Samsung is open to mergers and acquisitions to grow its home appliances business

It is being reported by Reuters that Samsung is open to all possible options to grow its home appliances business including mergers and acquisitions. The company’s Chinese rival Haier Group recently acquired General Electric’s appliances business, but Suh Byung-sam, who heads Samsung’s appliances business, mentioned that the acquisition won’t have any serious impact on Samsung.

Samsung is trying to grow its home appliances business by all means. It recently unveiled the Family Hub Refrigerator with a giant 21.5-inch touchscreen system, its new washing machines with ActiveWash, Wi-Fi-connected cooktop ranges and POWERbot vacuum cleaners at CES 2016. The company is rooting for IoT features in its home appliances for a smart, connected home.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab E 7.0 specs leak, Galaxy Tab E Lite also incoming

We exclusively revealed last year that Samsung is working on a new Galaxy E tablet lineup. Samsung launched an 8-inch variant of the Galaxy Tab E for US carrier US Cellular and today brought the tablet to Taiwan, and the company could soon be introducing a 7-inch Galaxy Tab E.

The Galaxy Tab E 7.0 – model number SM-T280/SM-T285 - should come with a 7-inch 1280×800 pixel display, a 1.3GHz processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of expandable storage, and 4G connectivity. Black will be one of the color options. According to the source of these specs, Samsung will also be launching a Galaxy Tab E Lite (SM-T113) and a Kids version of the same, though even the regular tablet should come with Samsung’s Kids Mode feature out of the box.

It remains to be seen when Samsung will officially launch the Galaxy Tab E 7 and Galaxy Tab E Lite. Of course, with such specs not many will be looking forward to these tablets, so it’s likely they will be announced quietly in the coming weeks.

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Tip: What to do without notification LED on Galaxy A (2016) devices

As Samsung puts ever more upmarket specifications into its mid-range Galaxy devices, one nifty little feature remains exclusive to the expensive, high-end side of its portfolio. Amazingly, we’re not talking about fingerprint readers here, nor about cameras with optical image stabilization. If you’ve read our Galaxy A5 (2016) preview, you know those are no longer exclusive to the flagship models.

This is all about the notification LED. Yes, that’s what you won’t find on your brand new Galaxy A (2016) smartphone, or any other recently released low-end or mid-range Galaxy device. Is there, then, no way to find out if you’ve missed any incoming calls or message while you had to ignore your phone? Of course, you can quickly tap your home or power button to turn on your Galaxy and see what’s been happening. But there are other ways that bring something similar to the luxuries of an actual notification LED.

First, there is the smart alert feature. When enabled, your Galaxy phone will shortly vibrate when you pick it up, if you have any new and unchecked messages or missed calls. This can be quite useful when you’ve been working with your phone silently lying next to you. Get up, pick it up, and you immediately know you’ve missed something without having to turn the device on.

To enable the Smart Alert feature, here’s what to do:

• Go into Settings
• Tap on Motions and gestures
• Flip the virtual switch that turns Smart Alert on

If you insist on blinking LEDs that notify you of any event, you can opt to use the camera’s LED flash on the back of the Galaxy A (2016) or other model. It is not the most suitable type of notification, but all the more effective. To enable this feature:

• Go into Settings
• Tap on Accessibility
• Choose Hearing
• Switch Flash notification on

Still, no matter how effective the camera flash, this feature is quite basic in functionality. Unlike a true notification LED, it will only alert you the moment a phone call, an email or an SMS message is coming in. More elaborate functionality is only available using a third party app found in the Play Store. A quick search for ‘Flash Notification’ will give you plenty of applications to choose from.

If you insist neither of these alternatives really compensate for the missing notification LED on the old and new Galaxy A (2016) phones and other mid-range and low-end devices, we fully agree. But many people choose their smartphone for reasons other than such a notification light. If you are one of them, know that there are other ways to quench your thirst for being reminded about unchecked or new notifications.

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1-25-2016 Firmware Updates: Galaxy S4 LTE, Galaxy E5, Galaxy Note 3, and more

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.

Country (Product Code)	Model	Model Name	Version	PDA
Australia (XSA)	SM-T335	GALAXY Tab4 8.0 LTE	5.1.1	T335XXU1BOL5
Australia (Optus) (OPS)	SM-G130H	GALAXY Young 2 DUOS	4.4.2	G130HXXU0AOL2
Australia (Optus) (OPS)	SM-N9007	GALAXY Note 3	4.4.2	N9007DIUDOA1
Australia (Optus) (OPS)	SM-N9007	GALAXY Note 3	5	N9007DIUGBOJ3
Austria (3 Hutchison) (DRE)	SM-G903F	GALAXY S5 Neo	5.1.1	G903FXXU1APA2
Austria (A1) (MOB)	SM-G388F	GALAXY X Cover 3	5.1.1	G388FXXU1BOL1
Austria (A1) (MOB)	SM-G388F	GALAXY X Cover 3	4.4.4	G388FXXU1AOG4
Caucasus Countries (CAU)	SM-E500H	GALAXY E5	5.1.1	E500HXXU1BOL3
Caucasus Countries (CAU)	SM-E500H	GALAXY E5	5.1.1	E500HXXU1BOK1
China (CHN)	SM-T810	GALAXY Tab S2 9.7 Wi-Fi	5.0.2	T810ZCU2AOL1
China (CHN)	SM-P555C		5.0.2	P555CZCU1AOK1
China (Open China) (CHC)	SM-A9000		5.1.1	A9000ZCU1APA7
Colombia (COL)	SM-A510M		5.1.1	A510MUBU1APA2
Colombia (Movistar) (COB)	SM-A510M		5.1.1	A510MUBU1AOL7
Croatia (VIPNET) (VIP)	GT-P5220	GALAXY Tab3 LTE	4.4.2	P5220XXUBNK1
Croatia (VIPNET) (VIP)	GT-P5220	GALAXY Tab3 LTE	4.4.2	P5220XXUBOJ1
Czech Republic (Vodafone) (VDC)	GT-P5220	GALAXY Tab3 LTE	4.4.2	P5220XXUBOJ1
Czech Republic (Vodafone) (VDC)	GT-P5220	GALAXY Tab3 LTE	4.4.2	P5220XXUBNH2
Germany (DBT)	SM-A310F		5.1.1	A310FXXU1AOL7
Germany (T-Mobile) (DTM)	SM-G901F	GALAXY S5 Plus	5.0.2	G901FXXU1BPA2
Greece (Cosmote) (COS)	SM-G901F	GALAXY S5 Plus	5.0.2	G901FXXU1BPA2
Greece (Vodafone) (VGR)	GT-P5220	GALAXY Tab3 LTE	4.4.2	P5220XXUBNH2
Greece (Vodafone) (VGR)	SM-G903F	GALAXY S5 Neo	5.1.1	G903FXXU1APA3
Greece (Vodafone) (VGR)	GT-P5220	GALAXY Tab3 LTE	4.4.2	P5220XXUBOJ1
Israel (Cellcom) (CEL)	SM-N910F	GALAXY Note 4	5.1.1	N910FXXU1COL3
Israel (Cellcom) (CEL)	SM-N910F	GALAXY Note 4	5.1.1	N910FXXU1COI3
Israel (Pelephone) (PCL)	SM-J100FN	GALAXY J1	4.4.4	J100FNXXU0APA1
Kazakhstan (SKZ)	SM-A510F		5.1.1	A510FXXU1APA3
Kenya (AFR)	SM-A510F		5.1.1	A510FXXU1AOL9
Korea (KOO)	SM-G720N0	GALAXY Grand 3 DUOS	4.4.4	G720N0U1APA2
Korea (LG Uplus) (LUC)	SM-G850L	GALAXY Alpha	5.0.2	G850LKLU2COJ2
Korea (LG Uplus) (LUC)	SM-G850L	GALAXY Alpha	5.0.2	G850LKLU2CPA3
Libya (BTC)	SM-G355H	GALAXY Core 2 DUOS	4.4.2	G355HXXU0AOK2
Libya (BTC)	SM-G355H	GALAXY Core 2 DUOS	4.4.2	G355HXXU0AOK2
Mexico (Telcel) (TCE)	SM-P355M		5.0.2	P355MUBU1AOL1
Morocco (MWD) (MWD)	SM-T365	GALAXY Tab Active LTE-A	5.1.1	T365XXU1BOK6
Netherlands (VDP)	SM-G310HN	GALAXY Ace Style	4.4.2	G310HNXXU0APA1
Netherlands (PHN)	GT-I9195I	GALAXY S4 mini LTE	4.4.4	I9195IXXU1APA1
Netherlands (PHN)	GT-I9195I	GALAXY S4 mini LTE	4.4.4	I9195IXXU1APA1
Panama (PBS)	GT-I9500	GALAXY S4	5.0.1	I9500UBUHOK2
Panama (TPA)	SM-P900	GALAXY NotePRO 12.2 Wi-Fi	4.4.2	P900UBUANK1
Panama (TPA)	SM-P900	GALAXY NotePRO 12.2 Wi-Fi	5.0.2	P900UBU0BOI1
Panama (PBS)	GT-I9500	GALAXY S4	5.0.1	I9500UBUHOH5
Philippines (Open Line) (XTC)	SM-J700H	GALAXY J7	5.1.1	J700HXXU1AOK5
Philippines (Open Line) (XTC)	SM-J700H	GALAXY J7	5.1.1	J700HXXU1APA2
Romania (ROM)	SM-P900	GALAXY NotePRO 12.2 Wi-Fi	5.0.2	P900XXU0BOF2
Romania (ROM)	SM-P900	GALAXY NotePRO 12.2 Wi-Fi	5.0.2	P900XXU0BOI1
Russia (SER)	SM-A310F		5.1.1	A310FXXU1AOL7
Russia (SER)	SM-E500H	GALAXY E5	5.1.1	E500HXXU1BOL3
Russia (SER)	SM-E500H	GALAXY E5	5.1.1	E500HXXU1BOK1
South Africa (XFA)	SM-A700F	GALAXY A7	5.0.2	A700FXXU2BOL1
South Africa (Vodafone) (XFV)	SM-T365	GALAXY Tab Active LTE-A	5.1.1	T365XXU1BOK6
South America (Moviestar) (CRM)	GT-I9505	GALAXY S4 LTE	5.0.1	I9505VJUHOF2
South America (Moviestar) (CRM)	GT-I9505	GALAXY S4 LTE	5.0.1	I9505VJUHOK1
Spain (Vodafone) (ATL)	GT-P5220	GALAXY Tab3 LTE	4.4.2	P5220XXUBOJ1
Spain (Vodafone) (ATL)	GT-P5220	GALAXY Tab3 LTE	4.4.2	P5220XXUBNH2
Sri Lanka (SLK)	SM-J200G		5.1.1	J200GDDU1APA1
Switzerland (Swisscom) (SWC)	GT-P5220	GALAXY Tab3 LTE	4.4.2	P5220XXUBNH2
Switzerland (Swisscom) (SWC)	GT-P5220	GALAXY Tab3 LTE	4.4.2	P5220XXUBOJ1
Thailand (THL)	SM-G318HZ	GALAXY Trend 2 Lite	4.4.4	G318HZDXU0APA3
Tunisia (TUN)	SM-G355H	GALAXY Core 2 DUOS	4.4.2	G355HXXU0AOK2
Tunisia (TUN)	SM-G355H	GALAXY Core 2 DUOS	4.4.2	G355HXXU0AOK2
Ukraine (Kyivstar) (SEK)	SM-E500H	GALAXY E5	5.1.1	E500HXXU1BOL3
Ukraine (Kyivstar) (SEK)	SM-E500H	GALAXY E5	5.1.1	E500HXXU1BOK1
United Arab Emirates (XSG)	SM-T365	GALAXY Tab Active LTE-A	5.1.1	T365XXU1BOK6
United Arab Emirates (LYS)	SM-G355H	GALAXY Core 2 DUOS	4.4.2	G355HXXU0AOK2
United Arab Emirates (LYS)	SM-G355H	GALAXY Core 2 DUOS	4.4.2	G355HXXU0AOK2
United Kingdom (VIR)	SM-G361F	GALAXY Core Prime	5.1.1	G361FXXU1AOJ1
United Kingdom (Vodafone) (VOD)	GT-P5220	GALAXY Tab3 LTE	4.4.2	P5220XXUBOJ1
United Kingdom (Vodafone) (VOD)	GT-P5220	GALAXY Tab3 LTE	4.4.2	P5220XXUBNH2
Unknown (TPD)	GT-I9195I	GALAXY S4 mini LTE	4.4.4	I9195IXXU1APA1
Unknown (DNL)	SM-G130HN	GALAXY Young 2 DUOS	4.4.2	G130HNXXU0APA1
Unknown (MYM)	SM-J700H	GALAXY J7	5.1.1	J700HXXU1APA2
Unknown (DNL)	SM-G130HN	GALAXY Young 2 DUOS	4.4.2	G130HNXXU0AOI3
Unknown (TPD)	GT-I9195I	GALAXY S4 mini LTE	4.4.4	I9195IXXU1APA1
Vietnam (XXV)	SM-J700H	GALAXY J7	5.1.1	J700HXXU1AOK5
Vietnam (XXV)	SM-J700H	GALAXY J7	5.1.1	J700HXXU1APA2

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Exclusive: Samsung plans to bring almost all its apps to iOS

Samsung already has a bunch of apps on iOS platform. Earlier this month, the firm had revealed its plans to bring iOS support for the Gear S2, but that’s not all. We’ve recently received information from our trusted insiders that Samsung is planning to bring most of its apps (if not all) to Apple’s iOS platform later this year.

According to the information that we’ve received, Samsung is working on Gear Fit Manager for iOS. This will allow people who own the Gear Fit to pair it with an iPhone. To compliment Gear Fit Manager and Gear Manager apps, Samsung will also release the S Health app for iPhone. S Health app can be used to log in activity, workouts, food intake, and sleep.

In terms of home entertainment, Samsung is bringing iOS support for the Galaxy View. The company is developing the Remote Control and Family Square apps for the iOS, which can be used to remote control the Galaxy View using an iPhone. There are plans to release the Level Gear Manager app, which might bring features such as sound effects and volume monitor to connected Level headphones.

Samsung is working on a newer version of the Smart Camera app for iOS, which might bring an overhauled UI (something that we think is utterly necessary) to the table. The Smart Camera app by Samsung can be used to remote control, copy images and videos, and to use the connected tablet or smartphone as a remote viewfinder.

Samsung surely understands that it needs to add support for iOS to increase the adoption of its connected device as the company has some big plans for a connected home using its IoT platform. Even its SUHD TVs will now come with integrated SmartThings hubs.

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Samsung updates Gear Manager app, adds battery level indicator

Samsung has just pushed a new update to its Gear Manager app, which is used to connect a smartphone with the company’s smartwatch and fitness tracker offerings. The new update brings the app to version 2.2.16011842, and you can install it from the Galaxy Apps store or the Google Play Store.

With the new version of the app, which has a file size of 31.5MB, Samsung has started displaying the battery level of the connected smartwatch, which is a nice addition. The company has also listed some tips such as using a dark watch face to increase the battery life of a connected smartwatch.

Also Read: Samsung launches the Gear S2 Classic in 18K Rose Gold and Platinum globally

Samsung is doing all it can to increase the adoption of its smartwatches. It recently released some cool new apps and watch faces for the Gear S2. As Samsung promised during its press conference at CES 2016, the company might soon release the Gear Manager app for iOS devices.

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Samsung launches the Gear S2 Classic in 18K Rose Gold and Platinum globally

At the Consumer Electronics Show 2016 earlier this month Samsung unveiled two new editions of the Gear S2 Classic, one finished in 18K Rose Gold and the other in Platinum. As far as specifications or features go there’s nothing different about the Gear S2 Classic New Edition when compared to the Gear S2 Classic that has already been available for a few months now. Samsung has announced today that it’s now launching the Gear S2 Classic New Edition globally with China being the first country in which the two new editions are being released, the company does say that these units will be released in more countries across the globe later this year, an online retailer in The Netherlands is already taking pre-orders for the Gear S2 Classic in 18K Rose Gold and Platinum.

The 18K Rose Gold edition features 18K rose gold plating and is paired with an Ivory Genuine Leather Band whereas the Platinum edition features a platinum finish and is sold with a Black Genuine Leather Band. Samsung has also released some new stylish watch faces that feature Peanut characters and artwork by the likes of Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. The company continues to work with developers to bring more apps to its smartwatch, some new additions include official CNN, Bloomberg, eBay and Uber apps for the Gear S2. Pricing and availability for the Gear S2 Classic New Edition will vary by market.

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Sport to Strap Adapter for the Gear S2 hits Kickstarter

Samsung sells two design variants of the Gear S2 – Gear S2 (Sport) and Gear S2 Classic – priced at $299 and $349, respectively. Sure, you can buy the lower-priced Gear S2, but there’s a catch. The Sport variant comes with Samsung’s proprietary watch strap adapter, and only straps made by Samsung can be used with it. Samsung offers a limited collection of watch straps, so you are out of luck if you like something other than that.

Now, the an adapter that can convert Samsung’s proprietary watch strap connecter into a universal watch strap connector has popped up on Kickstarter. You can get yourself an ‘S2SA’ (Sport to Strap Adapter) for your Gear S2 Sport or Gear S2 Sport 3G by pledging €80 towards the project on Kickstarter. At this price, you get to choose one pair of the S2SA in whichever color you like, and you can get it shipped to any location by April 2016.

If you are in a hurry, you can pledge €100 or more so that you can get it delivered as soon as March 2016. There are thousands of strap designs out there on Amazon, Ebay, or any other regular watch store. With this S2SA adapter, you can use any usual watch strap of your liking with your Gear S2 Sport. If you like this accessory, you can go ahead and back the project on Kickstarter by hitting the source link below.

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Samsung may introduce its first OLED TV in 2017

Even though Samsung uses Super AMOLED displays in its smartphones, tablets, and wearables, the company isn’t pushing OLED TVs. Instead, the South Korean electronics giant is pushing the Quantum Dot technology for its high-end TVs in 2016. However, a report from OLED Association predicts that Samsung may introduce its first OLED TV in 2017.

Apparently, Samsung will bring OLED TVs with HDR and 8K resolution in 2017 to compete with LG. Interestingly, the report predicts that Samsung will adopt transparent graphene electrode, a top-emission architecture, an IGZO backplane, and RGBW pixel arrangement technologies for its OLED TV units. The company may not use soluble OLEDs due to their relatively shorter lifetime.

In 2017, Samsung may showcase a “near production” prototype smartphone with a foldable display (Project Valley), which we reported exclusively last year. The report also predicts that Apple might make a formal announcement about contracting Samsung and LG for supplying flexible OLED panels for the iPhone in 2018.

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Samsung launches brand new Galaxy Tab E 8.0 in Taiwan

If you cast your mind back to June of 2015, you may recall that Samsung added WiFi-only variants of the Galaxy Tab E 9.6 and Galaxy Tab E 8.0 to its extensive tablet lineup. However, the devices didn’t do as well as the South Korean company would have liked and it’s now attempting to inject a new lease of life into the Tab E series by introducing a newer 8-inch model in Taiwan. Unlike its older, larger sibling, the latest Tab E 8.0 carries not only 4G LTE connectivity and an upgraded spec sheet, but a steeper price tag, too.

With regards to its internals, the slate packs an 8-inch TFT display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, a 1.3GHz Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor, an Adreno 306 GPU, 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable internal storage, a 5MP rear-facing camera, a 2MP selfie shooter and a rather hefty 5,000mAh battery, which the manufacturer claims is capable of up to 13-hours of internet usage and video playback.

As far as connectivity goes, the Tab E 8.0 (2016) supports voice calling and a whole host of other networking options, including 4G LTE, 3G HSPA+, dual-band WiFi (802.11b/802.11g/802.11n), Bluetooth Class 1 (Version 4.1, LE+EDR), GPS / A-GPS and microUSB 2.0. There’s also an IR blaster, which can be used to control various electronic devices in your home, such as televisions, projectors and electric fans.

The slate is currently a Taiwan-exclusive where it’s up for grabs in its traditional Classic White colorway for TWD 8,990 ($270). At this precise moment in time, we have no indication as to whether the unit will see a global release. Although we assume the deciding factor will be measured on its success in Taiwan — so the more sales there are of the device in the region, the better chance there is of it coming to Europe and North America.

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