Last month we exclusively reported that Samsung was working on a Gear Manager app for iOS which meant that iOS support might be added to the Gear S2 at some point in the future. The company didn’t confirm anything back then but it never really denied the possibility of its best smartwatch yet working with an iOS device. Today it has confirmed that iOS support for the Gear S2 is coming later this year.
Samsung mentioned this in passing during its keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show 2016, it didn’t say when iOS support will arrive, and which features will be supported. Simply put, the Gear S2 will be compatible with iOS devices later this year, however, some features like Samsung Pay will require the smartwatch to be hooked up with a Samsung handset. Hopefully, the company will provide additional details about this as many Gear S2 owners have been anxious to find out when this is going to happen.
Samsung is slowly but surely expanding its mobile payments service to more markets across the globe, during its keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show 2016 today the company confirmed that Samsung Pay will go live in Australia, Singapore and Brazil soon. This is in addition to the Samsung Pay roll out that has already been confirmed by the company for China, Spain and the United Kingdom.
We did report exclusively that Samsung Pay will be live in China by Q1 2016 and that was confirmed only recently. Today Samsung has only revealed that Australia, Singapore and Brazil are the next markets to receive Samsung Pay though it hasn’t said when the service will go live in these markets. Additional details will most certainly be revealed by the company’s local arms in those countries when the time is right.
Samsung has launched a handful of Windows-powered products at the Consumer Electronics Show 2016. If you didn’t quite like the Windows 10-powered Galaxy TabPRO S perhaps the company’s new Notebook 9 laptops will be more to your liking. They are available in 13.3-inch and 15-inch sizes with both having a full HD 1080p LCD display and the choice of 6th generation Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processors so performance should be right up there with the best of them.
These notebooks are fashioned out of magnesium, they’re sturdy and yet lightweight to ensure easy portability, with Samsung promising all day battery life. One significant difference between the two models is that the 13.3-inch Notebook 9 doesn’t feature a USB Type-C port whereas the 15-inch model does, both of them have two USB 3.0 ports. Salient features also include:
Ultra-light: Samsung Notebook 9 series offers ultra-portability, with the world lightest 13.3-inch Notebook 9 weighing less than 1 kilogram, offering ultimate ease and convenience when on-the-go.
Vivid and Bright Display: The full-HD display provides superior brightness with a wide angle and low-reflective screen for a comfortable viewing experience from a variety of positions.
Extended Battery Life: The 15-inch Notebook 9 provides battery life for up to 12 hours, and the Quick Charging feature enables users to fully charge in just 20 minutes. The 13.3-inch Notebook 9 offers up to 10 hours of battery life on one charge.
Enhanced Security: The new security feature Security CAM allows users to take and send photos through an equipped camera to a pre-registered email in case of theft. The Pattern Log-in, Secret Screen, and Record Block features help users protect private files and information.
Seamless Productivity: Samsung Link 2.0 and SideSync 4.0 let users access shareable content more easily and efficiently. Also, the UL (Underwriters Laboratories) certified ergonomic keyboard provides enhanced comfort and accuracy.
The new notebooks will be available in Iron Silver and Modern Pink colors in select markets starting early 2016, pricing will vary by market.
The Galaxy TabPro S, which leaked earlier today, has been officially unveiled by Samsung at CES 2016. The TabPro S is similar to Microsoft’s Surface lineup of tablet-cum-laptops and runs a full version of Windows 10 with a 6th Gen. Intel Core M processor under the hood.
Like the Surface, the TabPro S comes with a keyboard accessory that can be connected to the tablet to turn into a laptop, with the ability to use the keyboard in both landscape and portrait orientation of the display. The display itself is a 12-inch Super AMOLED unit – it’s the first Windows 10 tablet with a Super AMOLED display, and the tablet is also the first with LTE Cat 6 support to run Microsoft’s latest desktop operating system.
The display resolution is 2160×1440 pixels, putting it right in the “Retina” category (and making it a good competitor for the MacBook 11 or even the 13-inch MacBook Air, even though those are full laptops instead of tablet and laptop hybrids). The processor is a dual-core chip clocked at 2.2GHz, and the TabPro S comes with 4GB of RAM and a 128GB/256 GB SSD. Two 5-megapixel cameras handle imaging on the front and back.
The TabPro S has a 5,200 mAh battery inside, and Samsung says the 2-in-1 tablet can offer up to 10.5 hours of battery life. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC and Bluetooth 4.1 – a separate adapter will be sold for adding HDMI, USB Type C, and a regular USB port, in addition to a Bluetooth-enabled stylus. All of the hardware is packed inside a body that weighs 693 grams (696 g on the LTE variant). The tablet is extremely thin as well, with only 6.3 mm thickness.
The Galaxy TabPro S is an interesting device – not just for the fact that it is called Galaxy but doesn’t run Android. Traits like the Super AMOLED display, fast connectivity and Windows 10 make it a nice tablet and laptop hybrid that could do well provided it is priced right. Samsung isn’t saying anything about pricing yet, but the TabPro S will be available globally starting February 2016.
Galaxy TabPro S specifications:
OS
Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro
Network
LTE Cat.6 **
AP
6th Gen. Intel Core M processor (Dual Core 2.2GHz)
At its CES 2016 press event today Samsung unveiled its 2016 SUHD TV lineup that features Quantum dot display. The company says that its new lineup provides unparalleled picture quality and has the world’s first bezel-less curved design. It has already confirmed that the entire 2016 lineup has integrated Internet of Things (IoT) hub technology and is protected by its GAIA security solution for smart TVs.
The 2016 SUHD TVs boast the world’s only cadmium-free 10-bit Quantum dot display which promises true-to-life picture quality, exceptional contrast and brightness as well as the most lifelike colors ever offered by a Samsung TV. All of Samsung’s SUHD TVs this year feature high dynamic range (HDR), light reflection is further reduced by the new Ultra Black technology. Samsung KS9500 SUHD TV is the first bezel-less curved TV and it provides an exceptional immersive viewing experience as the viewer’s attention is focused entirely on the content.
Tizen OS powers the new lineup with a new Smart Hub that puts all of the user’s’ favorite content in one place, supports console-less gaming with support for PlayStation Now as well as a plethora of other services and apps from the likes of Netflix, Amazon, YouTube and more.
Samsung’s new SUHD TVs will be available later on, they’re being showcased this week at CES 2016 in Las Vegas. Pricing will vary by model and market.
We did report earlier today that the Rose Gold and Platinum Gear S2 had been spotted at CES and that an announcement was likely in the very near future. At CES 2016 Samsung has launched two new elegant editions of the Gear S2 smartwatch, one in 18K Rose Gold and the other in Platinum. Customers now have more options to choose from when picking up Samsung’s latest and greatest smartwatch, they can opt for whatever best matches their style while still providing the advanced functionality and intuitive navigation offered by the Gear S2.
Samsung has also confirmed that the new Gear S2 classic is going to include NFC technology so that it works with Samsung Pay, which will be available to Gear S2 users in the near future initially in the United States. The Gear S2 classic in Rose Gold will be available with an ivory genuine leather band and in Platinum with a black genuine leather band next month. Pricing has not yet been confirmed.
As many of you might be aware that the Samsung CES 2016 keynote is about ten minutes away, it’s time to tune into the event and see for yourself everything the company is going to unveil today. The company always live streams its events so you don’t necessarily have to be at the venue to get in on the action. The Samsung CES 2016 live stream is online now, it’s embedded down below so you can watch it right here on the best Samsung community on the internet.
The official announcement of Samsung’s next-generation flagship smartphone is not far away, and there’s no dearth of Galaxy S7-related rumors, leaks, concepts, and reports. Earlier today, we reported some exclusive details about the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge‘s display size and price tags. Now, a new concept video has surfaced on the Internet that might showcase the final design of the Galaxy S7.
According to the video and accompanying images, which are allegedly based on the blueprints given by Samsung to accessory makers, the Galaxy S7 with a 5.1-inch QHD Super AMOLED display will be 7.9 mm thin. This thicker shell might be due to a larger battery and the camera won’t protrude as much as it did in the Galaxy S6. The device is reported to be 142.5 mm tall, 69.5 mm wide, and 8.7 mm thin at its thickest part.
Interestingly, the report claims that the Galaxy S7 won’t feature a USB Type-C connector, but will have faster data transfer as well as charging. The device appears to have curved sides at the back, similar to the Galaxy Note 5′s design, and this will improve the ergonomics. The home button might be more rounded off, but no justification has been provided to back up this claim.
Do you think this will be the final design of the Galaxy S7? Go ahead and watch the concept video of the Galaxy S7, which will be officially announced by Samsung in February. The Galaxy S7 is expected to feature a 5.5-inch curved QHD Super AMOLED display, a 12-megapixel primary camera, and a 3,600 mAh battery.
Sorry folks, but we have yet another bout of details about the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge to share with you. These details come from a source inside the supply chain, and confirm many of the things we have heard until now.
Yes, there will be a microSD slot on both phones, as a leak earlier today reiterated. The screen sizes are also confirmed to be 5.1-inch and 5.5-inch on the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, which means Samsung has taken inspiration from its fiercest competitor (which took inspiration from the Korean giant when it launched a 5.5-inch version of the world’s most popular smartphone) and wants to please fans of both small and large phones at the same time. You will be able to opt for a large Galaxy S flagship instead of waiting for the next Note or settling for a non-flagship phablet, or give up the Edge screen to get a smaller screen size.
In terms of pricing, there isn’t much change compared to the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 edge/S6 edge+. The 32GB models of the S7 and S7 edge will be priced at Euro 699 and 799 respectively (the 64GB models should be priced around Euro 70-80 higher, though our source didn’t say so). The two phones will be announced in February; our source says they will go on sale during the same month, which would be faster than even the Note 5 and S6 edge+ if the rumored February 20 date of the Unpacked event is correct.
We tend to believe what our sources tell us, and while we are willing to do the same in this case (this source has offered solid information in the past), don’t forget to keep the salt container handy. We are working to get more information on Samsung’s next big (and bigger) thing, and will continue to report on information from both ours and others’ sources.
Samsung has a plethora of phones and tablets in its lineup, and regularly releases firmware updates for various devices. These can include major updates, which bring a newer version of the OS to a particular device, or minor ones that improve performance and stability and fix bugs. Software updates for Samsung devices roll out in various regions every day, and you can find out which firmware updates were pushed out by the company over the last 24 hours through our firmware list.
As usual, you can download each of these firmware from our firmware section (simply enter your device’s model number to view all firmware for that device) in order to update to a new firmware manually, or as a means to return to your phone or tablet’s stock software.
Well, we have new information to add to the ever-increasing barrage of rumors around the Galaxy S7. An anonymous source of ours, who has supposedly seen the device in the flesh, has reached out to us to share a few details on how the regular Galaxy S7 will look like. Apparently, the flat Galaxy S7 looks more or less like a smaller version of the Galaxy Note 5. The phone has curves at the back similar to the Note 5 and like Samsung’s Tizen-powered Z3, with the same round home button as Samsung’s current implementation.
A round home button isn’t surprising, but given leaked case renders had hinted at Samsung changing it to something squarish, it’s something we think is worth mentioning. The source also mentions that the camera module on the Galaxy S7 will protrude out of the body much less than it does now. A major Galaxy S7 leak earlier today said that the camera would sit flush, but our source says otherwise. A protruding camera sensor suggests the S7 might not feature a battery as large as the 3,000 mAh unit rumored today, though the fact that it will protrude less than current Galaxy flagships also suggests the company might have increased the thickness of the phone ever so slightly to accommodate the larger battery.
Like we have been pointing out, don’t take anything of this information seriously until we see some concrete leaks. There is just too much the rumor mill is churning out at this moment when it comes to Samsung’s next big thing, so it would be best to not come to conclusions lest the company decides to disappoint us with the final product.
The Gear S2 is currently available only in black and white colors, but it looks like Samsung is keen on releasing it in more colors options since Apple and Motorola are already doing it with their smartwatches.
The South Korean smartphone giant seems to be in love these colors since the Galaxy A (2016) series smartphones are already available in Pink Gold color, while the Galaxy S6 edge+ and the Galaxy Note 5 are available in Platinum color. We will let you know once these new colors for the Gear S2 classic launch at the CES.
The Gear S2 is an amazing smartwatch, plagued only by a shortage of compatible apps and not-so-great compatibility with existing Android apps, at least when compared to Android Wear smartwatches. But third-party developers have been picking up the slack lately, and we now have two very useful apps available for Samsung’s most beautiful smartwatch.
The first is an app that solves a fundamental issue with smartwatches. For messaging apps, both Samsung’s Tizen and Google’s Android Wear platforms only let you reply to incoming messages through their notifications. If you dismiss a notification, you can’t reply to that particular message, and nor can you initiate a conversation with a contact yourself. XDA Developers member tipztv has developed an app to get around those limitations, with the app supporting popular messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, Line, KakaoTalk, Skype and Viber.
The app – seemingly called Chat Hub – isn’t available for the Gear S2 yet, as the developer is waiting for Samsung to approve it. But once (and if) it gets approved and published on the watch’s app store, you will be able to start conversations with your friends whenever you want right from the Gear S2, and you will also be able to manage chats in all the apps listed above from a single location. There is no support for keeping logs of previous conversations, though the developer doesn’t make it clear what exactly this limitation means.
As for the QWERTY keyboard, that app is called Agile Keyboard and is already available for the watch. In addition to offering you a full keyboard layout on that tiny screen, Agile Keyboard supports hundreds of emoji (as the app description notes, these might look different from the ones on your phone, but the expressions will remain the same). Despite the small screen, typing using this keyboard isn’t a big hassle, though some will no doubt fall back on Samsung’s T9 keyboard, which also offers word prediction.
Agile Keyboard is available on the Gear Apps store as a 2.94 MB download and can be activated from the Settings » Input menu on the watch. Head into the store to get it on your Gear S2, and let us know how you find the experience of typing with a full QWERTY keyboard on a 1.2-inch display! We will update this post once Chat Hub goes online on the Gear App store.
The UHD Alliance has awarded the UHD Premium Certification to Samsung’s entire 2016 SUHD TV lineup, the company announced today, the certification is reserved for products and services that comply with the UHDA’s recently announced performance standards for picture resolution, high dynamic range, black levels and wide color gamut, peak luminance aside from several other metrics. Samsung says this certification is “the most trusted identifier” of top UHD picture quality.
“We are proud to receive Premium Certification from the UHDA for all Samsung 2016 SUHD TVs which offer outstanding picture quality. It validates our ongoing efforts to deliver the most true-to-life UHD viewing experience, for as many people as possible,” said Hyun Suk Kim, President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.
All of Samsung’s SUHD TVs in 2016 will feature a certification logo from the UHDA allowing consumers to easily identify them in the market. The company’s new lineup has been recognized for its technological performance in all areas of picture quality, particularly HDR capacity and the ability to reduce reflections caused by ambient lighting.
We reported about four months ago that Samsung was working on a Windows 10-powered 12-inch tablet, this would be the first Windows product from Samsung in quite some time now, and it looks like we won’t have to wait for it much longer. Renders of the Windows 10-powered Galaxy TabPRO S have leaked online today, they come from a source who has a pretty solid track record of leaking unreleased devices.
The renders aren’t accompanied by specifications so it’s unclear what this tablet is packing under the hood, previous reports suggest it may feature a 2560 x 1600 or 3840 x 2400 pixel resolution 12-inch display with a 13nm Intel Core M processor coupled with 4GB RAM. It’s even said to have an S Pen to boost its productivity features. No official word as yet on when this tablet might arrive but seeing as how Samsung has an event lined up at CES 2016 later today it’s quite possible that we might see this tablet being unveiled in Las Vegas a few hours from now.
