Samsung Pay will be available by default on almost all Samsung phones starting next year

Samsung has been working hard this year to expand Samsung Pay to additional markets across the globe. However, only a limited number of its smartphones have support for the mobile payments system. That’s going to change in the near future. A new report out of South Korea suggests that Samsung is going to pre-install Samsung Pay on almost all of its smartphones starting next year. The report also claims that the company will expand Samsung Pay to Android devices from other manufacturers by releasing a standalone app on the Play Store.

“Most Samsung smartphones scheduled to be released next year will be fitted with Samsung Pay,” local media reports quote a company official as saying. What this means is that the company is going to bring fingerprint sensors to many of its mid-range lineups as well and possibly some low-end smartphones as well. Samsung Pay doesn’t function without a fingerprint sensor so if it’s really going to be available by default on almost all of the company’s smartphones, we can expect upcoming models to feature fingerprint scanners.

Head of Samsung’s mobile division Koh Dong-jin said during a press meeting earlier this year that Samsung’s mid-range and low-end smartphones could feature fingerprint scanners in the near future as production costs for this component come down. Recent reports suggest that Samsung might even start making its own fingerprint scanners for low-end and mid-range devices.

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This new phone highlights Samsung’s growing photography prowess

Samsung is a giant in the mobile market, known for its AMOLED displays, RAM, and NAND flash storage, but the Korean giant’s camera imaging sensors are becoming just as popular – with a new flagship arriving with one of the largest selfie camera sensors Samsung has ever created.

You’ve likely heard about the OnePlus 3T by now. Unveiled last month, the device is rather similar to the OnePlus 3 (its predecessor) except for the new 3,400mAh battery that sidelines the 3,000mAh battery of the OnePlus 3 and the new 128GB storage option that provides a new storage limit for consumers looking for more than 64GB to satisfy their storage desires. The OnePlus 3 has Near Field Communication (NFC), a change from last year’s OnePlus 2.

As a OnePlus 3 user, I can say that these changes were very needed for OnePlus, as the 3,000mAh battery achieves little over 5.5 hours of screen-on time (SOT) and about 20 hours of battery life. Though I’ve been working hard to turn my Google Pixel XL into a Samsung Galaxy Note 7, the Pixel XL does have better battery stamina than the OnePlus 3 (of course, it has a 3,450mAh battery, too). The battery bump to 3,400mAh is a step in the right direction, though optimization is just as important.

And yet, there’s one more new addition for which a subset of consumers will be thankful: OnePlus has added a 16MP selfie camera from none other than Samsung. The OnePlus 3T now boasts a 16MP front camera that utilizes Samsung’s 3P8SP camera sensor with phase detection autofocus (PDAF).  Of course, the OnePlus 3T, following in the footsteps of the 6-month-old OnePlus 3, features Samsung’s Super AMOLED display, which is sure to please those who prioritize deep color contrasts and color vibrancy in their viewing experience. Samsung is viewed by many to be a rival of OnePlus, but OnePlus named Samsung as one of its partners behind the OnePlus 2 last year.

While Samsung’s 3P8SP camera sensor will get some publicity due to its arrival with the new OnePlus flagship (the company is well-known in tech enthusiast circles), there are other imaging sensors that outweigh the latest in popularity. Samsung’s S5K4E6 camera sensor in the Galaxy S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, Note 5, as well as this year’s Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, and Galaxy S7 Active (and now-deceased Galaxy Note 7) is also found in other Android smartphones such as the HTC 10, released earlier this year.

Additionally, Samsung’s S5K3P3 image sensor has been utilized by Xiaomi with its 16MP rear camera and the S5K3P3 sensor on its Redmi Note 3 Pro, Vernee with its 16MP back camera on the Apollo Lite, Ulefone with its 16MP back camera on the Ulefone Future, BLU with its 16MP back camera and same sensor on the BLU Pure XR, and BQ with its 16MP back camera on the BQ Aquaris U Plus.

The company’s S5K5E8 sensor appears on phones such as the 5MP front camera in Vernee’s Apollo Lite, the 5MP front camera on the Intex Aqua Ace Mini, the Alcatel Shine Lite (some use Samsung front and back sensors, others use OmniVision), the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro, and the Meizu M3 Note.

As I’ve said before, placing Samsung sensors into any smartphone camera doesn’t indicate whether or not a smartphone camera will have world-class performance. OnePlus’s mix of Samsung and Sony camera sensors in the OnePlus 3T matches a lot of what Samsung has been doing in its most recent flagships, but I think OnePlus should go with Samsung sensors for both cameras from here on out. The camera shots from both the selfie camera and the back camera of the OnePlus 3 aren’t all that impressive to me and, though doing their best to maintain color accuracy, often wash out photos and make images dull, to say the least.

Samsung has started using its own in-house, 16MP selfie and rear cameras (back sensor S5K3L2XX and front sensor S5K4H5YC, to be exact) with its new Galaxy C9 Pro (thanks Hakim!), so the OnePlus 3T isn’t as unique as one would presume at first glance (though the 3P8SP sensor is unique to the 3T). The Korean giant’s recent Iran announcement of the Galaxy A3 (2017), Galaxy A5 (2017), and Galaxy A7 (2017) showcased three mid-range smartphones that also feature 16MP selfie and rear cameras. Buying a great Samsung smartphone in the mid-range segment has never been as compelling.

Despite what I think about the OnePlus 3, though, I’m pleased to see OnePlus move in Samsung’s direction with its selfie camera. I only hope that other Android OEMs are taking notice, and OnePlus sees better success with its new selfie camera on the 3T. No smartphone user needs a 16MP selfie camera or rear camera, but then again, a smartphone is a luxury – and necessity has nothing to do with it.

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[Poll] How are you liking your Gear S3?

Samsung launched two variants of the Gear S3 — the Gear S3 Classic and Gear S3 Frontier — last month as successors to its popular Gear S2. If you pre-ordered a unit, there’s a good chance it’s currently strapped to your wrist, so we’d love you to tell us how you’re getting on with it in the poll below.

We’re  also keen to know your favourite features and what you think can be improved on next year’s model, so be sure to take to the comments section at the bottom of the page to elaborate on your response to the poll. As usual, I’ll be responding to comments submitted on Facebook and Twitter.

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 Cloud will arrive on PC next year

Samsung introduced the Samsung Cloud storage service earlier this year with the Galaxy Note 7. The service provides Samsung device users with a backup and restoration option that works without any USB cables. The service backs up native apps like Calendar, Notes and Contacts continuously as well as some third-party apps. This enables users to basically pick up where they left off on an old device. Users get 15GB of free cloud storage as well for their personal files and can purchase more if they have the need for it.

The only caveat with this service is that it’s limited to Samsung’s smartphones at this point in time. A member of the Galaxy Beta Program suggested to Samsung that the cloud service should be made available on PCs as well so that users can access their files and documents on their computers.

Samsung responded by saying that the Samsung Cloud team is in “deep consideration” on bringing this service to the web, adding that users will be able to view and manage their data on the web “once we open Samsung Cloud web service next year.” We don’t know when Samsung Cloud will go live on the web next year but at least it has confirmed that this is going to happen in 2017.

Thanks, Amro!

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Wallpaper Wednesday: Oceans

Welcome to the latest edition of Wallpaper Wednesday. This week we’re focusing our attention on five wallpapers starring different oceans. All images are available in a FHD resolution, which is a perfect fit for the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy Note 5 and other flagships, but they can, of course, be used on different smartphones too.

If any of the following images float your boat and you want to download and set one as your wallpaper, simply tap on a photo to maximise it, then click and hold to save it. Once the picture is stored locally, open up Settings, locate and select Wallpaper, then just tap the newly-saved image to set it as your background.

Alternatively, you can download a ZIP file containing all of this week’s backdrops by hitting the Download button at the very bottom of this post.

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Boat

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Palm Tree

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Shore

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Sunset

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Waves

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Download

Note: We’ve tried our best to identify the creators of all of the wallpapers featured in this week’s column. However, the images appear to lack copyright information, artist signatures or any real trace of origin. If you created a wallpaper we’ve posted and would like credit, or would rather we remove the image, kindly contact us.

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Daily Deal: Grab a Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 for just $249

Roll up, tablet lovers! Roll up! For a limited time only, you can bag yourself a shiny new Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 anodized in a gorgeous black hue for just $249. That’s a total saving of $150. You better hurry, though, as Amazon only has a limited amount of stock available for this promotion, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.

For those in need of a refresher, the Galaxy Tab S2 is a very capable device, packing an 8-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1536 x 2048 pixels, a Snapdragon 652 octa-core CPU, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable internal storage, an 8MP rear-facing camera, a 2.1MP front-facing shooter and a 4,000mAh battery.

Not entirely sold? Check out our comprehensive review of the Galaxy Tab S2, where we dive into the good, the bad and the ugly, then weigh up the facts to determine whether it’s worth your hard-earned cash. Spoiler alert: It is. Don’t just take our word for it, though. The slate also has stellar reviews on Samsung’s own website.

If you like the sound of the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 and want to take advantage of this promotion, hit the Buy Now button below.

Buy Now

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Galaxy S8 may be the first smartphone to feature Bluetooth 5.0

It appears that the Galaxy S8 is going to be a smartphone of many firsts. The handset is likely to be the first smartphone to feature optical fingerprint recognition and we’ve now heard that there’s a possibility that the Galaxy S8 may be the first smartphone to come with Bluetooth 5.0.

Bluetooth 5.0 was officially adopted by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group as the latest version of the core specification last week. Bluetooth 5.0 promises faster speed, longer range and larger broadcast message capacity. It also provides improved interoperability and coexistence with other wireless technologies. Bluetooth SIG says that the latest standard has four times the range, two times speed and eight times broadcast message capacity as compared to Bluetooth 4.0. The group expects devices with Bluetooth 5.0 to arrive “within two to six months.”

Samsung is one of the members of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group and its upcoming flagship – the Galaxy S8 – in undoubtedly going to be one of the biggest smartphones of 2017. It makes perfect sense for the Galaxy S8 to be the first smartphone to feature the new Bluetooth standard.

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Samsung dodges fine in EU battery cartel case

Sony, Panasonic and Sanyo have been hit with a €166 million after the European Commission found them guilty of collaborating to form a cartel for rechargeable batteries. Samsung’s battery affiliate Samsung SDI was a part of the cartel as well but it wasn’t fined since it tipped off the EU authorities about the unfair business practices.

A statement from the European Commission reveals that Sony, Panasonic and Sanyo agreed to a temporary price increase in 2004 and 2007. This was due to an increase in the price of cobalt which is a raw material used to make lithium-ion batteries. The companies were also found to have exchanged commercially sensitive information such as supply and demand forecasts, price forecasts as well as information about competitive bids for products like smartphones, laptops and power tools.

European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager said that “millions of Europeans” were affected by these unfair business practices as they use productions that have rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. All of the parties accepted their involvement in the cartel and reached a settlement. Sanyo will pay €97 million in fines while Panasonic and Sony will pay €38.9 million and €29 million. Samsung could have been hit with a €57.7 million but since it blew the whistle on these unfair business practices, it wasn’t fined.

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Sharp will stop supplying LCD panels to Samsung soon

Samsung has long been sourcing LCD panels from Sharp but their relationship is about to come to an end soon. Sharp has reportedly notified Samsung that it will stop supplying LCD panels to the company starting next year. Local media reports suggest that Samsung is now in talks with LG Display for panel supplies. If they do ink a deal, it’s going to be a rare partnership between the two Korean rivals who compete with each other in all segments, including but not limited to consumer electronics and displays.

An unnamed industry source cited in the meeting says that Sharp notified Samsung of its intention to stop supplying LCD panels last week. Samsung’s Future Strategy Office is said to have held an urgent meeting and decided to turn to LG Display. Sharp had been supplying up to 5 million TV panels which account for 10 percent of Samsung’s total TV production.

Samsung and Sharp used to have a good relationship previously. Samsung had even invested $90 million in the company back in 2013 but it sold its entire stake in the company after Taiwan-based Foxconn announced its intention to acquire Sharp.

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Samsung Cloud update blows cellular data limit for some users

According to a new report out of Korea, a recent update for Samsung Cloud has blown through the cellular data limit for some users in the country. The issue is said to have impacted users on all three major networks in South Korea. Samsung is now working with carriers to investigate the matter. Samsung Cloud is a service which automatically backs up device settings and more. Following the update it started doing that in LTE and 3G modes and ended up blowing through the limit when it should have been doing that on Wi-Fi only. The Samsung Cloud service was introduced earlier this year with the Galaxy Note 7. Samsung later expanded it to other devices like the Galaxy S7 via a software update.

Users on SK Telecom, KT and LG U+ are said to have faced this issue. An investigation is underway to try and found out the reason behind this and to ascertain the specific models that were affected. Carriers haven’t come up with a compensation plan as yet for users who are over their cellular data limit now. No official statement has been made regarding this situation by Samsung as yet.

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