Galaxy S7 Nougat beta program ends today, official release in January

We picked up a post on Weibo yesterday which suggested that Samsung might be ending the Galaxy S7 Nougat beta program soon. The company has released five versions of the Android 7.0 beta firmware for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge so far and it has now confirmed that the Galaxy S7 Nougat beta program will indeed be ending today.

Samsung has posted a beta notice for members of the program in the Galaxy Members app confirming that the program is going to end on December 30 at 24:00. The company thanks all of the members who showed interested in this exercise and promises to apply most of the opinions that it received during the course of this program in the official Nougat release.

After today, the company will not release a new beta version and will not provide any individual feedback related to “Error report” and “Suggestion” in the app. Feedback will only be managed via “community” from now on.

Samsung previously confirmed that the official release of Nougat will start from Android 7.1.1. The company promises to do its best to release the official version of Android 7.1.1 for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge in January.

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Rumor: Samsung will launch 2 Windows 10-powered tablets at CES 2017

It has been a while since Samsung launched a Windows-powered tablet and we have now received unconfirmed information that the company is going to launch two Windows tablets at the Consumer Electronics Show 2017 in Las Vegas next month. Not much is known about the tablets at this point in time.

One of the tablets is likely going to bear model number SM-W720 which suggests that it’s going to be a successor to the existing Galaxy TabPro S (SM-W700). The Galaxy TabPro S is a high-end Windows 10-powered tablet with specs that include an Intel Core M processor with 8GB RAM and 256GB of SSD storage, 5,200mAh battery with fast charging support, 12-inch 2160×1440 pixel resolution Super AMOLED display, 5-megapixel front and rear camera, USB Type-C and more.

The second tablet Samsung is expected to unveil at CES 2017 is likely going to be the SM-W620. It’s possibly going to be a smaller version of the SM-W720 and might feature a smaller display and slightly less impressive specifications.

As previously mentioned, not much is known about these tablets right now but seeing as how CES 2017 is just a week away, we’ll find out for sure soon enough if they really are on Samsung’s agenda for the Consumer Electronics Show.

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Samsung to save 1 trillion won annually from FTC ruling against Qualcomm

The Korea Fair Trade Commission isn’t afraid to throw down the hammer when necessary (Samsung SDI became one of its victims during the Samsung C&T-Cheil Industries merger back in September) against those who seek unfair and unethical practices in business. According to the antitrust watchdog, Qualcomm has been found guilty of collecting 1 trillion won (around $825 million USD) in dishonest profit from both Samsung and its fellow South Korean rival, LG, each year.

The events surrounding this FTC ruling have to do with patents that the Commission says are unnecessary and have been charged based on smartphone prices instead of standard patent pricing. Qualcomm has also been found guilty of not licensing its modem chip patents in order to restrict its competition each year. The FTC made its decision after interviewing companies such as Intel, Nvidia, Apple, and even Samsung and LG regarding their agreements with Qualcomm.

While Samsung and rival LG will save 1 trillion won annually, there won’t be a drop in smartphone prices as a result. But, the FTC has shown that it isn’t afraid to make companies pay when their practices are called into question. We don’t know how this will impact Samsung and its relationship with Qualcomm (or whether this will have a direct bearing on the Snapdragon 835 SoC that’s headed to market for the Galaxy S8), but, as “a penny saved is a penny earned,” the same can be said for 1 trillion won.

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Samsung Malaysia confirms final Galaxy Note 7 update, set for December 31st

2 million Galaxy Note 7 devices worldwide have been returned as part of Samsung’s global recall, but slightly less than 1 million devices remain in the wild – a testimony to the resolve of some users to hold onto a phone despite the metaphorical handwriting on the wall. While US carriers have confirmed their final Galaxy Note 7 update release dates and are making good on them (T-Mobile is the first in the US), Samsung is still taking measures to reel in other Galaxy Note 7 devices from around the world. The latest concerns Malaysian Note 7 owners.

Samsung Malaysia has confirmed that 8,000 pre-order Note 7 units will meet their end on December 31st at 9PM. Samsung is sending out push notifications to all Samsung smartphones in Malaysia, with detailed information about the final update and what it will do to remaining Note 7s. In short, as is the case with the T-Mobile update two days ago, the Samsung Malaysia update will drain the phone’s battery to zero and disable its charging capabilities. Once this update is downloaded, the Note 7 will no longer reboot.

For Malaysian customers wondering where to turn after returning their Note 7, you can look no further than Samsung’s own Galaxy S7 edge that brings a free Gear VR along for the ride (virtual reality headsets, alongside of the word “free,” are never a bad thing). Additionally, Samsung is beta testing Samsung Pay in the country - so new Galaxy S7 edge owners who take advantage of the free deal won’t have to wait too long before they can start paying with their new phone.

As of now, we continue to urge all Galaxy Note 7 owners to return their recalled phone and exchange it for another. We also have a list of six Galaxy Note 7 substitutes to guide your purchase decision.

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Galaxy A5 (2017) and A7 (2017) pricing leaks, A7 firmware and user manual online

How much will the Galaxy A5 (2017) and the Galaxy A7 (2017) cost? Between all the leaks that have given us details on Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy A smartphones, information on the phones’ pricing has eluded us. Rightly so, as pricing and availability are two valuable nuggets that don’t usually rear their heads before a device gets launched. But that isn’t going to be the case for the A5 (2017) and A7 (2017), as we now have the pricing for at least one market, thanks to an official Samsung ad for the two devices.

In Malaysia, where the A (2017) lineup will be announced on January 5, the A5 (2017) and A7 (2017) will be priced at RM1,699 and RM1,899, which equate to around $378 and $424. Those are pretty impressive prices for the features we’re expecting to see on the 2017 editions of Samsung’s Galaxy A devices, such as 16-megapixel front cameras and a water resistant design. Samsung Malaysia will also be offering a free Level U Pro wireless headphone for those who pre-order the devices between January 6th and January 15th, and it is likely the handsets will go on sale soon after the final pre-order date.

Firmware for the Galaxy A5 (2017) recently became available on Samsung’s (and our) servers, and we are now seeing a few Asian firmware for the Galaxy A7 (2017) making their way online as well. Over at Samsung Russia’s website, the user manual for the A7 (2017) is already available for download, so it sure looks like the Korean giant isn’t trying too hard to keep its newest mid-range smartphone under wraps.

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Exclusive: Samsung will launch wireless in-ear headphones with the Galaxy S8

We reported a few weeks back that Samsung might remove the 3.5mm headphone jack from the Galaxy S8, similar to what Apple, Motorola, and LeEco have done this year. Later, we reported that the company has multiple prototypes, and some of them do have 3.5mm headphone jacks. Still, the company might be pushing towards wireless audio. We’ve received information about the company’s plans to launch a wireless headset alongside its next flagship smartphone.

According to the information we’ve received, Samsung will launch new wireless in-ear headphones alongside the Galaxy S8. We’re not sure whether they would be bundled along with the smartphone or sold separately, but Samsung is surely looking to put out a product that competes with Apple’s AirPods. Whether or not these new headphones feature Harman audio remains to be seen.

We wish that Samsung sticks with a 3.5mm headphone jack for the Galaxy S8. We reviewed the Gear IconX, Samsung’s first completely wireless headphones, and found that it was a great concept but nowhere near an ideal solution to replace wired headphones. So it would be better if the company can show us proof (through its upcoming wireless headphones) that it is truly ready for a wireless audio future before yanking out the headphone jack from its smartphones.

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Daily Deal: Get 20% discount on 3.1-channel wireless soundbar from Samsung

It’s still not too late to get yourself a New Year’s gift, and a wireless soundbar can be a pretty good purchase. A wireless soundbar setup not only improves the audio experience in your living room but also keeps it pretty neat as there are no wires running down your carpet or floor. If you’re interested in adding a soundbar to your TV setup, have a look at this 3.1-channel wireless soundbar from Samsung which is currently being sold at 20% discount on Amazon.

The HW-K650 is a 340-watt, 3.1-channel wireless soundbar from Samsung, and it is currently being sold for just $397.99 on Amazon. This is a discount of 20% over its regular price of $499.99. It features six speakers (integrated into the soundbar), a built-in amplifier, and a wireless subwoofer. You can throw in two additional speakers (SWA-8000S) to convert it into a full 5.1-channel setup. Go ahead and click the source link to grab the deal before stock runs out!

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Themes Thursday: Five best themes from this week

We’re back with this week’s Themes Thursday! Out of dozens of themes released that were released this week for compatible smartphones, we’ve shortlisted five that you might end up liking.

Samsung has designed Field, Simple Desert, and Yellow Boat themes, and all of them are free to download. If you’re still in a Christmas mood, you should check out the cute Greeny Christmas theme pack. Too bad that most of the New Year themes are too flashy to recommend.

Which themes did you like from this week?

Field | Free

Greeny Christmas | Paid

Mountain – THENEW | Paid

Simple Desert | Free

Yellow Boat | Free

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Galaxy A7 (2017) launch nears as retail mode video appears

Samsung will soon unveil the new Galaxy A (2017) series. The company’s Malaysian arm has already sent out invitations for the launch event on January 5th which takes place a few hours before Samsung’s CES 2017 press conference. Official press renders of the Galaxy A3 (2017) and Galaxy A5 (2017) were leaked online yesterday. We’ve now come across the retail mode video for the Galaxy A7 (2017) so it’s evident that this handset is coming soon as well.

Renders of the Galaxy A7 (2017) haven’t leaked online yet but it’s only a matter of time before we get to see them as well. The retail mode video that we’ve found is a good indication that the Galaxy A7 (2017) is also going to be launched in the near future. One thing you’ll note in the video is that the camera is particularly highlighted so it appears that the high-end model of this series will be geared towards those who like to use their handset’s camera quite a bit. The video also points out that this new series is going to be water resistant.

Expect Samsung to confirm details about the pricing and availability of this handset on January 5th.

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Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge owners claim the camera lens is shattering without impact

Samsung is definitely under the microscope, and rightfully so after the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco. Now, they could potentially have another problem on their hands. According to Digital Trends, a large number of Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge owners are reporting that the camera lens is shattering without any kind of impact and Samsung is refusing to cover these incidents under warranty.

Apparently, this has been an issue dating back to the launch of both devices. There have been ongoing complaints about this issue on Samsung’s community forums among users. Samsung has continually insisted that the lens can only break under physical stress and will charge customers $70 to fix the lens itself. Consumerist also reported yesterday of an incident that happened fairly recently with one of their readers. The reader claimed to have woken up to the lens shattered and described the look like a “miniature bullet hole.”

Keller Rohrback, a Seattle-based law firm, is currently investigating the issue at hand and sent out a statement asking affected users to contact the firm to discuss any “potential legal issues.” Other than speculation, there is still no clear explanation on how the lens is shattering at random, and we here at SamMobile are hearing about it for the first time.

Have you experienced this issue? Let us know in the comments below.

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Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge Nougat beta program could end soon

Samsung has released five versions of the Android 7.0 beta firmware for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, and it looks like the company could soon be wrapping testing. The fifth Nougat beta could be the last, according to a post on Weibo that was shared by a tester on Samsung’s beta community (found in the Galaxy Members app).

Does this mean the final version of Nougat could be rolling out soon? Not necessarily, as integration of the software on a device is followed by the certification stage, so we could still be a few weeks away from the official rollout of the update. Of course, it isn’t even confirmed if Samsung has finished testing, although at this point the company really should be hurrying things up and attempting to bring the latest version of Android to its customers at the earliest.

Nougat is shaping up to be one of the biggest updates for Samsung devices, and if you haven’t already, do check out our What’s New With Nougat series to find out what it brings to the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

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