Samsung’s abandonment of Android Wear has Android Wear OEMs applauding

I wrote some months ago that Android Wear fans shouldn’t get their hopes up about a 2016 Samsung Android Wear smartwatch, and I still stand by the statements I made then. What’s new, though, is that it appears as if even Android Wear agrees with Samsung. Back 4 months ago, it seemed as though Samsung was rebelling against what appeared to be a united Android Wear front with its decision to forgo crafting another Android...

Latest Good Lock update brings a handful of much-needed bug fixes

Samsung has today updated its Good Lock application to Version 24.0.15 in the Galaxy Apps Store. Sadly, the upgrade doesn’t bring any new features to the replacement lock screen, but it does bundle a plethora of patches for bugs that have been frustrating users of the service for a while now. The full changelog can be seen below: Restored Widget size on Lockscreen Enhanced launching “Application info” in Recent apps by long pressing App icon Fixed...

Samsung Pay updated with support for BB&T credit and debit cards

Samsung Pay has received a server-side update in the United States. The upgrade brings support for BB&T credit and debit cards in the region. It also bundles a handful of much-needed bug fixes and speed optimizations designed to improve the reliability of the mobile payment platform. Like usual, Samsung wasn’t able to introduce compatibility for all of BB&T’s card offerings...

Samsung Pay launches in Russia with support for 5 banks

Samsung has today launched its mobile payment platform in Russia. At present, Samsung Pay only works with five banks — Alfa-Bank Banking Group, VTB24, MTS Bank, Raiffeisen Bank, and Russian Standard Bank — in the region, but compatibility is expected to make its way to other providers in the near future. Russia is the ninth country that Samsung Pay has been released in since its debut in South Korea back in August 2015. It’s currently...

You can now use the Galaxy Note 7 on aircrafts in India

India’s civil aviation authority DGCA has today announced that it has lifted the ban on using the Galaxy Note 7 during commercial flights. Before now, those in possession of the handset were not only barred from turning it on or charging it while on an aircraft, but were also banned from packing it in their checked-in luggage. Airlines have, however, been instructed to inspect Galaxy Note 7′s to ensure that they’re sporting the green battery icon...

Daily Deal: You’ll definitely want to pick up the Galaxy TabPro S and the Chromebook 3 at these prices

We’ve created our Daily Deals program to bring you some of the best deals on Samsung products. Today we have great deals for those who want a tablet or Chromebook from Samsung. First up we have the premium Galaxy Tab Pro S 12-inch tablet from Samsung which runs Windows 10. It’s actually the first Windows 10 tablet with a 12-inch Super AMOLED 2160×1440 pixel resolution display. It’s powered by a 2.2GHz dual-core processor with 4GB RAM and...

China’s state TV says Samsung’s handling of the Galaxy Note 7 recall is ‘full of arrogance’

When Samsung confirmed the Galaxy Note 7′s battery defect earlier this month it said that customers in China were not affected by the recall as the units officially shipped there had a safe battery. It only recalled less than 2,000 units in the country which were sent out prior to the actual release as test devices. However, China’s international state broadcaster CCTV has serious reservations over Samsung’s handling of the Galaxy Note 7 recall in...

Samsung Galaxy A8 (2016) has finally been unveiled

There have been quite a few rumors over the past couple of months that Samsung has the Galaxy A8 (2016) in the pipeline. Benchmark results have brought us the expected specifications of this handset multiple times and it has recently received the relevant certifications. The Galaxy A8 (2016) user manual we spotted about a week ago revealed that the handset will feature the new Grace UX introduced...

Galaxy Note 7 remains popular with customers in South Korea

Samsung resumed Galaxy Note 7 sales for pre-order customers in South Korea yesterday and despite all of the bad press it has received over the battery defect the Galaxy Note 7 still remains popular in the company’s home market. The handset has been shipped by the country’s three largest carriers – SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus – to those who placed a pre-order for it in August. South Korea was the very first market where the Galaxy Note 7 replacement...

Samsung completes $10 billion share buyback program

Last year Samsung announced that it was launching a $10 billion program to buyback its own shares. The program was going to be implemented in stages and Samsung said that it would be completed in one year. Samsung embarked on the fourth and final phase of this buyback program two months ago in which it was to purchase and cancel 990,000 common and 230,000 preferred shares. It has already repurchased 5.63 million common and 2.09 million preferred...

Galaxy Note 7 sales in India may resume before Diwali

The Galaxy Note 7 was supposed to be launched in India on September 2 but it was never launched in the country as Samsung confirmed the handset’s battery cell defect and immediately suspended sales. Those who had pre-ordered a Note 7 in the country were told that their shipments would be delayed. Shipments are still awaited and Samsung is yet to confirm when the Galaxy Note 7 will be relaunched in India. A recent report claimed that the Note 7 will...

Samsung reportedly increases sales target for the Gear S3

Samsung is yet to release the Gear S3 smartwatch that it unveiled about a month ago but the company is apparently optimistic about its performance. News reports out of South Korea suggest that Samsung has increased its yearly sales target for the Gear S3 by as much as 60 percent more than the overall number of smartwatches and fitness bands it shipped in the previous year. The company is yet to confirm the release date of the Gear S3 in most markets...

Galaxy Apps update brings a cleaner UI, dedicated categories for watch faces

Samsung has updated its Galaxy Apps application. Unfortunately, the upgrade — Version 4.2.01-7 — doesn’t bring much to the table in terms of added functionality. However, it does transport a cleaner user interface, together with the facility to receive push notifications for upcoming promotions held by the South Korean company. Aside from the sharper visuals, Version 4.2.01-7 finally...

Samsung pushes out September security patch for the Galaxy S6 edge+

Samsung has been awfully busy today. Not only has it distributed the Marshmallow update for the Galaxy A7 and Galaxy Tab S 10.5 (Wi-Fi), but it’s also now pushing out this month’s security patch for the International variant of the Galaxy S6 edge+. The upgrade is around 160MB in size and, just like the version that made its way to the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge earlier this week, carries a truckload of much-needed patches for both the Android OS and...

Kookmin Bank will be the first to support the Galaxy Note 7′s iris scanner as a form of authentication

Customers of one South Korea’s largest banks, Kookmin Bank, will be pleased to hear that they will soon be able to use the Galaxy Note 7′s iris-recognition technology to access their mobile banking services. At present, the only other banking-related application that iris scanning is compatible with is Samsung Pay. However, Samsung is hoping to bring the technology to more financial apps later this year. “Last-minute preparations have been underway...

Samsung now distributing Android 6.0.1 update for the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 in the Netherlands

Following its rollout for the Galaxy A7 earlier today, Samsung is now pushing out the Android 6.0.1 update for the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 (Wi-Fi) in the Netherlands. The upgrade – XXU1CPHF — brings the latest build of Marshmallow to the slate, in addition to a multitude of bug fixes, stability improvements and speed optimizations. If you own a Galaxy Tab S 10.5, you’re probably feeling as a little confused right now a little over a month ago...

Samsung reveals that over one million people are using a ‘safe’ Galaxy Note 7

Less than a month after it kicked off its voluntary recall of the Galaxy Note 7, Samsung has today announced that more than one million owners globally are now using a ‘safe’ model of the unit. This figure includes all variants issued as replacements and those initially sold in China that don’t sport the defunct battery that led to over seventy devices catching fire while on charge in the US alone. Prior to the recall, Samsung had produced...

Themes Thursday: Take a look at this week’s three best themes

Samsung has released 85 themes in the Theme Store over the course of past one week, and we’ve shortlisted three themes that you might like: [V] Midnight 7, [V] Tictoc 7, and Sense UI Theme. [V] Midnight 7 and [V] Tictoc 7 themes by Motiveflux Interactive are inspired by Samsung’s stock wallpaper for the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. However, these paid themes feature colorful circular icons as opposed...

Second MediaTek executive names Samsung as “partner”

As we reported six months ago, the Korean giant has been testing out MediaTek’s Helio X20 and X25 processors in the Galaxy S7, a sign that Samsung is considering using the chipset maker’s processors in not just low-end handsets but even premium ones, but information in recent days has made it apparent that Samsung’s testing several months ago wasn’t just a random act. According to a MediaTek representative last week, Samsung is a customer — thereby...

Samsung and SAP open joint research center to improve in-memory computing

Samsung and SAP have inaugurated a joint research center in South Korea where the companies will conduct R&D on memory solutions to develop next-generation in-memory computing. In-memory computing is being developed by SAP to be used in servers for faster data processing and faster analyses of large amounts of data. The president of Samsung’s memory business, Dr. Young-Hyun Jun, and Adaire Fox-Martin, President of SAP Asia Pacific Japan, were...

Samsung Galaxy On5 Pro and Galaxy On7 Pro review

Last year, Samsung launched the Galaxy On series of smartphones in the Indian market. Unlike all its other smartphones, the Galaxy On5 and Galaxy On7 were exclusive to online retailers, in a bid to compete with the feature-packed affordable smartphones that Chinese manufacturers were selling through the online-only model. As the On5 and On7 were sold online, Samsung managed to save on costs associated...

Recently filed patent application could hint at a dual camera for the Galaxy S8

A patent application Samsung filed very recently in South Korea just might support earlier rumors about the Galaxy S8 having a dual camera setup. In the patent application, which was filed on September 13, we see a camera interface with improved zoom control. Just like the one-finger exposure control Samsung currently uses in its camera app, zooming in and out can be a one-finger gesture...

[Poll] Will you still buy a Galaxy Note 7 after October 28?

After the Galaxy Note 7 debacle, Samsung has announced that it will resume shipping the Galaxy Note 7 in Europe from October 28. If you did not preorder a Galaxy Note 7, would you still consider buying Samsung’s latest phablet when it goes on sale in your country? Samsung will most probably release the Galaxy S8 early next year. Would you wait for the Galaxy S8 or S8 edge, or would you buy a non-Samsung smartphone this year instead? In...

Daily Deal: Buy a Lens Cover for your Samsung Galaxy S7 edge for just $96.69

As a part of our Daily Deals program, we are bringing you a good deal on Samsung’s Lens Cover for the Galaxy S7 edge and Galaxy S7 today. The Lens Cover accessory for the Galaxy S7 edge has seen its price dropped from $149.99 to $96.69 on Amazon in the US. This is a discount of 36 percent over its original price. Amazon is now selling the Lens Cover for the Galaxy S7 in the US for just $89.99, which is a discount of 40 percent over its original...

Samsung finally rolls out Marshmallow update for the Galaxy A7 in Europe

With Nougat right around the corner, Samsung has finally started pushing out the long-awaited Marshmallow update for the European variant of the Galaxy A7. The upgrade — XXU2BPH4 — weighs in at a little over 1GB and bundles all of the changes you’d expect to find baked into Android 6.0.1. It also transports a more refined build of TouchWiz, similar to the version on board the Galaxy S7. If you reside in Europe, own a factory unlocked Galaxy...

Samsung patents a foldable tablet with built-in keyboard and stand

We’ve seen a lot of rumors, reports and patents concerning Samsung’s foldable smartphone but the one that’s come up today isn’t about a smartphone, it’s about a tablet. Samsung has been awarded a design patent for a foldable tablet which features a built-in keyboard and stand. The illustrations show that this device will have a foldable keyboard as well as an integrated kickstand at the back. The...

Galaxy Note 7 ads start airing again as Samsung expects to wrap up recall soon

We reported yesterday that Galaxy Note 7 customers in South Korea don’t appear to be in a hurry to exchange their faulty Galaxy Note 7 for a new, safe one. Samsung’s replacement program has been running for a few weeks now however the rate of replacement is lower in its home country when compared to markets like the US. Samsung is obviously concerned about this but it also wants to look ahead and resumes sales of the Galaxy Note 7. After having...

Samsung now investigating reports of replacement Galaxy Note 7 units overheating

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 replacement program has been underway for a couple of weeks now. It’s voluntarily replacing all Galaxy Note 7 units that have been shipped since the handset was released last month. There have been some reports of overheating issues with replacement Galaxy Note 7 units which are supposed to have a battery that doesn’t explode unexpectedly. Samsung has now said that it’s investigating these reports. Samsung has confirmed to...

Wallpaper Wednesday: Illustrations

Welcome to the latest edition of Wallpaper Wednesday. This week we’re focusing our attention on six illustration backgrounds. All images are available in a FHD resolution, which is a perfect fit for the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy Note 5 and other flagships, but they can, of course, be used on different smartphones, too. If any of the following images...

Galaxy Grand Prime (2016) clears the FCC

We first reported two months ago that Samsung was working on another mid-range smartphone and that it might be a refresh of the Galaxy Grand Prime which was first launched two years ago. Last month it surfaced on Geekbench to give us a glimpse at its specifications and just two weeks ago the handset received its Wi-Fi certification, suggesting that a launch isn’t that far off now. Those who have...

Galaxy A8 is receiving the September security update as well

The September Security Maintenance Release is slowly making its way to handsets like the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge even though it’s almost the end of September. Latest reports reveal that this update is also being sent out to other Samsung handsets. Those who own the Galaxy A8 are now receiving this Security Maintenance Release which brings crucial patches for the OS to ensure that users...

Huawei reportedly working with Samsung on a Tizen smartwatch

Huawei has established itself as a major player in the smartwatch market by offering some great wearable devices that are powered by Google’s Android Wear. Samsung is its competitor in this market, the South Korean conglomerate has launched a couple of impressive Tizen-powered smartwatches which provide an alternative to Google’s operating system. A report out of South Korea claims that Huawei is working with Samsung to launch a smartwatch that’s...

Daily Deal: Grab Samsung’s Level Box wireless speaker for just $62.40

We recently started notifying our awesome readers about deals on Samsung products that we come across every day, and today we are bringing you a brilliant deal on Samsung’s wireless speaker. The black variant of the Level Box Bluetooth speaker is being sold in the US for just $62.4 through Amazon, and it is a discount of 63% over its regular price of $169.99. The white variant is priced even lower at $44.99, which is a discount of a whopping...

Woman’s view: Samsung Gear S2 Classic 18K Rose Gold

Before I got the Rose Gold Gear S2 Classic , I was not a fan of watches. I bought one a few years ago, wore it a few times, and after a short while I didn’t look at it again. Why wear a watch when I have my phone with me all the time? When my boyfriend started wearing smartwatches, I laughed at him. He was just like me, unused to wearing watches. And his watch didn’t look like something...

Samsung has replaced more than 60 percent of faulty Galaxy Note 7′s in the US

Samsung has revealed that it has now exchanged more than 60 percent of Galaxy Note 7′s that were believed to sport a faulty battery in the United States. This news comes just two weeks after the US Consumer Product Safety Commission issued an official recall of over one million handsets in the region amid a little more than 90 reports surfacing from customers claiming that their handset had spontaneously bursting into flames...

Galaxy Note 7 users in South Korea don’t appear to be in a hurry to exchange their phones

After confirming the battery cell defect earlier this month Samsung announced that it will voluntarily replace all Galaxy Note 7 phones shipped since the handset was released. The global replacement program is underway and yet it appears to not be performing as well as it should be in Samsung’s own backyard. Local news reports suggest that Galaxy Note 7 users in South Korea don’t appear to be in a hurry to replace their units which pose a potential...

Galaxy Note 7 recall might seriously dent Samsung’s business in China

Samsung is already facing a tough time in China with strong competitors like Apple in the high-end segment and local OEMs like Xiaomi and Huawei in the mid-range and low-end market segments. It may have been looking to improve its fortunes with the Galaxy Note 7 but now it risks seeing the opposite happen. Surveys conducted in China reveal that quite a few people say they will no longer buy Samsung smartphones following the Galaxy Note 7 recall....

Samsung Pay’s first anniversary in the US is being celebrated by adding support for coupons

Samsung Pay, the South Korean electronics giant’s mobile payment and digital wallet service, has officially turned one in the US. Samsung claims that its mobile payments platform now supports 500 banks in the US, which represents over 80 percent of the credit card and debit card market in the country. To celebrate Samsung Pay’s first anniversary, Samsung has added an in-app service to search, store, and redeem coupons. Samsung has tied up with...

Galaxy Note 7 sales in Europe will be resumed on October 28

Samsung will soon resume sales of the Galaxy Note 7 across the globe. It’s kicking things off from South Korea next week and will gradually resume sales in other markets across the globe. Samsung has confirmed today that its flagship handset will go on sale once again in Europe starting October 28. The company’s press release does leave the door open to the possibility of a delay as the resumption of sales is contingent on “full completion of...

The Galaxy S7 edge and Galaxy Note 7 are more alike than ever: Samsung’s daring move makes perfect sense

The Galaxy Note 7 unveiling last month brought us a device that, as Samsung says, “was inspired by the Galaxy S7 edge” in reference to its dual-edge display. While Samsung referenced the display and its dual curves in making the statement, some consumers believe that more than just the dual-edge display was “borrowed” from the Galaxy S7 edge. Some have gone on to call the Galaxy Note 7 nothing more than just “a Galaxy S7 edge with an S Pen,”...

T-Mobile Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge updated with Samsung Cloud and September security patch

If you’re on T-Mobile and own one of Samsung’s 2016 flagship smartphones you might be thinking that it’s almost October and yet your handset has still not received the September security update. The wait ends for you today as T-Mobile is now rolling out a new firmware update for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge which features the September Security Maintenance Release. The update comes in at over 350MB because it also brings Samsung Cloud features...

Daily Deal: You can pick up a 5,200mAh Samsung Fast Charge External Battery Pack for just $26.45

If you missed out on the opportunity to snag yourself a 10,200mAh Samsung Fast Charge External Battery Pack for $49.99 as part of our Daily Deal promotion yesterday, you may want to listen up as Amazon has just kicked off a great offer on the 5,200mAh model of the Fast Charge External Battery Pack. For a limited time only, you can pick one up for just $26.45. Just like the 10,200mAh capacity variant, the 5,200mAh battery bank...

Exclusive: Galaxy A (2017) series will get Clear View covers for the first time

Samsung releases Clear View covers for its flagship handsets, it most recently launched them for the Galaxy Note 7 but we can now confirm that for the first time the company is also going to release them for the Galaxy A series. We exclusively reported last month that Samsung is working on the 2017 iteration of the Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7, we can now tell you that the Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017) will receive official Clear...