Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+ now up for grabs in 24K gold

There’s no denying that the recently-announced Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ are two of the most elegant smartphones currently on the market, but if they’re not quite opulent enough for you, Vietnamese gold-plating company Karalux has today taken the wraps off both models dipped in 24-carat gold to tickle your fancy.

While gold-plating is a task that requires tons of experience and precision, Karalux claims that the process for stripping down, coating and rebuilding the Galaxy Note 5 was significantly easier than its predecessor. Here’s how the Hanoi-based company did it:

First, Karalux’s engineers dismantled the twosome, both of which are constructed from 7000 series aluminium. It’s believed that this alloy is 60% stronger and one-third of the density of stainless steel, making it incredibly light and durable for day-to-day use.

Once deconstructed, the individual pieces are thoroughly cleansed using an array of different high-end chemicals. A base layer is then laid to provide a clean, smooth surface for the gold to adhere to.

The next step is gold-plating. To do this, all the metal parts are submerged into a tank of liquified gold and left for a short period of time. Once the ions have attracted and the components have turned gold, they are pulled out and a protective layer is sprayed on top.

As you can imagine, this service doesn’t come cheap. The gold-plating process alone will set you back VND 8 million ($355), and seeing as Karalux doesn’t let you send in your own device, your only option is to purchase a made-to-order 24–carat gold Galaxy Note 5 or Galaxy S6 Edge+, which will cost you an eye-watering VND 25 million ($1110).

Source

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/1i26cEZ
via IFTTT

Galaxy Tab S2 pre-orders in the US to begin today, 8-inch model starts at $399.99

Consumers in the US looking for a new tablet, one with a stunning display at that, can pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 starting today, according to Engadget. Both the 8-inch and 9.7-inch models will be released on the four major carriers and US Cellular on September 3, and will also be available on a trade-in basis from Amazon and Best Buy in the near future. As for pricing, the 8-inch model will start at $399.99 for the Wi-Fi model and the 9.7-inch model will be $499.99. Pricing for the LTE versions aren’t available, but they should cost $100 more than the Wi-Fi variants whenever they become available.

The Galaxy Tab S2′s claim to fame is the Super AMOLED display adorning the front side, and the hardware includes an Exynos 5433 processor, 2048×1536 4:3 display resolution, 3GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera, LTE connectivity, 32GB of expandable storage, and 4,000 mAh and 5,870 mAh batteries on the 8 and 9.7-inch models. You also get a fingerprint sensor, Android 5.0.2 on the software front, and a premium design that incorporates metal on the sides and soft-touch plastic on the back.

Are you getting the Galaxy Tab S2? Let us know in the comments, and do check out our hands-on of the tablet to get an idea of whether it’s worth your money.

Source

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/1Jm3W4w
via IFTTT

International Galaxy Note 4 getting the Android 5.1.1 update in Poland

Following Sprint’s release of the long-awaited update for the Galaxy Note 4, it looks like Samsung has started rolling out Android 5.1.1 for the unlocked variant of the phablet in Poland (for the SM-N910C model.) Users on XDA are reporting that the update is making its way to their Note 4′s over the air, and a full version of the firmware has also been posted online. We’re not seeing anything on Kies just yet, but this update should be the real deal and be followed by a rollout for other regions in the coming weeks.

Android 5.1.1 brings behind-the-scenes changes to performance, battery life and the overall user experience, and it should also include a fix for the Stagefright vulnerability unless Samsung is planning to patch that with an additional update. You can go into the Settings » About device » Software updates menu and hit that Update now button to see if the OTA is available, or just wait for a notification to pop up on its own. You could also try flashing the firmware available at the source link; we’re not completely sure it’s the final version of the update, but the comments suggest it works properly and doesn’t have any issues.

Source

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/1K1Kbm7
via IFTTT

Exclusive: Samsung Galaxy Grand On and Mega On specifications

We broke news of Samsung working on the Galaxy Grand On and Galaxy Mega On earlier this month, and today we have the entire spec sheet of the two smartphones. Both devices will be part of the company’s new O series – or On, depending on where Samsung takes it – and will feature entry-level specifications similar to the Galaxy J lineup, but as the phone names suggest, these devices will basically be spin-offs of existing lineups.

Alright, so let’s get down to the specifications. The Galaxy Mega On (SM-G600) will feature a 5.5-inch HD display, a quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor clocked at 1.2GHz, 1.5GB of RAM, and a 13-megapixel primary camera. It will also have a 5-megapixel front camera, 8GB of expandable storage, and a 3,000 mAh battery, with everything packed under a 151.8×77.5×8.2 mm body that weighs 145 grams.

The Galaxy Grand On (SM-G550) will be a smaller device with a 5-inch HD screen, Exynos 3475 CPU clocked at 1.3GHz (this chip will also power the Galaxy J2), 1GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and a 2,600 mAh battery. The front camera and internal storage will be the same as the Mega On, and both phones will launch with Android 5.1 out of the box. The Grand On’s dimensions come in at 142×71.9×8.5 mm and it will weigh 140 grams.

The Galaxy Grand On and Galaxy Mega On aren’t much different than the Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 in terms of hardware, so we’re guessing the design will yet again be the differentiating factor, like it is when it comes to the Galaxy J and E series. Going by Samsung’s nagging habit of launching multiple new phones in each lineup, devices with the On tag will no doubt increase in number in the future. For now, we have no clue when the Grand On and Mega On will launch, but we will be sure to keep you updated whenever we come across further details.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/1JlIBbk
via IFTTT

Samsung registers ‘Samsung Games’ in South Korea

Samsung Games Co. Ltd registered ‘Samsung Games’ today in South Korea, which indicates that Samsung wants to expand its reach all the way to the gaming industry. The database of the South Korean Intellectual Property Office now includes a new Samsung branch that could change gaming for the better with new software. We sort-of saw this coming when Samsung launched its Gear VR virtual-reality headsets along with a collaboration with Oculus.

Samsung is heavily investing in the gaming industry and wants to take things very far, which isn’t surprising given that Samsung is a major influence in many other markets. Samsung will be displaying some of its new technologies at the upcoming IFA event in Berlin, but it’s unlikely that we could see more information about their gaming service plans. Since the branch was just registered in South Korea, it’s likely that it’s at a very early stage right now, so we’ll have to wait a little longer before we have any definite information.

Source

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/1V9GQmN
via IFTTT

Samsung Galaxy S6 edge receives ‘Advanced Smartphone 2015-2016′ award from EISA

The European Imaging And Sound Association has just awarded the Galaxy S6 edge the ‘Advanced Smartphone 2015-2016′ award which is a very prestigious mark of quality. EISA has several categories for awards including ‘European Headphone of the year”, ‘European Tablet of the year’, etc. Last year the award went to the LG G3 and two years ago the HTC One took the podium. EISA has been judging phones every year starting with 2005 and they always pick true quality over anything else. They also released a promotional video for the Galaxy S6 edge which highlights the device’s primary features in honor of the award.

According to EISA, the Galaxy S6 edge is one of the best mobile phones that Samsung has ever produced and this seems to be a pretty popular opinion if you take a look at the device’s history. The ‘Ultimate Test Drive’ promotion ran out of devices within 24 hours and Samsung has reported an improvement in its financial status during Q2 due to its flagship sales. The flagship device surpassed all expectations and we hope Samsung will keep improving on it with future iterations (especially when it comes to software functionality for the Edge screen.)

Source

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/1EVAzSy
via IFTTT

Samsung outs three new wireless audio 360 speakers

Samsung has just brought three new Wireless Audio 360 Speaker models to the market: the R1, R3 and R5. These three new devices are going to be on display at Berlin next month during IFA and it’s worth noting that the tech company partnered with Qobuz, which is a music service meant to work on Samsung’s audio devices. Among the things that make the R1, R3 and R5 unique is the high resolution streaming service, an updated Multiroom App for Android and iOS which allows you to connect with your home devices through Wi-Fi, and intuitive controls. You can either change the volume, play or pause, or even select different music sources with a gentle touch or a swipe on top of the speaker. Here’s what Jurack Chae, Senior Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics had to say about these new wireless speakers:

With these additional models we are bringing a new kind of high quality sound to the market, with design that is simple, yet premium, and offers a more intuitive user interface

According to Samsung Tomorrow we will be able to buy the R1, R3 and R5 in both Europe as well as the U.S. with a price range of $199-$399. More information will be delivered during IFA which takes place from the 4th of September until the 9th and it’s where we will see a lot of other exciting projects.

Source

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/1KjwTjw
via IFTTT

All five Galaxy Note flagships hit the floor in this drop test video

We are currently in the fifth year of the existence of Samsung’s Galaxy Note lineup, with the Galaxy Note 5 featuring an exquisite metal and glass design that’s leaps and bounds above all of its predecessors. Not content with simply testing the Note 5′s resilience to being dropped on the floor, YouTube channel TechRax decided to put all five Galaxy Note flagships to the torture to see which one comes out on top.

A broken screen is a common element for all the devices in the drop test, with the Galaxy Note 5 actually making it out with the least damage to its front glass (though the touchscreen did stop working, something that wasn’t the case with the other Notes.) It didn’t fare so well on the back side, but we all knew this is what we were getting into when the market forced Samsung to leave plastic behind for its top-end smartphones.

It’s always painful to watch these drop tests, and seeing five smartphones being willfully destroyed is even worse. Check out the drop test in the video below; the video’s a bit too long, so if you’re only interested in the results you can skip to the 9:56 mark.

Via

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/1V9jjT3
via IFTTT

Samsung Pay nabs over 80,000 credit and check cards in its first week alone

Back in March this year Samsung announced its new payment service called Samsung Pay, a couple of months after the announcement this service was put through several beta tests to ensure that everything remains copacetic when it’s finally opened to the public. Samsung confirmed earlier this month when the service will go live in South Korea and United States, the two launch markets, and Samsung Pay is proving to be quite popular in South Korea. More than 80,000 credit and check cards have been registered on Samsung Pay in just five days since launch, the service has done a commendable job of bringing in a lot of users early on.

A report out of Korea claims that on the launch day itself, August 20, over 10,000 credit and check cards were registered on Samsung Pay with the number growing substantially in the subsequent days. One of the major reasons for this popularity is the fact that Samsung Pay is fundamentally different from many other mobile payment services, it’s support for magnetic secure transmission or MST means that the service is acceptable at almost all merchants where credit or debit cards can be used. Merchants don’t have to purchase new equipment to accept payments through Samsung Pay and users don’t have to worry about trying to find out whether or not Samsung Pay is accepted, this is likely playing a decisive role in bringing early users in great numbers.

The United States is the next launch market for Samsung Pay where the service will go live in September, Samsung plans to expand the payments service to China and countries across Europe later this year.

Via

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/1U5Neyu
via IFTTT