October security patch released for the Galaxy S7 in India

Samsung detailed the October security patch a couple of weeks ago and it has since been gradually rolling it out in different markets across the globe. Just yesterday we reported that both the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge are receiving said patch in Europe. Samsung has also started releasing the patch for the international unlocked variant of the Galaxy S7. The handset has now received this patch in India and will soon get it in other markets as well.

The October security patch brings fixes for 68 vulnerabilities in both Android and Samsung’s flagship devices combined. Details are slim on the vulnerabilities as they were only privately disclosed so that hackers can’t take advantage of them in the time it takes for the patch to be released for everybody. The update weighs just over 20MB and is now being rolled out over-the-air for the Galaxy S7 (SM-G930F) in India. Expect it to go live in other markets soon as well.

Thanks, Premkumar!

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Suppliers increasingly confident about the Galaxy S8 featuring an iris scanner and dual camera

The Galaxy Note 7 was Samsung’s first smartphone to feature an iris scanner but sadly the phone had to be discontinued due to battery issues. We’ve already seen countless rumors and reports suggest that Samsung will opt for a dual camera system for the Galaxy S8. The company’s suppliers are now increasingly confident about the possibility of Samsung also deciding to offer the iris scanner with the Galaxy S8 as it seeks to plug its losses caused by the Galaxy Note 7.

Since Samsung doesn’t use the same camera for flagships year after year it’s highly likely that improvements to the camera will be made. For now, it’s believed that the Galaxy S8 will feature a dual camera which will help suppliers and module makers increase their revenue. That’s because the setup will require two separate camera modules as well as multiple high-end and low-end components aside from the two lenses.

The iris scanner was truly one of the biggest features of the Galaxy Note 7 and that might be the case for the Galaxy S8 as well. Samsung is reportedly going to stick with the same suppliers that supplied it with the iris scanner for the Galaxy Note 7. The company was working with partners to build more solutions that use the iris scanner but that has now been put on the backburner as Samsung no longer has a device in the market with this biometric technology. We can expect the company to show off some of these solutions when it comes out with the Galaxy S8, provided it does have an iris scanner because nothing is known for sure now about its next flagship as Samsung hasn’t confirmed anything about the Galaxy S8 yet.

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Samsung also being sued over the Galaxy Note 7 by customers in South Korea

The dust is finally settling on the entire Galaxy Note 7 debacle and now we’re seeing lawsuits being filed against Samsung by customers who are affected by this ill-fated smartphone. The first class-action lawsuit has been filed by customers in the United States in which the company has been accused of both fraud and breach of warranty and good faith. Customers in its home market are taking a similar step. 38 Galaxy Note 7 owners will soon file a class-action lawsuit against Samsung Electronics for inconvenience.

The law firm tells local news outlets that the lawsuit will be filed at the Seoul Central District Court on October 24. Each person named in the suit is seeking 300,000 won ($266) in damages. The lawsuit alleges that Galaxy Note 7 owners were forced to visit stores multiple times for battery checks or replacements and that they repeatedly suffered anxiety over safety when using the fire-prone flagship. Koh Young-il, an attorney at the Harvest Law office, said that he expects the firm to win this class-action lawsuit given precedents for faulty products. Samsung is yet to comment on the matter.

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[Poll] Would you ditch Samsung if it drops the Galaxy Note series?

It was reported yesterday that Samsung might alter its strategy and release only one flagship smartphone next year. Doing this would apparently enable the company to put quality ahead of quantity, but it has been launching two flagships every year for the past few years without any problems so an argument can be made that this isn’t the best way forward from the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco. Would you decide to ditch Samsung if it only came out with the Galaxy S8 next year and didn’t launch a Note series phone? Do vote below and let us know in the comments how you’d feel about sticking with Samsung if it does pull something like this in 2017.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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Samsung shines some light on 5G commercialization in new interview

We’ve known for a while now that the entire telecommunications industry is preparing to slowly introduce 5G connectivity, and Samsung has been one of the largest company’s to help develop the technology and bring it into practice. It’s already revealed that it will work alongside KDDI, SKT and T-Mobile to trial the successor to 4G, so naturally a lot of people are interested in what it has planned.

Instead of responding to all of the potential future 5G customers’ comments and questions individually, though, Samsung has taken to its official Newsroom to share an exclusive interview conducted with two of its Network Business executives — Dr. Dongsoo Park, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Sales & Marketing Team, and Dr. Woojune Kim, Vice President, Next Generation Business Team.

Many questions that we actually had were answered during the Q&A, such as what R&D-related investigations the firm has run so far, how Samsung will differentiate itself when it comes to 5G and when it expects 5G commercialization to take place. If you’d like to find out answers to these questions too, simply hit the source link below to read the full interview over on Samsung’s website.

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Latest Galaxy C9 teaser reveals launch date

We’ve been hearing a lot about the Galaxy C9 over the past couple of weeks. We’ve already seen leaked images of this device and seen multiple reports and rumors about its specifications and features. Samsung has gradually been teasing this handset on social media in China. The company has now released a new teaser online which makes the launch date public. Samsung is going to launch the Galaxy C9 on October 21.

Aside from a 6-inch full HD display, this handset is also expected to feature a Snapdragon 625 processor with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, 16-megapixel rear and front camera, a 4,000mAh battery as well as Android 6.0.1. The Galaxy C9 was recently certified by the FCC as well so there’s a possibility that this handset might make its way to other markets at some point in time. Expect the Galaxy C9 to remain a China-exclusive initially. Samsung will provide more information about pricing and availability when it officially launches this handset on October 21.

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Samsung is offering a free Gear VR to all new Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge customers in Brazil

Samsung is encouraging consumers in Brazil to purchase either a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge in place of its faulty Galaxy Note 7 by offering them free gifts. As part of its Connected Samsung promotion, all customers who purchase the latest handset in its Galaxy S line will not only receive a complimentary Gear VR, but will also have a shot at bagging themselves one of two thousand units of the Gear Icon X, which will be raffled away on Wednesday, November 30.

It’s not just the firm’s flagship lineup that’s getting all of the attention, though. In a separate scheme Samsung is running, the first 50,000 to purchase either a Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge or recently-launched Galaxy A (2016) smartphone will be provided with a complimentary pair of the company’s Level U Pro wireless headphones. In fact, it’s the exact same pair that we recently featured in our Daily Deal segment for just $58.

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Galaxy S7 tops smartphone sales in South Korea after Galaxy Note 7 discontinuation

Samsung is now trying to sell as many Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge units that it possibly can after it was decided to discontinue the fire-prone Galaxy Note 7. Local research firm Atlas Research & Consulting has released a report which shows that the 32GB Galaxy S7 proved to be by far the most popular model. The report mentions that this model topped smartphone sales on the week ending October 12 in South Korea with a 16.1 percent market share.

Data from the country’s top three carriers reveals that nearly 15,000 units of the Galaxy S7 were being sold every single day over the past week. In this particular market a daily sales mix of around 10,000 units is considered a hit so Samsung’s 2016 flagship is clearly outperforming the benchmark. Sales of this handset are recovering now that Note customers are being given incentives to opt for other Samsung smartphones. Samsung is also expected to launch a Blue Coral version of the Galaxy S7 to further boost sales.

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Samsung takes to Twitter to tease a new Galaxy On smartphone

Samsung has taken to its official Twitter account to share two short videos teasing a new smartphone that it’ll reveal in India on Thursday, October 20. The handset, which is believed to be the latest member in the rapidly-growing Galaxy On family of devices, will be sold exclusively through Flipkart.

Unfortunately, the teaser clips don’t disclose much about the phone, other than that it sports a full metal unibody, is powered by an octa-core chip and sports a rear-facing shooter that equipped with an LED flash. All other information remains a mystery.

Check them out below:

Octa core processor, seamless performance and more. All that you need, coming soon exclusively on Flipkart. https://t.co/uWv6VOrTar http://pic.twitter.com/FDCxhjAVnC

— Samsung Mobile India (@SamsungMobileIN) October 18, 2016

Full metal Uni body, stunning style and more. All that you need, coming soon exclusively on Flipkart. https://t.co/20wXMvwK1U http://pic.twitter.com/xA2PBQRLip

— Samsung Mobile India (@SamsungMobileIN) October 18, 2016

The good news is that we don’t have to wait too much longer to find out what Samsung has up its sleeve for its next iteration in the Galaxy On lineup, which is being referred to as the ‘Galaxy On Nxt’, as the unveiling event is scheduled to take place tomorrow.

In typical SamMobile fashion, we’ll be reporting live — so be sure to check back for all the latest information.

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Samsung allegedly attempts to cover up a new Galaxy Note 7 fire in China

Samsung attempted to cover up yet another Galaxy Note 7 fire in China, claims a new report. Zhang Sitong was saving a friend’s phone number on his Galaxy Note 7 when it started to vibrate and smoke. In an effort to protect his hands from the heat, he through it to the ground and told his friend to start filming.

Once the fire had been dealt with accordingly, Sitong reached out to Samsung to inform them of the situation. Later that day, two employees allegedly showed up at his house offering a new Galaxy Note 7 and approximately $900 in compensation on the condition that he kept the video private. As you’d expect, he refused.

“They said there was no problem with the phones in China. That’s why I bought a Samsung,” said Zhang, a 23-year-old former firefighter. “This is an issue of deception. They are cheating Chinese consumers.” It’s not only customers in China that feel betrayed, though.

Earlier today, Galaxy Note 7 owners in the US filed the first class-action lawsuit over the faulty handset, seeking damages for the firm’s mistreatment of customers because they had to keep paying their contracts while waiting for weeks on end for replacements to arrive.

It’s important to note, however, that this recent effort to cover up a fire should be taken with a pinch of salt as there’s very little proof — it’s just a consumer claim. Regardless of its authenticity, it doesn’t bode well for Samsung as it has attempted to gloss over a replacement unit catching fire in the past.

In fact, it makes you wonder how many times it’s actually been successful in paying customers for their silence.

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First class-action lawsuit filed over exploding Galaxy Note 7s in the US

It’s been uncovered in federal court records that dissatisfied customers have filed what’s believed to be the first US class-action lawsuit over exploding Galaxy Note 7s. The suit, which was filed in the US District Court in Newark, N.J., accuses Samsung of fraud and breach of warranty and good faith.

What’s strange, however, is that the customers aren’t seeking any damages over the units that actually caught fire. Instead, they’re seeking compensation for Samsung’s alleged mistreatment of customers because they had to keep paying their contracts while waiting for replacement devices to arrive.

After Samsung stopped selling and manufacturing the phones in early September, “consumers discontinued using their Note7s only to find out that Samsung did not have replacement smartphones available,” reveals to the suit, whose three named plaintiffs are from Nevada, Pennsylvania and California.

“Instead, Samsung informed consumers that they would have to wait several days, and even weeks in many cases, before receiving a replacement smartphone,” it alleges, while “consumers continued to incur monthly device and plan charges from their cellular carriers for phones they could not safely use.”

The suit also claims that loyal Note 7 customers in the US “incurred millions of dollars in fees” as they were left without a safe phone to use. We’re not entirely sure the class-action status will be approved by a judge, though, as we believe that Samsung has been fairly accommodating throughout the lengthy recall process.

We’ll have to wait and see.

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Samsung starts rolling out October security patch for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge in Europe

Samsung has today started rolling out this month’s security patch to the International variant of both the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge in Europe. The upgrade — firmware version XXS1BPJ1 — is currently reaching handsets in Germany and the Netherlands, but is expected to land in other countries in the continent over the course of the week.

With regards to changes, the firmware transports patches for a total of 68 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) in both the Android OS and the company’s flagship smartphones. Unfortunately, the majority of the fixes are listed as “privately disclosed” to prevent hackers from attempting to expose them before the update starts making the rounds to all compatible devices.

As you’d expect, the over-the-air (OTA) upgrade is being pushed out in stages. However, if you’d like to see if it’s ready for your unit, you can do so by heading into Settings » About Device » Software Update » Update Now. Alternatively, you can always wait until you receive a notification prompting you to upgrade. It’s worth noting, though, that you’ll need to have at least 50% of battery to receive the alert.

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Samsung may address lack of gender diversity by adding female independent directors to its board

Lack of gender diversity in global business is routinely pointed out as a big problem that needs to be fixed. Activist investor hedge fund Elliott Associates recently pointed out a lack of diversity on Samsung Electronics’ board as part of its restructuring proposal for the company and Samsung is now said to be considering adding female independent directors to its board. The conglomerate’s Future Strategy Office has reportedly conducted studies on the number of outside board members each of its affiliates has, their area of expertise as well as their reason for appointment and tenure.

Samsung Electronics – the conglomerate’s cash cow – has a severe lack of diversity as all five independent directors are male. Ewha Women’s University professor Kim Eun-mi was appointed as the company’s first female director in 2013 but she was succeeded by Sungkyunkwan University professor Park Jae-wan after her term ended this year. The lack of diversity is apparent at other affiliates as well. Only three of the 15 listed companies operating under the Samsung Group have independent female directors.

Samsung has a lot of time on its hands to come up with a strategy that addresses the lack of diversity on Samsung Electronics’ board unless it’s willing to increase the number of seats. No independent board member will see their term end before March 2018 so Samsung has a couple of years to chalk out a strategy and be ready to put it in motion when the time comes.

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Samsung urges employees and suppliers to prevent leaks as it tackles major challenges

The Galaxy Note 7 ended up doing more harm than good for Samsung and now the company has to work harder than it has ever before to eliminate the perception that its smartphones tend to explode. It also has to prove a point with the Galaxy S8 to show its fans and rivals that it’s capable of taking a hit and bouncing back in spectacular fashion. Samsung’s management also faces multiple challenges in the months to come so the company is being extra cautious about what gets put out there. According to a report out of Korea, Samsung is urging employees as well as its suppliers to be extra careful of possible leaks of its confidential business information.

Samsung is calling on its employees to improve security and ensure that leaks are prevented. “Leaks of operational secrets can cause irreversible ramifications, posing a great financial risk on the company and leading to broken partnerships and loss of trust,” it said in an email. An official from one of Samsung’s suppliers is quoted as saying in the report that the company is pressing them to ensure that there are no leaks about the Galaxy S8. “Samsung has notified its suppliers not to mention a single word on the Galaxy S8,” said the unnamed official.

On the management front, Samsung is having to deal with activist investor hedge fund Elliott Associates which has called for Samsung Electronics to be split up into two aside from additional restructuring measures. Even though it’s likely that Samsung will work with the hedge fund this time, it will do so on its own terms, which is why it’s imperative for the company that secrecy be maintained. Samsung is also in the midst of the eventual succession of vice chairman Lee Jae-yong to chairman, a post that he will take over from his father, current Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee.

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Facebook Messenger will soon be launched for the LTE variant of the Samsung Gear S3

The app catalog for Samsung’s smartwatches has been rising slowly and steadily. Twitter and Uber apps were available since the release of the Gear S2 last year, and Spotify’s smartwatch app was launched alongside the Gear S3. Now, the company might be planning to release the Facebook Messenger app for the Gear S3. This might be a result of Samsung’s close partnership with Facebook.

We’ve spotted an image which claims that the Facebook Messenger app will soon be launched for the LTE variant of the Gear S3. The app will reportedly be launched first in Malaysia, but there’s no information if or when it would be launched in other markets. Apparently, the app will allow users to instantly reach their Facebook friends for free. It could mean that carriers won’t charge for the data consumed by Gear S3 LTE owners while they use the Facebook Messenger app.

Samsung and Facebook-owned Oculus have been working together for the past couple of years to bring virtual reality to the masses using the mobile VR headset Gear VR.

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Daily Deal: Bag yourself a 64GB EVO+ microSD card for just $21.69

If your phone is running low on storage and sports an integrated microSD card slot, you’re in luck. For a limited time only, you can bag yourself a brand new 64GB Samsung-branded EVO+ microSD card for just $21.69. That’s a total saving of $38.30!

You’re probably thinking that spending a little over $20 on a 64GB card is a little on the steep side, but what you’re looking at here is effectively the Rolls-Royce of microSD cards. The Evo+ range offers one of the fastest transfer speeds on the market, which makes them perfect for recording 4K video.

Like the sound of the 64GB EVO+ microSD card and want to take advantage of this promotion? Cool! Simply 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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