u/eternallatake

Google even published a dedicated blog post about it, and the most interesting part to me is the system level camera pipeline improvements. They claim photos and videos now "score the same or better than the leading competitor" and that the entire capture-to-upload pipeline has been optimized to preserve quality when posting to Instagram.

Has anyone actually tested this yet? Is it really good enough that photos and videos captured with the camera app look virtually identical after being uploaded to Instagram, with little to no quality loss? (especially photos).

They also announced a Smart Enhance feature for Instagram's Edits app, which supposedly lets you "instantly upscale your photos and videos with advanced on-device AI with a single tap" and make it higher quality for Instagram. Has anyone received this feature yet and tried it?

They even made an ad about it: https://youtu.be/Cw-9HR6W7I8?si=TvFA63JDTitBuuAg

Thank you so much!!

I don't know how long this has been a thing, but favorites NOT syncing used to be one of the main reasons I never used Google Photos as my primary gallery app.

Now, if I favorite a photo in Google Photos, it automatically shows up as a favorite in Samsung Gallery too on my Galaxy S26 Ultra. 👏🏻 (I need this because while sharing or editing my favorite photos, I need to use Samsung Gallery's share>options button to convert the HDR pics otherwise they look a bit washed out. Google Photos doesn't have that button as it's a Samsung thing.)

The only thing Google Photos still lacks for me is the quick thumbnail slider at the bottom when you're swiping through photos. Turning on group similar photos has kind of made up for it, but I still miss and need that feature.

I don't know how long this has been a thing, but favorites NOT syncing used to be one of the main reasons I never used Google Photos as my primary gallery app.

Now, if I favorite a photo in Google Photos, it automatically shows up as a favorite in Samsung Gallery too on my Galaxy S26 Ultra. 👏🏻 (I need this because while sharing or editing my favorite photos, I need to use Samsung Gallery's share>options button to convert the HDR pics otherwise they look a bit washed out. Google Photos doesn't have that button as it's a Samsung thing.)

The only thing Google Photos still lacks for me is the quick thumbnail slider at the bottom when you're swiping through photos. Turning on group similar photos has kind of made up for it, but I still miss and need that feature.

Hi everyone! I'm looking to buy my first good quality home Bluetooth speaker. I want a significant step up in sound quality from my current daily setups (Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds and the built-in Bowers & Wilkins soundsystem on my Philips OLED908 TV).

My Priorities:

• Sound quality and tuning are #1.
• Portability is secondary. I know the Go + Play 3 is the only true wireless option, but moving a plugged-in speaker like the Aura around the house occasionally is totally fine with me so it's the same.
• Price is a tie. All three are priced exactly the same in my country, which is making this choice so difficult.
• Blind buy. I can't test these in-store, so I have to rely on research. Sadly, direct comparisons between these three specific models are almost impossible to find.

Here is my current dilemma with the contenders:

• Go + Play 3: User comments suggest this might have the best overall sound and tuning some how. However, it apparently needs to be plugged in to reach its full sound potential. If I leave it plugged in 24/7, I'm worried the battery will degrade quickly and turn it into a brick in the future. That pushes me toward the Aura a bit.
• Aura Studio 5: This thing looks SO DELICIOUS. If the sound quality and tuning are on par with (or better than) the Go + Play 3, I would go for this in a heartbeat. But does it actually sound as good? The Go + Play 3 seems to get way more hype online for its actual sound quality, so I'm second guessing the Aura. But this might be because Go + Play 3 is way older and Aura Studio 5 is new of course.
• Soundsticks 5: Because of the physical design, this obviously has way better stereo separation/soundstage I believe. It also has HDMI ARC compared to the others, which is a huge plus since I can connect it directly to my TV. But I've read that it's sound quality might still fall short of the Go + Play 3 or Aura Studio 5 somehow, even though its technical specs show better bass response. If the sound isn't as good as the others, then the HDMI ARC doesn't really matter to me and I might lean towards the GoPlay3 or Aura5. Is this true?

It's getting SO messy in my head trying to weigh these pros and cons. Has anyone been able to hear these in person and compare them? Or if you heard them individually can you compare what you heard about them? I would ABSOLUTELY love to hear your take on the sound quality and tuning & I'd really appreciate any insights!

I'll be waiting for the responses, THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH 🙏🏻🫶🏻

Hi everyone! I'm looking to buy my first good quality home Bluetooth speaker. I want a significant step up in sound quality from my current daily setups (Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds and the built-in Bowers & Wilkins soundsystem on my Philips OLED908 TV).

My Priorities:

• Sound quality and tuning are #1.
• Portability is secondary. I know the Go + Play 3 is the only true wireless option, but moving a plugged-in speaker like the Aura around the house occasionally is totally fine with me so it's the same.
• Price is a tie. All three are priced exactly the same in my country, which is making this choice so difficult.
• Blind buy. I can't test these in-store, so I have to rely on research. Sadly, direct comparisons between these three specific models are almost impossible to find.

Here is my current dilemma with the contenders:

• Go + Play 3: User comments suggest this might have the best overall sound and tuning some how. However, it apparently needs to be plugged in to reach its full sound potential. If I leave it plugged in 24/7, I'm worried the battery will degrade quickly and turn it into a brick in the future. That pushes me toward the Aura a bit.
• Aura Studio 5: This thing looks SO DELICIOUS. If the sound quality and tuning are on par with (or better than) the Go + Play 3, I would go for this in a heartbeat. But does it actually sound as good? The Go + Play 3 seems to get way more hype online for its actual sound quality, so I'm second guessing the Aura. But this might be because Go + Play 3 is way older and Aura Studio 5 is new of course.
• Soundsticks 5: Because of the physical design, this obviously has way better stereo separation/soundstage I believe. It also has HDMI ARC compared to the others, which is a huge plus since I can connect it directly to my TV. But I've read that it's sound quality might still fall short of the Go + Play 3 or Aura Studio 5 somehow, even though its technical specs show better bass response. If the sound isn't as good as the others, then the HDMI ARC doesn't really matter to me and I might lean towards the GoPlay3 or Aura5. Is this true?

It's getting SO messy in my head trying to weigh these pros and cons. Has anyone been able to hear these in person and compare them? Or if you heard them individually can you compare what you heard about them? I would ABSOLUTELY love to hear your take on the sound quality and tuning & I'd really appreciate any insights!

I'll be waiting for the responses, THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH 🙏🏻🫶🏻

Hi everyone! I'm looking to buy my first good quality home Bluetooth speaker. I want a significant step up in sound quality from my current daily setups (Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds and the built-in Bowers & Wilkins soundsystem on my Philips OLED908 TV).

My Priorities:

• Sound quality and tuning are #1.
• Portability is secondary. I know the Go + Play 3 is the only true wireless option, but moving a plugged-in speaker like the Aura around the house occasionally is totally fine with me so it's the same.
• Price is a tie. All three are priced exactly the same in my country, which is making this choice so difficult.
• Blind buy. I can't test these in-store, so I have to rely on research. Sadly, direct comparisons between these three specific models are almost impossible to find.

Here is my current dilemma with the contenders:

• Go + Play 3: User comments suggest this might have the best overall sound and tuning some how. However, it apparently needs to be plugged in to reach its full sound potential. If I leave it plugged in 24/7, I'm worried the battery will degrade quickly and turn it into a brick in the future. That pushes me toward the Aura a bit.
• Aura Studio 5: This thing looks SO DELICIOUS. If the sound quality and tuning are on par with (or better than) the Go + Play 3, I would go for this in a heartbeat. But does it actually sound as good? The Go + Play 3 seems to get way more hype online for its actual sound quality, so I'm second guessing the Aura. But this might be because Go + Play 3 is way older and Aura Studio 5 is new of course.
• Soundsticks 5: Because of the physical design, this obviously has way better stereo separation/soundstage I believe. It also has HDMI ARC compared to the others, which is a huge plus since I can connect it directly to my TV. But I've read that it's sound quality might still fall short of the Go + Play 3 or Aura Studio 5 somehow, even though its technical specs show better bass response. If the sound isn't as good as the others, then the HDMI ARC doesn't really matter to me and I might lean towards the GoPlay3 or Aura5. Is this true?

It's getting SO messy in my head trying to weigh these pros and cons. Has anyone been able to hear these in person and compare them? Or if you heard them individually can you compare what you heard about them? I would ABSOLUTELY love to hear your take on the sound quality and tuning & I'd really appreciate any insights!

I'll be waiting for the responses, THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH 🙏🏻🫶🏻

we love to see it 💛

I feel like literally EVERYONE in my country is automatically defaulting to the Cobalt Violet. But after watching a ton of color comparison videos, none of them look quite as good as the White one to me.

It’s a pure, shiny white that contrasts perfectly with the camera bump, and it looks so clean and sleek to me. Plus as someone who hates using a case, I think it’s the only option that has that natural silver/aluminum finish on the borders. That uncoated look is a big advantage for hiding daily micro-scratches isn't it?

What do you guys think? Mine hasn't arrived yet, but I'm sooo excited!!

I feel like literally EVERYONE in my country is automatically defaulting to the Cobalt Violet. But after watching a ton of color comparison videos, none of them look quite as good as the White one to me.

It’s a pure, shiny white that contrasts perfectly with the camera bump, and it looks so clean and sleek to me. Plus as someone who hates using a case, I think it’s the only option that has that natural silver/aluminum finish on the borders. That uncoated look is a big advantage for hiding daily micro-scratches isn't it?

What do you guys think? Mine hasn't arrived yet, but I'm sooo excited!!

So today I was on the train & my phone was in my pocket, and I was listening to music through my Galaxy Buds.

The music suddenly stopped, so I took out my phone to see what was going on, and it was already frozen on the lock screen, completely unresponsive to touch.

Within about a minute, my Bluetooth connections dropped too as my Galaxy Watch vibrated and my Buds made the disconnect sound. And a few seconds later, the screen turned off. Since then, I have not been able to turn it back on at all. It won't charge, and it won't charge other devices either (I tried plugging it in and also tried reverse charging my Galaxy Buds through the phone, completely unresponsive on both).

I am honestly really disappointed & frustrated because I have always trusted Samsung and it was my preferred brand. I have used the Note 3, Note 9, and S22 Ultra before, so this feels completely unacceptable to me. My phone literally DIED RANDOMLY in my pocket.

I also do not even want to think about my Secure Folder files if this turns out to be a motherboard failure or something, since I did not back those up. Soooo frustrating... I am going to the service center tomorrow to see what they say. I HATE saying this but if the phone is actually dead I might switch to Apple for the first time. This is honestly shocking to me. I had to go home and get to my computer to make this post.

Does anyone have any idea what might be happening, or any possible solutions? Thank you so much!! 🙏🏻

So today I was on the train & my phone was in my pocket, and I was listening to music through my Galaxy Buds.

The music suddenly stopped, so I took out my phone to see what was going on, and it was already frozen on the lock screen, completely unresponsive to touch.

Within about a minute, my Bluetooth connections dropped too as my Galaxy Watch vibrated and my Buds made the disconnect sound. And a few seconds later, the screen turned off. Since then, I have not been able to turn it back on at all. It won't charge, and it won't charge other devices either (I tried plugging it in and also tried reverse charging my Galaxy Buds through the phone, completely unresponsive on both).

I am honestly really frustrated because I have always trusted Samsung and it was my preferred brand. I have used the Note 3, Note 9, and S22 Ultra before, so this feels completely unacceptable to me. My phone literally DIED RANDOMLY in my pocket.

I also do not even want to think about my Secure Folder files if this turns out to be a motherboard failure or something, since I did not back those up. Soooo frustrating... I am going to the service center tomorrow to see what they say. I HATE saying this but if the phone is actually dead I might switch to Apple for the first time. This is honestly shocking to me.

Does anyone have any idea what might be happening, or any possible solutions? Thank you so much!! 🙏🏻