Samsung Pay on the Gear S3 will work with any device running Android 4.4+

It’s been revealed on Reddit today that Gear S3 Classic and Gear S3 Frontier owners will be able to use Samsung Pay to purchase goods using their watch providing it’s connected to any Android-powered smartphone running KitKat, Lollipop, Marshmallow or Nougat.

The fact that Samsung Pay can be used on the Gear S3 when it’s paired to any Android device and not just Galaxy-branded handsets is pretty big news as it means that customers who haven’t been able to experience the MST technology before will finally be able to use it.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2eECOHF
via IFTTT

Samsung’s next flagship tablet enters testing in India

We exclusively reported last month that Samsung’s next flagship tablet – the Galaxy Tab S3 – is going to be released in the first quarter of 2017. Both the Wi-Fi-only (SM-T820) and LTE variant (SM-T825) of the 9.7-inch Galaxy Tab S3 are now in the pipeline. The tablet has now been spotted for the first time making its way to India where Samsung often performs tests on unreleased devices.

The Galaxy Tab S3 has been spotted in Indian import tracker Zauba which shows that multiple units of the Galaxy Tab S3 LTE variant (SM-T825) have been imported into India for the purpose of research and development as well as evaluation. Little is known about the specifications of Samsung’s next flagship tablet at this point in time but it’s expected that the tablet will feature an AMOLED display. We’ll bring you more information about the Galaxy Tab S3 as it comes in, for now, you can just keep your fingers crossed for an early launch of this tablet in the first quarter next year if you really want to buy a new tablet from Samsung.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2fvOs7b
via IFTTT

Samsung seeks to revamp text messaging with latest acquisition

Samsung Electronics has announced that it has acquired NewNet Communication Technologies (Canada), Inc. The company operates a Rich Communications Services (RCS) business within NewNet Communication Technologies. It’s the leading provider of RCS services and infrastructure. Samsung says that this acquisition reinforces its commitment to RCS as mobile networks make the transition to IP-based networks and services.

RCS can simply be described as the next generation of SMS text messaging. It brings rich features to text messaging, bringing it at par with cross-platform messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Simple text messages get features like the ability to see when someone is typing back, getting notifications about a message, improved group chats as well as the ability to share high-resolution photos.

Samsung says that this acquisition will enable it to offer interoperable server solutions for mobile operators who don’t have their RCS infrastructure. Unlike other messaging apps that lock users in, users will be able to communication on any network with an RCS-enabled device as well as with SMS-only devices.

NewNet Canada will continue to operate independently under Samsung Electronics Canada after the acquisition. No terms of the deal have been revealed.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2feSsWz
via IFTTT

Samsung plays it safe with $8 billion acquisition of Harman and that might substantially pay off in the long run

Samsung Electronics – the veritable cash cow of the Samsung Group conglomerate – announced late last year that it’s setting up a new team which will be dedicated to growing its automotive-related business. The team has also been tasked with focusing on technologies like autonomous driving, something which countless technology companies and conventional car manufacturers are already focusing on. Samsung said back then that this new team is initially going to work on infotainment and autonomous driving technologies so that the group can see growth in sales for car-related components before it takes up the task of working on more advanced automotive technologies.

Soon after this new team was announced, Samsung confirmed that it was working with BMW to develop smart “brains” for self-driving cars of the future. The two companies already have a working relationship as Samsung provides the German auto giant with the batteries for its electric cars. The company also revealed that it was going to work with Panasonic to develop a smart assistant for self-driving cars. It would be designed to recognize the driver’s voice and aid them in performing tasks while they pay attention to the road. Samsung even modified a race track it owns to test autonomous cars.

All of these initiatives make it evident that Samsung sees the automotive industry as one of its best bets for future growth. The company has steadily been pouring in more time and resources throughout the past year to increase its relationships in this industry and gain more ground. This is why we weren’t surprised when it was first reported three months ago that Samsung was in talks to acquire Magneti Marelli, Fiat Chrysler’s high-end automotive parts subsidiary. The deal was reportedly worth $3 billion and there were good vibes coming from the executives at Fiat Chrysler which made it seem like the deal would go through. However, Samsung went through a lot in September due to the Galaxy Note 7 and it was later reported that the Magneti Marelli deal had been put on the back burner as Samsung had its hands full dealing with the fallout from the Galaxy Note 7 debacle.

Samsung made it clear yesterday that it’s now looking to the future and that it’s not going to let the ill-fated flagship get in the way of progress. It surprised us all yesterday with the announcement that it was acquiring Harman International for $8 billion. This is one of the biggest acquisitions that Samsung Electronics has made outside South Korea so it’s a significant development for more than one reason. This acquisition will give a big boost to Samsung’s presence in the rapidly expanding market for connected car technologies, an area of strategic priority for the company.

Harman is the market leader in connected car solutions, the automotive industry accounted for nearly 65 percent of its $7 billion reported sales during the 12 months ended September 30, 2016. There are more than 30 million vehicles out there that are equipped with Harman’s connected car and audio systems; this includes embedded telematics, infotainment, connected safety and security systems.

Samsung has played it safe by acquiring Harman, a company that has been well established for a very long time, while many other tech companies are betting on risky start-ups to advance automotive technology. The benefits that Samsung will get from this acquisition are twofold. Not only will it significantly increase Samsung’s presence in the connected car market which it expects to be worth over $100 billion by 2025, but it’s also going to leverage Harman’s consumer and professional audio brands to reap the benefits in the consumer electronics market as well. You might have heard about some of those brands: Harman owns JBL, Harman Kardon, Mark Levinson, AKG, Lexicon, Infinity and Revel audio brands. It even licenses Bang & Olufsen and Bowers & Wilkins for automotive audio in the luxury segment.

Investors have been concerned about Harman’s business lately as car suppliers face tougher conditions because the surge after the financial crisis in automotive sales in the United States is fading. The company’s shares hit a three-year low back in June but Harman has kept its head down as it tries to chalk out an effective strategy for the future. Retail sales aside, the company will continue to develop more infotainment, navigation, communications and car safety technologies as self-driving cars eventually become a reality.

Samsung may very well reap the benefits of this strategy in the future but it’s not likely to bleed money on this investment in the short term. The company has already said that Harman is going to operate as a separate entity once the deal is closed. That’s a vital decision as Harman’s brands and market position combined with Samsung’s products might yield growth faster than what either company could have managed on its own, particularly in the consumer electronics market.

Samsung has said that all of Harman’s brands will “enhance the competitiveness” of its mobile, display, virtual reality and wearable products. Perhaps we should start crossing our fingers for some amazing Harman-backed audio products with Samsung’s mobile devices. Now won’t that be something – it will surely give customers who have often been doubled minded about picking up the company’s products another reason to spend their money on a Samsung smartphone or wearable device.

The Korean conglomerate has chosen to spend $8 billion on Harman at a time when it has taken a substantial financial hit due to the Galaxy Note 7, one that it expects to carry forward in the first quarter of next year as well, aside from the fact that it’s being pressured by an activist investor hedge fund to make major changes to the corporate structure, split up the company into two and give almost all of Samsung Electronics’ cash reserves as a one-time dividend to shareholders. Samsung is likely going to work with the hedge fund on this but on its own terms and that’s going to be yet another challenge for the company in these crucial times.

This just goes to show that Samsung isn’t losing sight of what’s important and that it’s fully committed to becoming a major player in the automotive industry of the future.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2fTww30
via IFTTT

Gear S3 frontier will be available from T-Mobile starting November 18 for $399

Samsung America officially confirmed the release date for the Gear S3 two weeks ago. The smartwatch is going to be released in the United States on November 18. Carrier partners will also sell the Gear S3 frontier which has LTE compatibility. T-Mobile today confirmed its pricing and availability information for the Gear S3 frontier.

The Gear S3 classic and the Gear S3 frontier are essentially the same save for the fact that the latter has LTE compatibility. T-Mobile is going to start selling the Gear S3 frontier this Friday, November 18 for $399. Magenta customers will be able to add it to their existing smartphone plan for an additional $5 per month. Verizon and AT&T will also be selling the Gear S3 frontier, they will confirm pricing and availability information themselves.

Samsung has already released the Gear S3 in South Korea and it will soon be available in more markets across the globe. If you’re curious about the company’s latest smartwatch, click here to read our initial impression of the Gear S3 and here for our hands-on review.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2fWt5KE
via IFTTT

Samsung might sell refurbished Galaxy Note 7 next year

Samsung had to make the painful and costly decision of discontinuing the Galaxy Note 7 merely weeks after it was released because battery fires forced the first recall and the fix didn’t work so it had to issue a second recall and end production. The entire debacle has harmed Samsung’s reputation and cost it billions of dollars. Samsung is still working to determine what caused the safe Galaxy Note 7 units to catch fire as well.

An interesting report has emerged from South Korea today. Citing unnamed sources, a local publication has claimed that Samsung is going to start selling refurbished units of the Galaxy Note 7 starting next year. An industry source quoted in the report claims that while Samsung hasn’t made a final decision yet, the refurbished units are likely to be sold in emerging markets like India and Vietnam.

The report doesn’t say how Samsung is going to ensure that the refurbished units don’t end up catching fire as well. Samsung is still going through a very lengthy process of getting Galaxy Note 7 handsets off the streets, it doesn’t make sense for the company to put its reputation on the line once again by selling refurbished units of the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7.

I’m not ready to believe this as I don’t think Samsung will be stupid enough to do this. It has already taken the financial hit so it’s not like the company can reverse its fortunes by selling refurbished Galaxy Note 7s at a lower price. I expect Samsung may refute this report soon, but if it doesn’t, do you think it would be wise for the company to do this? Let us know in the comments below.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2gea1dx
via IFTTT

Blue Coral Galaxy S7 edge coming to Verizon on November 17

A couple of weeks ago Samsung officially announced that the Galaxy S7 edge will be coming in the popular Blue Coral color which debuted on the problematic Galaxy Note 7. Today, we did some digging and confirmed the release date on Verizon Wireless. According to an online representative, Big Red will release the Blue Coral version of the Galaxy S7 edge on Thursday, November 17th. The release date makes sense as the carrier would like to capitalize on the sales leading into Black Friday weekend.

To sweeten the pot, Verizon currently has an excellent promotion going on. If you buy a Galaxy S7 edge, you will get a second one for half off on device payment. The Galaxy S7 edge is currently $33 a month on device payment, which would make the second one $16.50 a month with this promotion. This is a fantastic promotion to take advantage of especially for who want to get their hands on the gorgeous new color.

AT&T is already taking pre-orders for the Galaxy S7 edge in Blue Coral while T-Mobile is expected to release it on November 18th. It’s good to see that Verizon is coming out with it too, after all, the very first leaked image of the Blue Coral Galaxy S7 edge proudly carried Verizon’s logo.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2gehkSk
via IFTTT

Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge now receiving November security patch in the Netherlands

Following its rollout in Italy last week, Samsung is now distributing this month’s security patch for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge in the Netherlands. The upgrade brings a total of 14 specific bug fixes for the firm’s mobile devices, in addition to dozens of patches for Vulnerabilities and Exposures (SVE) in the Android OS.

Typically, after an update starts making the rounds in the Netherlands, it heads to Poland and then the United Kingdom shortly after. Being optimistic, we think it’s reasonable to assume that will arrive in the first of the two additional regions within the next week and a half, but it’s possible that we could be forced to wait a little longer.

As we’ve come to expect from Security Maintenance Releases, this one’s being pushed out in stages. If you’d like to see if the OTA is ready for your unit, head into Settings » About Device » Download Updates Manually. Alternatively, you can always wait until you receive a notification prompting you to upgrade.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2fTkJSx
via IFTTT

Daily Deal: Snag yourself a 55-inch curved 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV for just $747.99

If you’re on the lookout for a new TV, you may want to listen up as we have a fantastic deal for you today as part of our Daily Deals segment. While stock lasts, you can score yourself a 55-inch curved 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV (UN55KU6600) for just $747.99. That’s a hefty $300 off its retail price.

What’s neat about this particular TV is that it’s part of Samsung’s 2016 range, which means that ships running the latest version of the firm’s Smart TV firmware — so you’ll be able to stream content from both Amazon Video and Netflix in a gorgeous 4K resolution.

Like the sound of this deal and want to take advantage of it? Sweet! Simply hit the Buy Now button below. You will need to hurry, though, as Amazon has only assigned a small amount of inventory for this specific promotion and once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Buy Now

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2fd3A6v
via IFTTT

Exclusive: Family Care will be Samsung’s own parental control app for Galaxy users

There is no shortage of parental control apps in the Android ecosystem, but that isn’t stopping Samsung from releasing its own. The company’s solution will be called Family Care and it comes with a bunch of nifty features that can make life easier for parents as well as their kids.

According to information we received, the Family Care app will offer the usual parental control features, such as use time and app installations. Furthermore, there are notifications and reminders, as well a pickup requests. But before all of these functions can be used, parent’s and children’s devices can paired easily using simple QR codes.

After the setup is complete, the Family Care app offers a card-like interface for both parties. The child can see information regarding (maximum) use time for the phone as well as for every individual app. Also, a request to be picked up now, or later, can be sent directly to the parent’s device. The location for the pickup can be the current location, a preset place such as school or piano class, or any other spot selected on a map.

Furthermore, there is a list of tasks or reminders set by the parent, to make sure football practice is not forgotten, the cat does get fed, and homework is done in time. Last but not least, the child can request permission to install a new app or download music, which will then only be possible after the parent reviews and approves the installation, or download.

Logically, the parent’s version of the Family Care app provides information about all of the above, as well as an interface to manage all the required settings and requests. Cards show how many tasks have already been completed, when the child needs to be picked up, and where, and which apps (or games) need approving.

Usage times can be limited for single apps or for entire app categories, so your kid can not play games during school hours, but, for example, in the evening before going to bed. Parents would also receive a warning if it has been a long time since the child has provided any updates regarding tasks and reminders.

Obviously, it will be very easy from both versions of the app to get in touch with the other party, though we are not sure if and how contacts by phone or messengers with other people will be managed. Similarly, we have no information on compatibility with non-Galaxy devices, or whether there will be a dedicated app for Gear watch users.

From the information we received, we can determine the development of Family Care is well underway. We can not say whether the work will be completed in time for a debut alongside the Galaxy S8, but there is no doubt the next-generation flagship would be a good platform for its launch.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2f0vx3r
via IFTTT

TouchOne Keyboard for the Gear S2 and Gear S3 free for a month

The TouchOne smartwatch keyboard was originally released for Android back in April. As the keyboard is all set to make its official Tizen debut with the Gear S2 and the Gear S3, the developers have a nice treat for its fans. Starting today (Nov. 15) the app can be downloaded for free on the Gear S2 and the Gear S3. The offer is only valid until December 15, so make sure you grab it while the promotion is still running.

TouchOne is an innovative keyboard that allows smartwatch users to send messages despite the smaller display on board. The TouchOne Beta generated a lot of interest among Gear S2 users, so this is a nice little perk for the fans to get their hands on the full version.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2f0rlRm
via IFTTT

Samsung Galaxy S7 gets November security update in India

The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge have been receiving the Android security updates for the month of November in various markets in the last few days, and Samsung is now rolling out an identical update for the Galaxy S7 in India. There is nothing out for the Galaxy S7 edge just yet, but the curvy version of the S7 should be joining the party in the coming days.

The November security patch comes with fixes for various vulnerabilities that affect Android, in addition to 14 vulnerabilities that are only found on Samsung devices. The update doesn’t offer anything else; the changelog mentions performance and stability improvements as always, and the update is 64.42 MB in size. The build number on your S7 after installing the update will be G930FXXU1BPJJ. You should see a notification for the update on your device soon; if not, simply head into the Settings » About device menu and hit the Download updates manually button to grab the update.

Thanks, Premkumar!

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2ftsYYz
via IFTTT

Rumor: Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) to feature 16 MP front camera, IP68 water resistance

Back in August, we exclusively reported about Samsung’s 2017 iterations of the Galaxy A lineup: the Galaxy A3 (2017), Galaxy A5 (2017), and Galaxy A7 (2017). The Galaxy A7 (2017) started showing signs of its existence by appearing in GFXBench and AnTuTu listings, while the Galaxy A3 (2017) was imported into India for testing. Now, we have received information about the specifications of the Galaxy A7 (2017).

The Galaxy A7 (2017), which will bear the model number SM-A720F, is rumored to feature a 5.68-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display, a 16-megapixel front-facing camera, and a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera with f/1.9 aperture. It is expected to come equipped with the Exynos 7880 SoC clocked at 1.8GHz, 3GB LP-DDR4 RAM, 32GB internal storage, and a microSD card slot. The 7.8mm (157.69 x 76.92 x 7.8mm) thin body of the Galaxy A7 (2017) is rumored to be IP68 certified for resistance from water and dust, a feature Samsung currently offers only on its flagship smartphones.

The upcoming smartphone will most probably feature a fingerprint sensor and a USB Type-C port along with regular connectivity options including LTE, dual-band gigabit Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. The Galaxy A7 (2017) is rumored to come packed with a large 3,600mAh battery. We currently can’t confirm the operating system version that will come pre-installed on this device, so it could either be Android 6.0 or Android 7.0 (the former seems more likely if the A7 (2017) comes out in December, a year after its predecessor). We can’t confirm any of this information at this point, so do take everything with a pinch of salt.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2fQeuQL
via IFTTT