الخميس، 20 أكتوبر 2016

Samsung will only launch 4G smartphones in India

Samsung is making a strategic shift to further cement its position in the Indian smartphone market. Samsung India has said that it’s going to keep up with the change in market dynamics and only launch 4G-enabled smartphones in the future. The company currently has a portfolio of 25 different handsets in India out of which most are 4G-enabled.

VP of the mobile business at Samsung India Electronics Manu Sharma pointed that nearly 80 percent of smartphone users in the country have shifted to 4G smartphones. “There is huge conversion happening from feature phones to smartphones at the entry level. This migration will continue. All the future launches, including entry-level segment, will have 4G facilities and we will sell 4G devices. But at the same time, there will be certain set of feature phones users because of price points, he added. The company expects to regain its market share in India on the back of new launches, it currently accounts for almost 49 percent of the country’s smartphone market.

Sharma also had a few words to say about the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco. He reiterated that customers in India would be given full refunds for imported Galaxy Note 7s and that all pre-orders for the flagship have been converted into orders for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge now that the Note 7 is dead.



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You can no longer take the Galaxy Note 7 on an Amtrak train in the United States

If you were hoping to work around the blanket air travel ban on the Galaxy Note 7 by catching an Amtrak train to your destination, you will need to come up with another plan. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation a.k.a Amtrak provides medium and long-distance intercity service in the United States. It has confirmed that passengers are no longer allowed to bring the Galaxy Note 7 on trains, platforms and stations as well as thruway buses.

The emergency ban has been issued on the Galaxy Note 7 to address the potential safety risks an exploding Galaxy Note 7 can pose for passengers and employees. The ban follows the ruling from the United States Department of Transportation which has now made it a federal crime to carry a Galaxy Note 7 on an airplane. Samsung has set up kiosks at airports across the globe to help passengers exchange or refund their Galaxy Note 7, it’s unlikely that a similar step will be taken for Amtrak stations across the United States.



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Explo-sung skin adds that Galaxy Note 7 burn effect to an iPhone

Samsung will have to forgive people for having fun at its expense, but the Galaxy Note 7 is now a punchline to many jokes, just ask President Obama. We’ve seen people make fun of the flagship in different ways, by creating Halloween costumes, a mod for GTA 5 which enables players to use the Note 7 has a hand grenade and by creating a video with hilarious instructions on how to return a Galaxy Note 7. Samsung fans may not be particularly excited about finding out that an accessory company has created what it calls an “Explo-sung” skin which adds the now iconic Galaxy Note 7 burn effect to an iPhone.

We’ve all seen plenty of pictures to know what a burnt Galaxy Note 7 looks like. The front and back decals of this skin make it look almost the same as a Galaxy Note 7 that caught fire. Uniqfind is the company behind this skin and it also pokes fun at Samsung’s misery in its description for this product: “Here at Uniqfind, we’ve come up with a merciless way to dress-up your iPhone this Halloween — as a burnt device! Introducing the Explo-Sung decal for iPhones. It’s our hottest skin yet.”

Nevermind the fact that this $24.99 skin is being marketed as appropriate for Halloween but it won’t start shipping until November while the spooky festival takes place on October 31. Maybe iPhone fans who just want to needle their Samsung counterparts will look past that and buy this anyway. It remains to be seen if Samsung goes after the company to shut this down.

iphone-note-7-skin-2 iphone-note-7-skin-1



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Samsung India confident that the Galaxy S7 will drive festive sales this year

India was one of the many markets in which the Galaxy Note 7 wasn’t even released. Customers had placed pre-orders but the units were never shipped out. Samsung is now giving incentives to appease pre-order customers and has even decided to offer full refunds for imported Galaxy Note 7s. Given that it’s one of the most lucrative markets for the company, Samsung India is focusing on festive sales this quarter, and it’s confident that the Galaxy Note 7 is not going to impact smartphone sales this quarter. Samsung actually expects to gain additional market share.

Samsung has said that its festive sales are meeting expectations and that it’s seeing record volumes in India this year. It’s going to support the bottom line by increasingly focusing on the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge, as well as by launching additional models this quarter. “We have converted the Note 7 prebooked customers in India to S7 and S7 Edge. We are humbled by the loyalty of the consumers towards the brand. There is now a strong sales momentum on S7 and S7 Edge. By virtue of being a full range player with 25 models across segments, we are confident to grow our share and sales this quarter,” said Manu Sharma, vice president of the mobile business at Samsung India.

Estimates suggest that sales of the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge have doubled since last week in India when Samsung confirmed the discontinuation of the Galaxy Note 7. Samsung has also stepped up promotions for this handset to ensure that its market share is not stolen by the myriad of competitors fighting for a piece of the Indian smartphone market.



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Even Obama is making jokes about the Galaxy Note 7 now

There’s no such thing as bad press, they say, and they are quite right. Samsung is reeling from the discontinuation of its flagship smartphone, the Galaxy Note 7, and even though it’s a $5.3 billion hit for the company that’s not stopping people from having a little fun at Samsung’s expense. Some have poked fun at the Galaxy Note 7 by turning it into a GTA 5 mod, others have created a Halloween costume, but you know you’ve made it when the president of the United States starts making jokes about you.

The quip was made during President Obama’s speech about the Affordable Care Act at Miami Dade college in Florida. He made an analogy to compare issues with Obamacare to new smartphones in the market. “When one of these companies comes out with a new smartphone, and it has a few bugs, what do they do? They fix it, they upgrade. Unless it catches fire and then they just, then they pull it off the market. But you don’t go back to using a rotary phone! You don’t say, well we’re repealing smartphones — we’re just gonna do the dial-up thing,” he said.

Now even though he doesn’t mention Samsung or the Galaxy Note 7 by name, it’s pretty clear what he’s getting at. At least can be sure that Samsung won’t try getting his video off the internet, call it a perk of being one of the most powerful men in the world.



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Themes Thursday: Here are three new themes that are worth installing

Welcome back to Themes Thursday! As usual, we have listed the best themes released over the course of past one week. Out of the 94 newly released themes, we have chosen three that could pique your interest.

The [MINU] Pixel White theme mimics the UI that of the newly released Pixel smartphones by Google. The [Kendi] Simplex theme offers a monochrome design and UI. The Xperia UI Theme tries to recreate a UI that looks close to that of Sony’s recent smartphones.

We personally quite liked the Xperia UI Theme, thanks to its colorful backgrounds and wallpapers. Which theme did you like the most this week?

[MINU] Pixel White
samsung-galaxy-theme-minu-pixel-white

[Kendi] Simplex
samsung-galaxy-theme-kendi-simplex

Xpera UI Theme
samsung-galaxy-theme-xperia-ui-theme



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Galaxy C9 Pro specs and price confirmed ahead of official launch

Samsung’s C series has largely been limited to China ever since it arrived on the scene. The company is working on C5 and C7 Pro versions and we’ve known for a while now that it’s also working on the Galaxy C9 Pro. Some images of this handset were leaked recently which also revealed the new antenna design that the Galaxy C9 Pro is going to feature. The handset has now been listed on one of China’s biggest online retailers – Tmall – ahead of its official launch tomorrow.

The listing reveals the specs and price of the Galaxy C9 Pro in China. Samsung’s latest handset comes with a 6-inch Full HD display, it’s powered by a Snapdragon 623 processor with a whopping 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The handset also has a 16-megapixel f/1.9 rear camera and a 4,000mAh battery. It also features a 16-megapixel selfie camera. Additional features include a USB Type-C port, 4G LTE, Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and NFC with support for Samsung Pay. It’s going to be sold for CNY 3,199 ($475) in China. Samsung is due to make the formal announcement tomorrow, the Galaxy C9 Pro is most likely going to be exclusive to China.

galaxy-c9-5
galaxy-c9-1
galaxy-c9-2
galaxy-c9-4
galaxy-c9-3



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

Following its rollout of this month’s security patch for the Galaxy S7 in India yesterday, Samsung has now started pushing out an identical update to all unlocked variants of the Galaxy S7 edge in the region. In addition to transporting fixes for a total of 68 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) in both the Android OS and the company’s flagship smartphone, the upgrade also transports a handful of stability improvements and speed optimizations.

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 and be connected to a reliable Wi-Fi network to receive the alert.

screenshot_20161021-000107

 



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Gear VR users will be able to watch an NBA game in VR every week this season

The NBA is really the first big sports league to properly jump on the virtual reality bandwagon and it’s going to further embrace the technology in the 2016-2017 season. NBA Digital today announced that it’s going to broadcast a game in VR every week this season with its partner NextVR. The game that’s broadcasted in VR will feature its own dedicated announcers, graphics optimized for virtual reality and footage from multiple camera angles to really make users feel as if they are part of the action.

“This programming marks the first regular schedule of live games delivered in VR by a professional sports league,” the NBA rightly pointed out in its press release. The only caveat here is that a full-season NBA League Pass subscription will be required to stream the games in virtual reality. The pass can be purchased directly from the NBA or through a cable provider. The VR stream can be accessed through the NextVR app on the Gear VR. The VR stream kicks off during the season’s opening week on October 27 when the Sacramento Kings take on the San Antonio Spurs. The NBA is going to release a full schedule of weekly VR games later this month.



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Stephen Colbert shows us all how to safely send back a Galaxy Note 7

Now that Samsung has recalled the Galaxy Note 7 for the second time and has actually discontinued the handset due to battery issues that it hasn’t been able to pinpoint, it will certainly be in your best interest to send the Galaxy Note 7 back if you have one. Samsung has been shipping special return kits to those who bought the handset directly from it. If you happen to be one of those customers, allow late-night host and funny man Stephen Colbert to show you how to safely send back a Galaxy Note 7.

As you can imagine, the process is nothing like what you’d expect it to be. The “tips” that he provides to safely return the handset are hilarious, to say the least, so do take out about a minute or so of your busy day to watch the video. It’s kind of his job to make fun of things, and given that the Galaxy Note 7 is a hot topic these days (pun intended), it was only a matter of time before Colbert gave his take on the matter.



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LG has shamelessly copied this Galaxy Note 5 debut feature – and kept the name, too

LG doesn’t have a good track record when it comes to being in Samsung’s shadow. The company claims that its phones are terrific, but if you’ve seen the latest G5, which takes Google’s Project Ara and tries to consumerize it (though unsuccessfully), you understand that when LG copies a company or “borrows” an idea, it doesn’t implement it very well.

The LG V20 has “MultiWindow Mode” (see, LG didn’t rename this feature), but there’s one other feature Samsung brought to market all on its own that has been shamelessly copied by LG – with the feature’s name remaining. Yes, I’m afraid so, but LG decided to borrow the concept but steal the name.

What is this Galaxy Note 5 debut feature I’m speaking of? The feature is called Screen-Off Memo, and it debuted on the Galaxy Note 5. Screen-Off Memo allows users to turn off the display, pull out the S Pen, and start taking notes on a “black” digital notepad. It’s a great feature that has a lot of support (even among those who usually deem Samsung features “gimmicks”), and it’s an attractive feature to have, no doubt.

LG took the Galaxy Note 5 Screen-Off Memo and decided to place the feature (with the same name, mind you) in an obscure phone called the LG Stylus 2 Plus. The Stylus 2 Plus is LG’s follow-up successor to the LG Stylus 2, featuring specs that many Samsung fans would recognize as being specific to the Galaxy Note 5: a 5.7-inch display with an LCD screen (the Note 5 has a 5.7-inch display, though using AMOLED instead of LCD), 1.4Ghz, octa-core processor (unnamed at the LG Stylus 2 Plus announcement; Samsung used an Exynos 7420 SoC for its Note 5, but it too, was an octa-core chip), 3GB of RAM and 32GB ROM (the Note 5 had these, too), 5MP front camera and 16MP back camera (the Note 5′s camera precisely), with a 3,000mAh battery (which matches the exact battery capacity of the Note 5). Some of these specs, such as the 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM, are dependent upon region; those in unfortunate regions may only see 2GB RAM and 16GB ROM, according to LG.

Of course, LG maintains the removable battery, though Samsung did not in the Note 5, but that aside, you can bet that LG designed the Stylus 2 and Stylus 2 Plus to “rival” Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5. In fact, the stylus is just a dead giveaway to LG’s intent with these handsets, though LG forgot to copy Samsung’s S Pen quality while copying nearly all other specs regarding the handset.

And the best part of it all? LG kept the name of this feature, too, as can be seen below in the LG Stylus 2 Plus screenshot.

Screen-Off Memo Note 5 feature lg stylus 2 plus

Screen-Off Memo is a feature Samsung introduced, and Samsung should get credit for it. Anyone can say that LG’s latest action doesn’t matter and is insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but if the shoe was on the other foot (proverbially speaking, of course), you can be sure that Samsung would be held responsible to no end. LG likely kept the name because consumers have accepted the feature and the name as commonplace.

The LG Stylus 2 Plus is a phone that often gets little attention, but you can be sure that LG is hoping to change that with Screen-Off Memo. Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but LG customers should know that there’s little need to buy from LG when they can get the better (and original) concept from Samsung in the Galaxy Note 5.



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New and improved Spotify experience lands on Samsung smart TVs today

The world’s largest music streaming service today announced that it’s bringing a new and improved Spotify experience to 2015 and 2016 Samsung smart TVs. The new experience is going to be available for users in all markets where Spotify currently offers its services, with the exception of Japan. The company says that the new experience will make it easer than ever before to enjoy music on a Samsung smart TV.

All Spotify Free and Premium users can easily play, browse, skip and search through a library of more than 30 million songs directly on their TVs with a new user interface that has been optimized for the big screen. The company has also made it easier to control the music experience even when users are multitasking around the house. The TV experience can be controlled using the Spotify Connect app on a smartphone, tablet or desktop. This new experience is only being rolled out for users who have a 2015 or 2016 Samsung smart TV. Those with 2014 or earlier smart TVs will retain access to the older version of Spotify Premium and will soon receive additional updates.

spotify-new-experience-samsung-smart-tv



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Samsung launches the Galaxy On NXT in India exclusively through Flipkart

As expected, Samsung has today launched the latest smartphone in its Galaxy On lineup in India. The Galaxy On NXT is available to purchase exclusively via Flipkart starting today in either Black or Gold for Rs. 18,490 ($276).

What’s strange about the Galaxy On NXT is that it’s almost identical to the Galaxy J7 Prime that was launched in the region last month. There’s only one difference: The On NXT ships with 32GB of internal storage instead of 16GB.

When combing through the entire specification list, it quickly becomes apparent that Samsung has simply rebranded the Galaxy J7 Prime as the Galaxy On NXT and slashed the price by a measly Rs. 300 ($4.50) to make it a Flipkart exclusive.

This means that the Galaxy On NXT sports the same aluminum unibody, 5.5-inch Full HD display, 1.6GHz Exynos 7870 Octa CPU, 3GB of RAM, a 13MP rear-facing camera, 8MP selfie shooter and 3,300mAh battery as the Galaxy J7 Prime.

In terms of connectivity, the handset has support for 4G, LTE, 3G, HSPA+, GPRS/EDGE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, GPS/AGPS and Bluetooth out of the box. It also ships running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and has compatibility for SIMs.



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Daily Deal: Grab yourself an S View Clear Flip Cover for the Galaxy S7 edge for just $14.39

Yesterday, we highlighted a fantastic promotion on the S View Clear Flip Cover for the Galaxy S6 edge+ and today we’re looking at a similar deal for the Galaxy S7 edge. While stock lasts, you can get your hands on an authentic S View Clear Flip Cover for the handset in a glamorous Gold color for just $14.39. That’s a $45.60 off its retail price.

In case you missed our coverage yesterday, the S View Clear Flip Cover is arguably one of the most simple, yet intuitive cases on the market. Not only does it protect your phone, but also provides you with access to key features and lets you respond to incoming calls without even having to open the panel covering the display.

This a great offer that we’d recommend you take advantage of. If you want to go ahead and place an order, simply hit the Buy Now button below. We advise you to hurry, though, as Amazon only has a low amount of inventory available for this specific deal, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Buy Now



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Samsung Display expands production to tap into growing demand for public screens

Samsung Display is seeking to tap into growing demand for high-quality public information display panels which is why it has now deployed a new production line that has been exclusively designed to manufacture these panels. The public display market has steadily been growing over the past couple of years. It’s expected to grow 22 percent annually from $5.8 billion in 2016 to $12.7 billion in 2020. Public information display panels are primarily used for outdoor and indoor signage, video walls, interactive whiteboards and transparent displays for commercial use.

The company’s new production line enables it to produce panels with bezels as thin as 1.7mm and a luminance of up to 5,000 candelas per square meter. The panels have been designed to provide clear images and ultra-high definition resolution while being durable and energy efficient. Samsung has also launched a new website through which it will provide information about this product to potential clients across the globe. Vice president and head of the LCD marketing team at Samsung Display Yang O-seung said that “This new PID communication portal provides our customers and future customers with easy anytime-anywhere access to important information that simplifies decision-making in the purchasing and use of PID panels.”

samsung-public-information-display



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New compensation program reportedly being prepared for Galaxy Note 7 customers

Customers who bought the Galaxy Note 7 aren’t necessarily happy with how everything turned out. They had to visit the point of purchase multiple times, first to get a replacement unit and later to exchange it or get a refund once the handset was discontinued. No wonder some have started filing lawsuits against the company. A report out of Korea claims that Samsung is preparing a new compensation program for Galaxy Note 7 customers.

Samsung is reportedly considering providing Galaxy Note 7 customers with cash discounts for their future purchase of its next flagship. The discount might be offered on the Galaxy S8 or the Galaxy Note 8, the industry source mentioned in the report doesn’t clarify on which handset Samsung will decide to offer the discount. Samsung is already providing monetary incentives to get people to exchange their Galaxy Note 7 but customers certainly won’t mind a discount on its next flagship. It’s unclear just how much the discount will be, that is if Samsung decides to offer it in the first place, because the company hasn’t confirmed anything yet.

A discount on its next flagship will be a good way to show customers that it cares for them and is deeply sorry about all of the troubles the Galaxy Note 7 has caused them. Sacrificing a portion of its margin on the next flagship for a group of customers will also ensure that they decide to remain loyal to Samsung and that just might be the biggest incentive of this program for the company: sell another flagship to those who had to deal with its fire-prone Galaxy Note 7.



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Samsung might increase display and memory component prices to contain Galaxy Note 7 loss

Samsung is now in damage control mode after discontinuing the Galaxy Note 7. It’s taking steps to restore its reputation as well as contain the financial loss caused by what might have been its best flagship smartphone. The company has already ramped up production of the Galaxy S7 series to stay competitive in the market and now it’s expected that Samsung will raise display and memory component prices for its customers to bring in more profit that can offset its financial loss from the Galaxy Note 7′s demise.

Market research firm TrendForce reports that the discontinuation of the Galaxy Note 7 is going to alter market share of smartphone brands competing in the phablet market. It predicts that most of the demand will move towards Huawei, Oppo and Vivo, aside from the iPhone 7 Plus, now that the Galaxy Note 7 is out of the picture. Prices for key mobile components like DRAM, NAND flash and AMOLED panels have already been on the upswing due to supply shortages. Samsung’s rivals are likely to take full advantage of its misfortune and boost their production thereby contributing to the shortage.

“This in turn would aggravate the supply shortage situation in the component markets. Thus, memory prices will not only continue to rise but actually also surge higher than expected,” TrendForce predicts in its report. It also mentions the possibility that to stay in profit after realizing a $5.3 billion loss because of the Galaxy Note 7, Samsung might increase prices of its display and memory components. It certainly helps that Samsung is the leading supplier of display and memory components worldwide.

 



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جميع الحقوق محفوظة لمدونة الغريب 2013