theater setup with two speaker stands behind my listening position and the subwoofer next to the TV stand, and it sounded great almost instantly (I did have to adjust the subwoofer level slightly up).

The soundbar can pair with modern Samsung TVs like the S95F in a mode Samsung calls Q-Symphony, allowing it to use the TV speakers in addition to the bar, subwoofer, and surrounds. I didn’t find this particularly enticing; it seemed to boost the highs a bit but didn’t really do much for overall immersion. If you have a Samsung TV, it’s worth trying both on and off, but this feature isn’t a deal breaker if you want an LG, Sony, TCL, Panasonic, or Hisense TV.

The best part of this system is that it works just fine with any other products in TV land, not just Samsung’s. I love how easy it is to set up, and I love that it really does feel like it is offering me the highest-quality sound in the most compact package. The fact that last year’s bar is still for sale (and still very similar sounding) is actually a plus: Samsung has pretty much nailed the existing needs of listeners at this point. There are very few soundbar systems that compete, but I’d say that higher-end bars from Sonos, Bose, and LG do give this system a run for its money. That said, none of them have this many channels done this well, which makes Samsung’s HW-Q990F the top of the pile for me in 2025 so far.



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September 17, 2025 0 comments
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Media image for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra with a 'big savings' deal stamp
Gaming Gear

Looking for an Android upgrade? Save up to AU$813.90 on the Samsung Galaxy S25, S25 Ultra and the Z Fold 7

by admin September 17, 2025



As the world buzzes with new phone announcements from a certain fruity phone maker, the exciting news for Android fans is that Samsung is launching an epic sale in response. While the budget-friendly Galaxy S25 FE is set to arrive later this month, Samsung’s making its powerhouse flagship Galaxy S25, S25 Ultra and the Galaxy Fold 7 phones considerably more affordable.

The South Korean tech giant is taking AU$500 off the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and AU$400 off the 256GB Galaxy S25, but the savings grow an extra 10% at checkout with the code LIVEGALAXY101. A free phone case is also included. As for the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the company is offering a simple 15% off – providing savings up to AU$532.35 depending on your model of choice.

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to upgrade, this is a fantastic opportunity to score one of the best phones on the market for a seriously impressive price.

Samsung AU is a TechRadar preferred partner (What does this mean?)

This sale caters to every kind of buyer. It brings the Galaxy S25 down to the point where it becomes a serious alternative to the best cheap phones, while the S25 Ultra is now within reach for a new market of buyers. And, for those seeking true innovation, this first-time discount makes the versatile Galaxy Z Fold 7 – a device that handles work, play, entertainment and everything in between – much harder to resist.

Choosing between the three is simply a matter of function and budget. No matter which you opt for, though, you’ll get a stellar deal. These offers are only available until the September 24 (or September 28 for the Z Fold 7). Remember to use the code LIVEGALAXY101 to save an extra 10% on the S25 and S25 Ultra.

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September 17, 2025 0 comments
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Samsung 9100 Pro 8TB SSD
Product Reviews

Samsung 9100 Pro 8TB SSD review: Bigger, badder, and better

by admin September 10, 2025



Why you can trust Tom’s Hardware


Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

In response to Phison’s early and near-total dominance of the high-end PCIe 5.0 SSD market, Samsung came, saw, and…well, tried to put up a good fight with its 9100 Pro. Samsung did a lot of the same things right that it had with the 990 Pro, which was itself a fitting successor to the popular 980 Pro, by producing a fast, efficient, and consistent drive. Only one thing was missing: a high-capacity 8TB SKU designed not only to answer the Black SN850X but to take back the initiative while using the newest flagship hardware.

Samsung is no pushover. Its high-quality flash has great random read latency, something everyone desires, and the company knows how to produce a drive that, at the very least, holds its own in every other metric. The 9100 Pro isn’t the fastest drive, but it is more efficient than any of the high-end SSDs that came before it, and it performed well enough to stay in the fight. It was perhaps a little late to the party, but it has been competitive, especially with Samsung’s aggressive pricing, and we’ve only recently reviewed drives that truly improve upon it.

The shifting situation has forced Samsung to adapt in ways it didn’t have to back in the PCIe 3.0 days. For one, Samsung has priced the 9100 Pro more aggressively as we just suggested above. This works in its favor due to its superior brand recognition, even if there is some dilution. The name still sells, but perhaps not as well as it did in the past, which is why the discount is necessary. Samsung has had various issues with the 980 Pro, 990 Pro, and other drives in recent years, and this has tarnished the brand. Secondly, Samsung has begun to emphasize capacity more, with the 4TB 990 Pro release being an excellent example. Samsung introduced a new flash generation with that release – that flash is now used on the smaller SKUs as well – and released the best 4TB drive we had tested to date. It’s still our recommended PCIe 4.0 drive. So far, so good.

The problem with the 9100 Pro was, in part, that we had already tasted the Micron 4600. We knew that the upcoming SMI SM2508 controller could do amazing things, and the later-arriving Sandisk WD_Black SN8100 proved that even more strongly by coupling the controller with BiCS8 TLC flash and optimized firmware. WD, prior to this, had also released the 8TB WD Black SN850X, which claimed the throne as the best high-capacity drive on the market. The 9100 Pro needed a boost, and Samsung decided it was ready to take a step it might not have taken in the past by releasing the 8TB version of the drive. It was even willing to take the risk of releasing a double-sided monster of a drive, and that is the beast we have before us today.

  • Samsung 9100 Pro 8TB SSD at Samsung for $999.99

Samsung 9100 Pro Specifications

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Product

1TB

2TB

4TB

8TB

Pricing (Bare)

Heatsink

$129.99

$139.99

$199.99

$219.99

$399.99

$419.99

$999.99

$1019.99

Form Factor

M.2 2280

M.2 2280

M.2 2280

M.2 2280

Interface / Protocol

PCIe 5.0 x4 / NVMe 2.0

PCIe 5.0 x4 / NVMe 2.0

PCIe 5.0 x4 / NVMe 2.0

PCIe 5.0 x4 / NVMe 2.0

Controller

Samsung Proprietary (Presto)

Samsung Proprietary (Presto)

Samsung Proprietary (Presto)

Samsung Proprietary (Presto)

DRAM

LPDDR4X

LPDDR4X

LPDDR4X

LPDDR4X

Flash Memory

236-Layer Samsung TLC (V8)

236-Layer Samsung TLC (V8)

236-Layer Samsung TLC (V8)

236-Layer Samsung TLC (V8)

Sequential Read

14,700 MB/s

14,700 MB/s

14,800 MB/s

14,800 MB/s

Sequential Write

13,300 MB/s

13,400 MB/s

13,400 MB/s

13,400 MB/s

Random Read

1,850K

1,850K

2,200K

2,200K

Random Write

2,600K

2,600K

2,600K

2,600K

Security

TCG Opal 2.0

TCG Opal 2.0

TCG Opal 2.0

TCG Opal 2.0

Dimensions Bare

80.15 (L) x 22.15 (W) x 2.38 (H) mm

80.15 (L) x 22.15 (W) x 2.38 (H) mm

80.15 (L) x 22.15 (W) x 2.38 (H) mm

80.15 (L) x 22.15 (W) x 3.88 (H) mm

Dimensions w/HS

80.15 (L) x 25 (W) x 8.88 (H) mm

80.15 (L) x 25 (W) x 8.88 (H) mm

80.15 (L) x 25 (W) x 8.88 (H) mm

80.15 (L) x 25 (W) x 11.25 (H) mm

Endurance (TBW)

600TB

1,200TB

2,400TB

4,800TB

Part Number

MZ-VAP1T0

MZ-VAP2T0

MZ-VAP4T0

MZ-VAP8T0

Warranty

5-Year

5-Year

5-Year

5-Year

Today’s best Samsung 9100 Pro 8TB SSD deals

Samsung always planned an 8TB SKU for the 9100 Pro, which is why we had the specifications already outlined in our original review. Performance at 8TB peaks at up to 14,800 / 13,400 MB/s for sequential reads and writes, with the ability to handle up to 2,200K / 2,600K random read and write IOPS. The warranty remains at five years with up to 600TB of writes per TB of capacity, and the drive still supports encryption. The only thing we didn’t know before was the price, and Samsung has now put the MSRP at $999.99 for the base drive with another $20 for the heatsink. This level of pricing requires some discussion of its own.

Our table has revised and current pricing for the smaller SKUs, which, unsurprisingly, show much lower prices than the MSRPs from our original review. In the introduction, we discussed how Samsung had to be more aggressive with pricing, given the 9100 Pro’s market position, and this is reflected in the relatively large price swings. While the MSRP on the 8TB SKU may seem high, it’s actually reasonable given the original pricing. Even with the new pricing, it’s only 25% higher per TB than the 2TB and 4TB SKUs, which isn’t a ridiculous premium when you consider there isn’t a competing high-end PCIe 5.0 drive at 8TB right now, and Samsung had to make a double-sided drive with dense flash packages just to make this work.

Does that justify the MSRP? The presence of the 8TB WD Black SN850X, which has been priced very effectively, makes this a harder sell. Yes, you have Gen 5 bandwidth with the 9100 Pro, but you could almost buy two SN850Xs at its price if you consider the lowest sale price we’ve seen for the latter. In our opinion, the 8TB 9100 Pro can command this level of MSRP given Samsung’s name and the fact that the competition is still pushing 8TB back on their roadmaps. We also think Samsung can and will discount this to some extent. So if you’re the type of person who wants the very best right now, you can probably manage the launch pricing. If not, some patience will likely pay off. Otherwise, we still recommend the SN850X, which is a no-brainer at 8TB as far as we’re concerned.

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Samsung 9100 Pro Software and Accessories

Samsung continues to offer a download for its Magician software, an all-in-one SSD toolbox that remains the industry gold standard. WD’s Dashboard is also quite good, but not everyone cares about having an SSD toolbox. This type of application is handy for checking drive health and system information, S.M.A.R.T. readings, and more.

Diagnostics and benchmarking are often included, and a toolbox is essential for getting firmware updates or engaging/disengaging drive features. Finally, the best toolboxes – and Magician falls into this category – offer imaging and backup options for your storage. There are free alternatives for this, but this is one of those rare cases where we think the manufacturer’s software gets the job done.

Samsung 9100 Pro: A Closer Look

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The 8TB 9100 Pro is a double-sided drive with four NAND flash packages. Samsung is forced to go double-sided for this SKU, as the controller and LPDDR4X DRAM occupy considerable real estate. The 236-Layer V8 TLC flash being used is manufactured in dense, 1 TB dies. This means there are sixteen dies per 2TB package, which is an incredible amount of flash to stack. Technically, thirty-two die stacks are now possible, but the yields are poor, and such die density is in high demand for enterprise applications. Samsung has, for quite some time, only delivered single-sided drives, so this departure emphasizes just how strong its desire is to be the first to 8TB.

Sixteen die packages (16DP) have long been the realistic maximum in the consumer space, but it’s much more typical to see eight or octal die packages (8DP) even for high-capacity drives. This is because it is challenging to achieve high yields and maintain acceptable signal integrity with sixteen dies, especially at the higher bus and I/O rates required for the very fastest drives. Samsung uses custom F-Chips inside the flash packages for retiming and control, but we’ve seen external multiplexors used by Crucial in the 4TB T500 and 2TB P510 to help with signal integrity. Depending on the solution, different costs are added as a drawback to reach high capacities with newer, faster flash, so the price premium for this drive is warranted in at least this respect.

The drive being double-sided does mean that some devices will have trouble fitting it, but we don’t think this is necessarily a big deal. The 9100 Pro is a high-end PCIe 5.0 drive, which has limited application in a laptop and other mobile devices, most of which still rock PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots. It will probably work fine in that reduced state, and besides, the 990 EVO Plus and its OEM counterpart already fill that role quite well.

We often say that double-sided drives can be trickier to effectively cool, but Samsung has understood the assignment: the 8TB 9100 Pro’s heatsink is designed for double-sided application, given its increased dimensions. We would recommend this high-capacity drive for desktop use, and the heatsink is an easy $20 addition. If you’re already dropping nearly $999 for the drive, a $20 upcharge is trivial.

Image 1 of 3

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

For more detailed and technical explanations of this controller and flash we recommend reading our original 9100 Pro and 4TB 990 Pro reviews, respectively. To provide a succinct analysis, Samsung’s Presto controller on paper overwhelms the early-adopter Phison E26, but faces stronger challenges from the newer Phison E28 and SMI SM2508. These newer controllers are more efficient and can achieve higher performance levels. That said, we remain a fan of Samsung’s complex but polished controller technology as it is highly consistent and mature. Problems that arose with the last generation of drives do remain in the minds of many, however, so perhaps some caution is warranted.

As for the flash, we remain positive about the 236-Layer V8 TLC from Samsung. It was a compromise of somewhat higher random read latency from the last generation in return for benefits in throughput and improved yields. It’s still high-quality flash that is, frankly, the way to go if you seek the highest endurance – overlooking the unfortunate issues with older flash and firmware on the 980 and 990 Pros. We think Samsung has learned from these setbacks and applied the lessons not only to the 9100 Pro but to the 8TB SKU in particular. The internal strategy appears to be to return to form in any way possible.

MORE: Best SSDs

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Samsung 9100 Pro 8TB SSD: Price Comparison



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September 10, 2025 0 comments
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Galaxyflip7
Game Reviews

Samsung Cuts Galaxy Z Flip7 to Record Low Without Trade-In, Fighting Back Against Apple’s iPhone 17 Release

by admin September 9, 2025


For all the Android-heads out there, you can upgrade whatever you’re working with now to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 for a discounted price. At this time, Samsung’s seventh generation flippable smartphone has dropped by 14% for the base storage option and by 12% for the large storage option. The 256GB Galaxy smartphone is down from $1,100 to $950, saving you $150. Likewise, the 512GB model is down from $1,220 to $1,070, also saving you $150. Amazon has three color options all on sale. Choose between blue shadow, coral red, or jet black.

Samsung first launched it flippable and foldable lines of smartphones back in 2020. If you’ve been afraid to jump on as an early adopter before the kinks have all been worked at, well now we’re on the seventh generation. It’s got quite a bit of updates since then so now’s a good time to get on board.

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When closed, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 can display the time, date, your notifications, and other brief details across its edge-to-edge cover screen.

Take hand-free selfies. Just open the Flip7 at a 90-degree angle so it can stand itself up. now you can use the outer camera lenses to take high-quality selfies (higher than front-facing cameras tend to be). Even use it for recording videos or taking video calls as you’re able to see your video and your callers video thanks to the cover screen. The outside features a 12MP ultra-wide lens as well as a 50MP wide lens capable of 2x optical quality zoom. If you still want to use the inside main camera, that one is 10MP.

Flip Without Fear

Now I’d understand your main concern with a flip phone being it’s durability. Plenty of flip phones snapped at their hinges back in the day, so how does the Flip7 hold up? Well, it’s built with Armor FlexHinge which is designed to close thinner while protecting the phone’s hinge. There are seven generations of iteration and innovation at play here. Additionally, it’s protected with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and is encased in a strong yet light Armor Aluminum frame.

Though, the most underrated feature is being to hang up dramatically. When’s the last time you yell “Good day!” through the phone and then slammed it shut. Gently pressing the End Call button just doesn’t have the same oomph.

Get yourself the Samsung Galaxy Flip7 in three stylish colors for $150 off for a limited time. The 256GB model is down to $950 while the 512GB model is down to $1,070.

See at Amazon



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September 9, 2025 0 comments
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Micron
Gaming Gear

U.S. government considers annual permits for Samsung and SK hynix to supply equipment to their Chinese fabs

by admin September 8, 2025



The U.S. government is apparently mulling over the decision to replace indefinite wafer fab equipment export permissions for Samsung and SK hynix’s with annual licenses. The decision will add significant regulatory complexity, but will at least maintain continuity for fab operations, which means no disruption to the highly-volatile global supply of DRAM and NAND memory, reports Bloomberg.

Previously, Samsung and SK hynix operated under validated end-user (VEU) status, which granted them blanket approval to import restricted wafer fab equipment (WFE) to their Chinese fabs based on upfront compliance with U.S. security and monitoring measures, which greatly streamlined their operations. Those permissions are set to expire at the end of this year.

In place of VEU, the U.S. Commerce Department has floated a ‘site license’ model, presented recently to South Korean officials. Under this approach, Samsung and SK hynix would need to apply once a year to obtain permission for a fixed set of equipment and materials, specifying quantities in advance. The aim is to keep the fabs running without enabling upgrades or expansions that could boost China’s access to advanced chip technology.


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While this compromise would prevent supply chain shocks, South Korean officials and executives are concerned about its inflexibility. Equipment breakdowns or unexpected repair needs which might not be covered in the initial license, potentially leading to delays if new approvals are required mid-year. U.S. officials have responded by stating that urgent licenses can be granted quickly, but doubts remain within the industry.

The change in export control policy follows U.S. export restrictions on American tools that can be used to make logic chips using 16nm-class or more advanced nodes with FinFET transistors, DRAMs with a half-pitch size of 18nm, and 3D NAND flash with 128 layers or more, which were initiated in 2022 to limit China’s development of advanced chips and computers. However, Intel, Samsung, SK hynix, and TSMC received wavers to simplify running their fabs in China.

Ultimately, Washington seeks greater visibility into what is being shipped into Chinese fabs, even when those facilities are owned by companies from allied nations, such as South Korea and Taiwan. Despite objections, the annual site license model may be the most workable option available. Trump officials reportedly remain firm in opposing a return to the VEU framework, which they criticize as a loophole from the Biden era. However, processing thousands of individual license applications per year would be unfeasible for both governments and companies.

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September 8, 2025 0 comments
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