Galaxy A8 (2016) user manual reveals Grace UX, Samsung Pay support

Samsung’s next Galaxy A handset looks set to be the Galaxy A8 (2016). The upcoming phone has gone through numerous certifications in the last month or so, and it looks like we will finally be seeing an official announcement as the user manual for the Galaxy A8 (2016) is now available on Samsung servers. The manual reveals that the A8 (2016) will have a design similar to its predecessor, except the metal will be replaced by glass on the back if leaked renders turn out to be accurate.

Another interesting aspect revealed in the manual is that the A8 (2016) will feature the new Grace UX that debuted on the Galaxy Note 7. It will still be based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow; regular Samsung features like Multi Window, Wide Selfie, Ultra Power Saving Mode (whether the Note 7′s advanced power saving customization will be available is something that remains to be seen), Game Tools, Smart Manager and more will be on-board. Samsung Pay is supported as well, which means the handset will have NFC connectivity like the original Galaxy A8.

Benchmarks have revealed that the Galaxy A8 (2016) will be powered by the Exynos 7420 chipset, which was Samsung’s flagship SoC throughout last year and offers brilliant performance even today (this is the first time Samsung is putting its yesteryear flagship chip inside a mid-range device). The phone also has a 5.7-inch Full HD display, 32GB of internal storage, 3GB of RAM, a 16-megapixel rear camera, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. We can expect to see a battery capacity of at least 3,500 mAh – the first Galaxy A8 was a stellar performer when it came to battery endurance, and we’re sure its sequel will do the same.

Check out the user manual for the Galaxy A8 (2016) by downloading it here.

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Samsung expects Galaxy Note 7 sales in Europe to resume by end of November

Samsung was only able to sell its new flagship smartphone for a couple of weeks before it had to confirm the battery defect, suspend sales globally and issue a recall. Over the past week it has been involved in the massive exercise to exchange all faulty Galaxy Note 7 units with safe ones. The exchange program is coming along nicely but the company is yet to resume sales of its latest flagship. Samsung is going to start selling the Galaxy Note 7 in South Korea come September 28 but the wait is going to be longer for customers elsewhere.

David Lowes, the chief marketing officer at Samsung in Europe, has said: “We fully expect (new Note7s) to be available everywhere by the end of November … well before the end of the fourth quarter.” The company is yet to provide precise dates on which sales will resume in countries across Europe. Reports suggest that it will start selling the Galaxy Note 7 in the United States, Australia and Singapore in October.

Even as investors forecast an 8 percent drop in Samsung’s third quarter operating profit due to the Galaxy Note 7 recall, Lowes is confident that Samsung will be able to recover from this. “We are confident that we can start to make up any ground that we have lost and get that momentum back into our business… get that total momentum back as we exit 2016 and set ourselves up for a strong 2017.”

He pointed out that there’s still a lot of demand for this handset in Europe much of which was already in pre-order phase before sales were suspended. Lowes also said that Samsung has no plans to scale back its original marketing plans for the Galaxy Note 7 following the battery debacle, this means that we can expect the company to go all out in order to rebuild consumer trust in its latest flagship and sell as many units as it possibly can.

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Samsung Milk Music bites the dust, sends users to Slacker Radio

Samsung has already shut down the Milk Music service in Australia and just last month it confirmed that the music streaming service will be shut down in the United States come September. The company didn’t really provide an explanation as to why the service is being shut down, but it did say that it’s working on a new project that is focused on “seamlessly integrating the best music services available today into [its] family of Galaxy devices.”

Milk Music users who fire up the service right now will no longer be able to use it. They will see the following message instead: “Thank you for using Samsung Milk Music. We are ending support for Samsung Milk Music as of September 22, 2016.” Samsung’s Milk Music service was powered by Slacker Radio so users who want to continue their music experience are being directed to sign up for Slacker Radio. New subscribers get a 14-day free trial of Slacker Radio Plus with unlimited skips, no ads and an offline mode. Users can tap on “Try Now” in the Milk Music app to transfer all of their stations and song history to this service.

Slacker Radio has also posted a complete FAQ on their blog for those who are coming over from Samsung Milk Music. It mentions that users will be able to have the same experience on this service as it “provided ALL of Samsung’s Milk’s Music and programming, so all of the songs and stations you listened to (plus SO many more) still live on Slacker Radio. You’ve pretty much been listening to us all along.”

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Samsung says 500,000 Galaxy Note 7 units have been replaced in the US

Samsung sold one million Galaxy Note 7 units in the United States prior to confirming the battery cell issue and the global recall which led to an immediate suspension of sales. A couple of days ago the company confirmed that it had shipped 500,000 new Galaxy Note 7s to the United States in order to voluntarily exchange each and every handset. It has now said that 500,000 handsets have been replaced in the country as part of the exchange program.

Soon after the exchange program was started, Samsung confirmed that 25 percent of recalled Galaxy Note 7 handsets in the United States had been exchanged. Samsung is allowing customers in the United States to obtain a full refund, exchange their Note 7 for a Galaxy S7 or a Galaxy S7 edge and get the price difference refunded or simply exchange it for a new one. An overwhelming majority of customers has opted to exchange their units. Samsung says that 90 percent of customers in the country have opted to exchange their existing Galaxy Note 7 for a new one.

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Chipmaker MediaTek says Samsung is now a customer

For a few years now it has been reported that Samsung is considering sourcing processors from MediaTek for its low-end devices, particularly its Tizen-powered handsets. The company either uses its own Exynos or Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors for Android handsets and also sources from relatively unknown suppliers like Spreadtrum for Tizen smartphones. MediaTek is the largest supplier of processors to OEMs in China so it certainly knows what it’s doing. We last heard almost two years ago that Samsung and MediaTek had “made progress little by little in some direction” on a potential deal and one appears to have been reached now.

According to Nikkei, MediaTek Chairman Tsai Ming-kai was recently asked by reporters at a tech forum to comment on the Galaxy Note 7′s battery debacle. His reply reveals that both companies are now working together. “It is not possible for me to comment on (Samsung Note 7′s explosions) as Samsung is a customer,” Ming-kai said. This happens to be the first time that a top executive at MediaTek has confirmed a business relationship with Samsung. He did not clarify which components MediaTek will be supplying to the Korean giant but it’s most likely going to be mobile chips. Previous reports have suggested that low-end and mid-range Samsung handsets with MediaTek processors could arrive by 2017.

Analyst Arisa Liu at the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research predicts that MediaTek’s global market share will increase as a result of its relationship with Samsung as the conglomerate “can make as much as 10% of MediaTek’s mobile chip shipments starting next year.”

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Samsung Z2 Tizen handset released in Nepal

It has only been a month since Samsung launched its new Tizen-powered smartphone the Samsung Z2 in India. The company has now been gradually releasing it in more markets across the globe. The Samsung Z2 has already been released in South Africa while it has received the DG SDPPI certification in Indonesia which means that it will be launching there soon as well. Samsung has now released its new Tizen handset in Nepal.

Starting today, customers in Nepal can pick up the Samsung Z2 for NPR. 7,290 ($70). For this price they get the first Tizen-powered 4G handset with great software features like Ultra Data Saving and Ultra Power Saving modes as well as S Bike mode. We went hands-on with the Samsung Z2 recently and found it to be quick and smooth even though its specs are nothing to write home about. The Samsung Z2 features a 1.5GHz quad-core processor with 1GB RAM and 8GB of internal storage. It also features a 5-megapixel rear and a VGA front camera.

The Samsung Z2 is meant for those who are moving up from feature phones to smartphones and at this price it’s a viable alternative to many Android handsets from a variety of OEMs.

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Themes Thursday: Halloween themes for your Galaxy smartphone that don’t look completely horrible

Welcome back to Themes Thursday! We usually list all the beautiful themes every week from the newly released ones. This week is a bit different, though. We couldn’t find a single well-designed theme this week for compatible Galaxy smartphones. However, a lot of designers have started releasing Halloween themes already even though Halloween is more than a month away.

There are a lot of Halloween themes in the Theme Store, but most of them look overly done. However, we’ve managed to find some Halloween themes that won’t look completely horrible on your Galaxy smartphone. All the themes listed here are paid. Did you like them? Let us known in the comments section below. We will list more Halloween themes in the last week of October.

[V] Halloween (Live) | Paid

[V] Ghost | Paid

[MINU] Halloween | Paid

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South Korea orders Samsung to X-ray Galaxy Note 7 batteries, refund period extended

It was reported earlier today that the South Korean government had called on Samsung to extend the refund period for the Galaxy Note 7 which expired on Monday. The number of people seeking a refund was said to be low due to a lack of awareness among customers that they had the right to claim a full refund after returning the recalled Galaxy Note 7. Many have opted to replace their existing units with new, safe ones instead.

To ensure consumer safety, the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards has ordered Samsung and its battery suppliers to perform X-ray scans on the Galaxy Note 7 batteries. This will ensure that there are no lingering battery cell defects. They have also reached an agreement on the matter of extending the refund deadline. Samsung has confirmed that it’s extending the refund deadline for Galaxy Note 7 customers in its home market until the end of September. The company did say that the number of customers who came in for a refund prior to the Monday deadline was “very low.” Customers in South Korea now also have the option to exchange their Galaxy Note 7 for a different Samsung flagship and receive a refund for the price difference, this is an option that Samsung is already offering to customers in the United States.

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Senior Samsung official arrested for trying to sell company secrets to Chinese competitors

Samsung is one of the largest electronics brands in the world, and it spends a considerable amount of capital every year for research and development. The company was the first to introduce 14nm-based chipset for smartphones, and it is already developing 10nm-based Exynos chipsets. Now, reports indicate that a senior official from Samsung was trying to sell its confidential information to Chinese competitors.

According to a report from Daum.net, South Korean police officers have arrested a senior official (named Mr. Lee) from Samsung LSI who was trying to sell confidential information regarding the company’s semiconductor technology to competing brands based out of China. It includes confidential information about Samsung’s 14nm and 10nm fabrication processes. Samsung is reportedly suing the official, and the prosecution is planning to investigate further into this matter.

Samsung is yet to release information about its upcoming Exynos chipset based on 10nm process. However, the report states the Galaxy S8, which will be released next year, will use this 10nm-based SoC. Currently, Samsung also facing threats in the market as Chinese brands are trying to acquire its partner companies.

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Daily Deal: Bag yourself a Galaxy Tab A 9.7 for just $267.95

If you’ve been in the market for a Galaxy Tab A 9.7 for a while now, but haven’t had the opportunity or wherewithal to pick one up, you may want to listen up. While stock lasts, you can bag yourself a brand new 16GB Wi-Fi-only model of the slate anodized in a gorgeous white hue for just $267.95, which is a total saving of $32.04.

Just in case you need a refresher on its specifications, the Galaxy Tab A 9.7 packs a 9.7-inch TFT capacitive display with a resolution of 768 x 1024 pixels, a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, a 5MP rear-facing camera, a 2MP selfie shooter and a 6,000mAh non-removable battery.

If you like the sound of the Galaxy Tab A 9.7 and want to take advantage of this fantastic promotion, hit the Buy Now button below. We strongly advise you to hurry, though, as Amazon only has a limited amount of inventory available for this specific deal, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Buy Now

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New Apple Store in Seoul may be located right across from Samsung’s headquarters

Apple is reportedly looking to open up its first retail store in South Korea and while the thought of that won’t necessarily irk Samsung that much, the possibility that it could be located right across the Korean giant’s longtime headquarters just might. Apple executives are believed to have surveyed potential sites for the company’s first store right across Samsung’s headquarters in Seoul. Samsung just doesn’t have its offices at the HQ that’s in the posh Gangnam neighborhood, it’s also where the company’s three-story global flagship store is located.

Samsung has a very strong hold on the South Korean market. Together with LG it accounts for 80 percent of the country’s smartphone market. Naturally, Apple sees an opportunity here and we’ve previously seen the company improve its footing in a new market by rapidly expanding its retail presence. That’s what Apple did in China after all, it has opened 36 retail stores in mainland China and six in Hong Kong alone.

Apple heavily relies on its retail presence across the globe to call attention to its products so it certainly won’t be surprising to see the company employ the same strategy in South Korea. The company currently sells its products through third-party retailers in the country so it has little or no control over the retail experience, opening its own store will enable Apple to have complete control. However, it may take up to a year for Apple to open this store as the location has not been finalized. If Apple were to open its first retail store in South Korea right across from Samsung’s HQ it would send a not-so-subtle message that it means business and that it’s there to stay.

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Samsung’s Family Hub refrigerators will soon get access to Samsung Pay in Korea

Samsung introduced the Family Hub refrigerator earlier this year with a giant 21.5-inch touchscreen. This $5600 Internet-connected refrigerator went on sale in the US five months ago and in the European markets earlier this month. Now, it is being reported that the company will bring Samsung Pay functionality to this refrigerator.

According to a report by ETNews, owners of Family Hub refrigerators in South Korea will soon be able to shop for groceries online using Samsung Pay. The company is already in partnership with three major grocery stores in Korea: Emart, Lotte Mart and Home Plus. Introduction of Samsung Pay in Family Hub refrigerators will further increase the popularity of Samsung’s mobile payment solution, which is already available in the company’s latest smartphones and smartwatches.

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Samsung rejects accusations that its TVs cheat on power efficiency tests

An environmental group called The Natural Resources Defense Council recently accused three major TV companies including Samsung of making sure that their TVs cheat on power efficiency tests. Samsung was accused of designing its TVs to draw less power when they are being tested by government regulators than in normal household use. The group says that this practice by these three manufacturers adds an extra $120 million in electricity bills each year with the added expense amounting up to $20 per household annually over the estimated 10-year life of a typical HD TV.

Samsung has issued a statement on the matter, saying that it “firmly rejects” the accusation that it’s misleading customers. It mentions that the ENERGY STAR rating of its TVs is based on their default setting and that majority of users stay within those default viewing settings during the lifetime of their TV. Samsung also said that it believes users “should always have the option to customize the viewing experience on their TV.”

The company also pointed out that its Motion Lighting and Auto Brightness Control features are default settings in its TVs. These features have been designed to save energy for consumers in real-world conditions. The Motion Lighting feature reduces screen brightness when the picture is in motion while Auto Brightness Control adjusts the brightness accordingly with ambient light to reduce power consumption. Samsung TVs do have additional viewing settings for user preferences in which both of these features are turned off by default and that’s a fact that customers are duly notified of.

Samsung says that its TVs are compliant with U.S. government guidelines and regulation and it would also like to remind everyone that it is the winner of the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award for the last six consecutive years.

 

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Android 7.0 for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge to bring Grace UX and improved features

Samsung was spotted testing Android 7.0-based firmware on the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge earlier this week. Now, more information regarding Android Nougat for the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge has been revealed.

Apparently, Android 7.0 update for the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge will bring Grace UX to the devices, which was previously seen on the Galaxy Note 7. Moreover, the company is planning to bring improved Always On Display features from the Note 7 to the S7 and S7 edge. The new UI seems to be performing smoother than the current software on these devices.

Previously, T-Mobile had shared a list of all the Samsung smartphones receiving the Android Nougat update. Also, Samsung had promised to release Android 7.0 for the Galaxy Note 7 in two to three months. However, the company might postpone this plan due to the exploding battery fiasco.

Here’s a screenshot of Android 7.0 running on the Galaxy S7 edge.

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Samsung’s third quarter operating profit expected to drop by 8 percent

Samsung had a record-breaking second quarter this year primarily because the Galaxy S7 series proved to be a massive hit. The company intended on carrying that momentum forward with the Galaxy Note 7. The new flagship launched to rave reviews but ended up being sacrificed at the altar of a battery defect. The rest is history. The recall itself is expected to cost Samsung $1 billion and analysts have now formed a consensus on what it means for the company’s third quarter. Samsung’s operating profit is expected to decline by as much as 8 percent due to the Galaxy Note 7 recall.

Analysts in South Korea believe that Samsung Electronics is going to bring in an operating profit of 7.4 trillion won ($6.7 billion) which will mark a decline of 8.6 percent when compared to the previous quarter. Samsung posted 8.14 trillion won ($7.23 billion) in operating profit in the second quarter of this year which happened to be its highest in two years.  This sequential estimate has been adjusted following the Galaxy Note 7 recall which was confirmed on September 2. Prior to the recall analysts were expecting status quo to be maintained, with many predicting as many as 8.5 trillion won in third quarter operating profit for Samsung.

Samsung is currently replacing faulty Galaxy Note 7 units across the globe and is yet to officially resume sales. It has effectively been unable to sell its brand new flagship for more than a month and those who may have lost trust in the Galaxy Note 7 following the battery debacle may have spent their money elsewhere, on an iPhone 7 perhaps.

Some analysts believe that the financial fallout could be even greater. Samsung is yet to provide its earnings guidances for Q3 2016 but we can surely expect to see the Galaxy Note 7 recall make a dent in its figures. However, analysts in South Korea predict that Samsung might stage a recovery in the fourth quarter as they factor in customer loyalty and the fact that battery issues notwithstanding, the Galaxy Note 7 is perhaps the best smartphone money can buy right now.

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Exclusive: Samsung working on the Galaxy C7 Pro and the Galaxy C5 Pro

We first found out earlier this year that Samsung was developing an entirely new series of handsets meant only for China. Four months ago the company officially launched the Galaxy C5 and the Galaxy C7 in China. These handsets have not yet been released anywhere else. We can now confirm that Samsung is working on the next iteration of its Galaxy C series, it has the Galaxy C7 Pro and the Galaxy C5 Pro in the pipeline.

The Galaxy C7 Pro bears model number SM-C7010 and the Galaxy C5 Pro carries model number SM-C5010. They are likely going to receive better internals as well as new software features, however, precise information about everything that’s new in the Galaxy C7 Pro and Galaxy C5 Pro is not available right now. We’re bound to hear more about these devices in the coming weeks. Samsung created the Galaxy C series to offer mid-range specifications in a handset that looks and feels like a premium one. It’s likely to stick with that strategy with the new iteration as well. We also exclusively reported recently that Samsung is working on the Galaxy C9 as well.

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Battery charging limit on unsafe Galaxy Note 7 units can be increased to 80%

Despite the Galaxy Note 7 recall, some owners are not bothered to replace their unsafe units. Samsung is trying everything it can to force them to replace their unsafe Galaxy Note 7s with the safe ones. Verizon’s Galaxy Note 7 flashes a warning message if it’s an unsafe unit.

Samsung has also rolled out a software update to limit battery charging on unsafe Note 7 units to 60 percent. However, we’ve noticed that this limit can be increased to 80 percent by turning off the ‘Limit maximum charge to 60%’ toggle. We don’t recommend it, though. Also, Samsung suggests using the Power saving mode to extend battery life since the charging is now limited.

Thanks for the tip, Kerep!

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Samsung has replaced more than 100,000 Galaxy Note 7s in South Korea

News reports out of South Korea suggest that Samsung has replaced more than 100,000 units of the Galaxy Note 7 in its home country. The company’s Galaxy Note 7 exchange program went live in the country on September 19 and the total number of exchanges is believed to have crossed 100,000 so far. Up to 30,000 people are said to have visited stores run by Samsung or its carrier and retail partners to swap their faulty Note 7s for a safe one.

Reports also mention that close to 18,000 people have canceled their mobile subscription for the Galaxy Note 7, this amounts to 4.5 percent of the entire existing Note 7 user base in South Korea. Samsung is aiming to exchange up to 400,000 units by September 25 before it resumes sales of the Galaxy Note 7 on September 28. However, since all customers have not had a chance to claim a refund if they don’t wish to exchange, the South Korean government has now formally called on Samsung to extend the refund deadline so that existing customers can be fully taken care of before it starts selling its flagship phablet once again.

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Samsung’s flagship flip phone shows off Always Off Display in latest leaked pictures

Over the past week a handful of leaked images of the Samsung SM-W2017 have surfaced online. It’s the new flagship flip phone that Samsung is working on. It was rumored just yesterday that the SM-W2017 features an Always On Display which Samsung introduced with the Galaxy S7 earlier this year. Today, leaked pictures show that the upcoming flip phone does indeed feature an Always On Display.

Much has already been written about the specifications of the SM-W2017. It may feature a Snapdragon 820 processor from Qualcomm with 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Samsung Pay support will be made possible by NFC, it may also feature a USB Type-C port aside from a 12-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel selfie camera. The handset is also expected to feature a fingerprint sensor on the back. Despite the fact that it is probably Samsung’s worst kept secret right now, the company hasn’t confirmed anything about it officially, so it’s too soon to say right now when the SM-W2017 is going to be launched.

Since Samsung’s other flip phones are most limited to China it’s quite likely that the SM-W2017 may only be released in China initially. Samsung may choose to bring it to other markets in the region if it makes business sense.

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Samsung Z2 now available on Amazon in India

Last month, Samsung launched its latest Tizen-powered smartphone, the Samsung Z2, online in India exclusively through PayTM. Now, however, it appears that the exclusivity period has come to an end as the handset has gone up for sale on Amazon in the region. Pricing starts at Rs. 4,590 ($68) for the Gold and Wine Red variants, and tops out at Rs. 6,188 ($92) for the Black model.

As you’d expect, the Samsung Z2 isn’t going to win any awards in the power department, but it’s still a solid, affordable smartphone for consumers that don’t need mid-to-high end specifications. It sports a 4-inch TFT display, a 1.5GHz quad-core Speadtrum processor, a Mali-400MP2 GPU, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of expandable storage, a 5MP rear-facing camera, a VGA selfie shooter and a 1,500mAh battery.

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TouchOne keyboard will soon be released for the Gear S2

Developers of the TouchOne keyboard today confirmed that their type solution for Samsung’s smartwatches is going to be released in the near future. They have confirmed that the keyboard is compatible with both the Gear S3 and Gear S2 smartwatches from Samsung. Since the Gear S3 has not been released yet the keyboard will first be arriving on its predecessor.

Samsung unveiled the Gear S3 about a month ago. It’s a story of refinement as Samsung has taken the Gear S2 – which is already a good smartwatch – and made it even better. We now know everything there is to know about the Gear S3 except when it’s going to be released. Samsung is yet to confirm the official release date for its new smartwatch in various markets across the globe. This is why the TouchOne keyboard can’t obviously be released for this smartwatch until it arrives. Gear S2 owners should expect to get the TouchOne keyboard for their smartwatches within two weeks.

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