Samsung today updated its SmartThings app for the iPhone, adding several new features for those who own Samsung products or devices connected to the SmartThings ecosystem. Samsung says that the changes are helpful for households with both Galaxy and Apple devices.


Device groups created in the SmartThings app are available, and those groups can be viewed and controlled with the accompanying SmartThings Apple Watch app. Apple Watch users can view their full SmartThings device list, send commands, and trigger routines from the wrist.

SmartThings is also gaining support for Siri Shortcut controls of SmartThings Routines. With this capability, SmartThings automations can be launched with ‌Siri‌ voice commands. The automations work similarly to HomeKit automations, so users can do things like create a "Good Morning" routine that turns on the lights, opens the blinds, and starts the coffee machine, or a "Leaving Home" routine that locks the doors, turns off the lights, and activates a home alarm.

The app already supported Live Activities, but it is expanding to support up to five recently used devices at a glance, including air conditioners, robot vacuums, air purifiers, dehumidifiers, and more.

The SmartThings app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
This article, "Samsung SmartThings for iPhone Gets Siri Shortcuts Support and Enhanced Apple Watch Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Samsung has abruptly canceled development of its planned Galaxy S26 Edge smartphone after disappointing sales of the ultra-thin Galaxy S25 Edge, which rivals the iPhone Air, Korea's NewsPim claims.


Samsung apparently halted work on the Galaxy S26 Edge this week, informing employees internally that the product line would be discontinued. Internal discussions in September shifted priorities toward the more conventional "Plus" form factor after confirming that consumer demand for ultra-slim flagships was weaker than expected.

The Galaxy S25 Edge features a thin 5.5mm profile and a 3,900mAh battery, but its high price and reduced battery capacity drew criticism. Samsung's leadership reportedly decided to focus on models with broader consumer appeal rather than pursue niche thin designs that compromise durability, battery life, and other features.

The decision comes less than five months after the Galaxy S25 Edge debuted in May, following an ambitious effort to establish a new class of ultra-slim flagship devices positioned between the standard Galaxy S and the Ultra model. The original plan to revive the "Edge" brand, once associated with Samsung's curved-display models, was intended to replace the Plus series as a sleeker, trend-driven option.


Samsung will apparently instead add a Galaxy S26 Plus model to its 2026 lineup, reverting to the company's traditional three-tier structure of base, Plus, and Ultra variants. Despite the cancellation, development of the Galaxy S26 Edge was already complete. Development of the S26 Plus is expected to begin before the end of the third quarter of 2025.

The atmosphere inside the company is said to be "chaotic" and "embarrassed" following the sudden lineup revision. Samsung reportedly plans to sell through existing inventory of the Galaxy S25 Edge and cease further production once stock is depleted.

If true, the news may not bode well for Apple's ‌iPhone Air‌, which could be facing similar challenges in the market. Last month, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo noted that the ‌iPhone Air‌ was the only model of the four new iPhones that was readily available at launch, suggesting lower than expected demand.










This article, "Samsung Reportedly Gives Up on Super Thin Smartphones Amid Low Sales" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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In July 2024, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he expected Samsung to begin shipping 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera sensors to Apple for iPhones as early as 2026, which is when some iPhone 18 models are expected to be released.


In a follow-up post this weekend, however, Kuo said he now expects the first iPhone models with Samsung's sensor to be released in 2027. In other words, this rumor seemingly now applies to some iPhone 19 models, instead of iPhone 18 models.

It is also possible that Samsung's sensor could debut on the iPhone 18e in early 2027, but the iPhone 16e does not have an Ultra Wide rear camera currently.

Last month, Apple announced Samsung would supply it with iPhone chips manufactured in Texas. According to the Financial Times, the chips in question are three-layer stacked image sensors, which enable higher pixel density and improved low-light performance by vertically stacking multiple sensor layers. Stacked sensor architecture has other benefits too, including higher dynamic range and reduced power consumption.

Sony has long been the exclusive supplier of image sensors for iPhone cameras, so Samsung entering the fray would be notable, whenever that may happen.

For those of you playing along at home, an iPhone 18 rumor has become an iPhone 19 rumor, two days before Apple unveils the iPhone 17. iPhone 20, anyone?
This article, "iPhone 18 Rumor Becomes iPhone 19 Rumor Two Days Before iPhone 17" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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