Galaxy S7 sales top 55 million units

According to a report by market research firm Strategic Analytics, the combined sales of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge have now crossed 55 million units at the end of the first quarter of this year. Samsung is said to have sold 7.2 million units of last year’s flagship in the January-March 2017 period.

Samsung relied on the Galaxy S7 considerably late last year when the Galaxy Note 7 literally went up in flames and it was left without a new flagship smartphone. Price adjustments and attractive promotions for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge kept Samsung competitive in the high-end segment of the mobile market.

The report also mentions that Samsung’s total smartphone shipments for the first quarter of this year came in at 92.8 million units and that it accounted for 23 percent of the global smartphone market.

The Galaxy S7 has done a lot for the company and now it’s time for the 2016 flagship to take a backseat and let the Galaxy S8 do its thing. Early signs are promising and it might very well outperform the Galaxy S7.

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Samsung gets approval to test its self-driving car on public roads

Samsung is interested in the self-driving car industry and over the past couple of years, we’ve seen the company intensify its efforts to establish a footing in this industry. The company modified a race track that it owns in South Korea to test its autonomous car. It will now be able to do that on public roads.

South Korea’s Land Ministry has given Samsung approval to test its self-driving car on public roads. The tests will help Samsung in developing high-tech sensors and computer modules aided by artificial intelligence that will enable cars to drive themselves even in challenging conditions.

This obviously doesn’t mean that Samsung is eventually going to sell you a car that can drive itself. Young Sohn, the president and chief strategy officer at Samsung, has previously confirmed that the company is not interested in building cars itself.

The efforts it’s making are focused on being a components and solutions provider for conventional car companies. Even the self-driving car it’s testing its technology on is a retrofitted Hyundai.

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Bixby released for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ in South Korea

Samsung spent a lot of time talking about the Bixby voice interface at the Galaxy S8 event in March. It claimed that the feature enables users to do everything they can on the smartphone by using voice commands instead of tapping on the display.

However, it had to delay Bixby’s launch even though the new flagship was released on April 21. The Galaxy S8′s most talked-about feature was ironically not ready at launch. It’s ready now.

Samsung has released Bixby for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ in South Korea. At launch, the only features it offered were Bixby Vision, Reminder and Bixby Home. The voice command feature was not available. This particular feature has now been rolled out to users in South Korea.

This means that Bixby’s voice command feature should go live elsewhere in the near future as well. Samsung US has previously confirmed that Bixby will go live properly on the Galaxy S8 later this spring.

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First proper Galaxy Tab S3 update brings April security patch

It has been a few weeks since the Galaxy Tab S3 was released after it was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona back in February. Samsung has now released the first proper firmware update for this device which brings the April security patch.

Firmware version T820XXU1AQD6 is now being rolled out by Samsung for the Galaxy Tab S3 in Europe. Apart from the April security patch, this update also brings the usual slew of performance improvements and bug fixes. Since the tablet already runs on Android 7.0 Nougat, you won’t find much in the way of new features in this update.

Samsung is rolling out the update to both Wi-Fi and 4G LTE variants of the tablet. It should go live soon across Europe so those who haven’t received an over-the-air update notification yet should expect to do so in the near future.

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T-Mobile Galaxy S6 edge+ Nougat update release will take place this week

T-Mobile is the only major carrier in the United States that hasn’t released the Android 7.0 Nougat update for the Galaxy S6 edge+ yet. Rivals Sprint, AT&T and Verizon have all followed through with the update so it’s about time that Magenta released it as well.

T-Mobile’s @askdes has confirmed via Twitter that the carrier’s engineers have approved the Galaxy S6 edge+ Nougat update and that it’s going to be rolled out this week. The update will most certainly be released in phases so it will take a while before it goes live for everybody.

The Nougat update for the Galaxy S6 edge+ will bring all of the features that are part and parcel of Android 7.0 Nougat. For a more in-depth look into all of the features, don’t forget to check out our What’s New With Nougat series.

It shouldn’t take more than a couple of days for this update to start rolling out on T-Mobile. We’ll let you know when T-Mobile releases it.

SOFTWARE UPDATE: @TMobile Engineers have approved the #GalaxyS6EdgePlus Nougat build! Should start pushing early next week!👏 http://pic.twitter.com/GPEadUQ26j

— Des 📱 (@askdes) April 28, 2017

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Galaxy S8 Tip: Change screen density to fit more content on the display

Want that tall, narrow display on your Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ to be able to show more content on-screen than it does right now? Well, there’s a setting for that. You can change the screen density on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ (as well as other Samsung devices running Nougat) to increase (or decrease) the amount of content you see on the display at any given moment.

By increasing screen density, you can see more in webpages, without needing to scroll as much as you usually do. Check your Instagram feed a lot? Higher screen density means you can read those long texts below images in one go. Basically, you can take better advantage of the big display of your S8 and S8+, and everything looks sharper, too. Check the image below to see an example of how higher screen density helps.

Alright, so how do you change the screen density on the Galaxy S8 or S8+? Here are the steps:

Step 1: First, you need to enable the developer options menu in the phone’s settings. To do this, go into Settings, then About phone, followed by Software information. Here, you have to tap seven times on the Build number text, which will make the developer options menu show up in the main settings screen. You will see a popup dialog telling you how many taps are left before the developer menu gets enabled.

Step 2: Go back to the main settings screen and into Developer options, which you will see at the bottom of the settings. Here, find the Minimum width setting under the Drawing section. By default, this will be set at 360 for the S8 and 411 for the S8+.

Step 3: Now comes the part where you need to test a few values out before you settle on the screen density you want. A value under and around 500 works best; anything over that and you’ll see your icons spaced out too wide and the text rather small for comfortable reading. 460 is a good number to use on the S8, while 500 works great on the S8+. Again, what setting you use is up to you.

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That’s it. Should you have any issues, do let us know in the comments. Don’t forget to check out our collection of Galaxy S8 and S8+ tips to see how you can get the best out of your new phone.

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Galaxy S8 Tip: Slide up or down the camera shutter button to zoom in or out

The Galaxy S8 and S8+ come with a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera that’s broadly similar to that of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. However, Samsung has done some work on the software side to things improve image quality (using Multi Frame Processing) and ease of use (through a newer camera UI).

The new camera app also comes with a handful of new features including fun stickers and Snapchat-esque filters. However, one feature that’s easy to miss is the ability to zoom in or out using the on-screen shutter button. You can hold the shutter button and drag it up or down to zoom in or out, respectively.

You can read more such Galaxy S8 tips and tricks here.

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PSA: Galaxy S8′s pressure sensitive home button is always active

Even though most Android smartphone makers moved on to on-screen navigation buttons, Samsung was reluctant in doing so because a physical home button was a part of its smartphone design philosophy for years. Now that the company has finally moved to on-screen buttons with the Galaxy S8 and S8+, it did so better than its competitors.

The on-screen home button on the Galaxy S8 and S8+ is pressure sensitive, and it’s always active. No matter what you’re doing on these smartphones, the home button is always active (unless the phones are switched off, of course). You can hard press the home button from any screen to go back to the home screen (or to wake up the phone if it’s locked).

Samsung certainly didn’t want to put off its long-time loyal users by switching to a run-of-the-mill on-screen button, and making it pressure sensitive that’s always active was a great way to make sure that Galaxy S8 users don’t miss the good old physical home button. Would other brands switch to pressure sensitive on-screen buttons as well?

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Galaxy S8 and S8+ get update in India with display color balance fix

The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are yet to go on sale in the Indian market, but Samsung is taking a preemptive measure and is already rolling out an update in the country for fixing the display’s red tint issue. The update is surprisingly large in size for one that only optimizes the display’s color tone, and one can only hope that there are performance enhancements and other improvements hidden in the update.

The red tint hasn’t completely gone away on our review units, but setting the display’s color balance to cool takes away the reddish hue (it’s still there compared to our S7 edge, but not as bad). The new firmware version is XXU1AQDG and the update is available over the air for both the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. This is the second update for the devices in India; the first became available right after we fired up our review units. You’ll see these updates available on your S8 or S8+ once you’ve set it up.

Also Read: Samsung starts rolling out update in Europe to fix the Galaxy S8′s display issue

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PSA: Double tap the Galaxy S8′s AOD home button to wake up the phone

The Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ feature large Infinity Displays with curved corners and edges. Samsung had to ditch its traditional physical home buttons to bring us such a beautiful smartphone design. The company has now shifted to on-screen navigation buttons (the on-screen home button is also pressure sensitive).

There are multiple ways to wake up the Galaxy S8 and S8+ from sleep. You can use either the physical power/lock button or double tap the on-screen AOD home button to wake up the smartphone. Moreover, you can also jump to a notification directly from the AOD screen by double tapping on the app icon.

Note: This method to wake up the Galaxy S8′s display works only when the Always On Display mode is active.

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Galaxy S8 restart issue is a nuisance for users

Samsung has barely addressed the reddish display tint issue of the Galaxy S8 and we’re now hearing of a new issue that many Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ owners are facing. Apparently, some units are restarting on their own for no reason at all. Users who are facing this issue report that the handset restarts of its own volition several times a day.

Countless Galaxy S8 owners are expressing their displeasure over the matter on Samsung’s official community page for the US as well as the XDA Developers forums. Samsung has not officially acknowledged this as an issue yet.

Some have deduced that perhaps microSD cards are causing the handset to reboot several times a day on its own. A temporary fix being suggested involves removing the microSD card. Others are of the view that it has something to do with a bug in the lock or Always-On Display screen and possibly the power save feature as well.

There’s no clarity on the matter yet so it’s not known what’s causing this issue and when Samsung is going to come up with a fix. Hopefully, the company will have more information about this for us in the near future.

Having you faced a similar issue on your Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+? Let us know in the comments below.

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Watchface Friday: Here’s our selection of this week’s best watchfaces

It’s Friday, so it’s time for another edition of Watchface Friday! For those unaware, every Friday, we highlight a selection of our favorite watchfaces for the Gear S3 classic and Gear S3 frontier. All of the offerings are available to download through the Galaxy Apps Store, so you can rest assured that you won’t have to search all over the Internet to find something we’ve listed.

Gear S3 classic

Mr. Time: Backlight

Vakta SB01

Gear S3 frontier

DQS006 Lime Sports Watch

SMZ ‘Master’

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SamMobile Daily Recap: April 28, 2017 — Galaxy J3 Prime, Galaxy S8 and more!

We publish a decent amount of stories on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the majority of news breaks during our European hours of operation, which makes it difficult for our readers in the US (and other regions) to keep up with every post. But, we think we’ve come up with an ideal solution — a daily recap.

So, without further ado, here’s what went live today:

Deals

Daily Deal: Save 36% on a Gear VR (2016)

Samsung is offering 50% discount on new Gear VR and Gear 360 (2017) if you purchase Galaxy S8

Firmware News

Samsung releases kernel sources for the Exynos-powered Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+

Samsung starts rolling out update in Europe to fix the Galaxy S8′s display issue

Opinion

Forgive us if we’ve been extra critical of the Galaxy S8 and S8+

Phones

Galaxy J3 Prime now available from T-Mobile

How great does this Galaxy S8 with a clear back look?

Samsung posts Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ video overview

Tips & Tricks

How to move all of your data from an iPhone to a Galaxy S8

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Samsung rolls out update in Germany to fix the Galaxy S8′s display issue

Samsung has started distributing an update in Germany for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ to patch a bug that resulted in some users noticing a “reddish tint” on their handset’s display. The upgrade itself weighs in at 426MB and appears to be identical to the release the firm rolled out in Korea yesterday, transporting a couple of new settings for the Adaptive Display screen mode, which lets users adjust the color balance of the panel and the appearance of white tones on the edges.

 

Model	SM-G955F
Model name	Galaxy S8+
Country	Germany
Version	Android 7
Changelist	11168760
Build date	Tue, 25 Apr 2017 23:45:34 +0000
Security Patch Level	2017-04-01
Product code	DBT
PDA	G955FXXU1AQDG
CSC	G955FOXM1AQDG

 

If you reside in Germany and own a Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+, you should be able to install the over-the-air update right away by heading into Settings, followed by Software Update, then tap the Download Updates Manually button. Alternatively, if it’s not ready for your device just yet (or you’re located in another country but want to try it out), you can grab a copy of the software package for the Galaxy S8+ from our comprehensive firmware database and manually flash it onto your device.

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Forgive us if we’ve been extra critical of the Galaxy S8 and S8+

It’s something I’ve meant to write about for a few days, and I finally got around to penning down my thoughts on why we here at SamMobile might be more skeptical and critical of the new Galaxy S8 and S8+, and of Samsung devices in general. Well, to be honest, the reason is simple: We’re a Samsung fan site, and spend a majority of our time with Samsung devices. Many Samsung fans likely upgrade to a new Galaxy phone every two years (or sooner, depending on how much they like to change their phones), but here at SamMobile, most of us use almost every new Samsung flagship before the next one comes out.

I started my journey with the Galaxy Note 3 and fell so much in love with the device that I decided I would only use Galaxy Note devices in the future. But that was until the Galaxy Note 4, which I felt was so poorly optimized that it put me off Samsung devices. People told us we were wrong and that there was nothing wrong with the performance on Samsung’s phones, but the company itself admitted it had fallen behind and made software optimization a priority with the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge.

I bought the S6 edge the day it became available here in India, and I followed it up with both the S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note 5 as my primary devices. Finally, it was the the Galaxy S7 edge last year, which I think was the most perfect Samsung device in terms of features, pricing, and the overall experience. The Galaxy Note 7 was even better, but I, unfortunately, couldn’t use it as its launch in India was cancelled before it could hit retail shelves. Last week, I placed an order for the Galaxy S8+.

Don’t Miss: Galaxy S8 and S8+ Review: Samsung brings us the future, but it’s not perfect yet

Like me, my colleagues here at SamMobile live in Samsung’s galaxy of smartphones, and that’s pretty much the reason why we have been so critical of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ ever since they were announced. Mind you, we’ve only spoken out against issues that other tech experts agree on. One is the subpar battery life of the 5.8-inch Galaxy S8, and the other is the awkward position of the fingerprint sensor.

Let’s face it: The poor battery life on the S8 means many will go for the S8+ (its larger screen will also attract consumers), and the fingerprint sensor’s placement is especially problematic on the larger model. The fingerprint sensor’s hard-to-reach nature becomes even more of an issue when you consider that the iris and facial scanner cannot always be accurate, and there is no way to make the phone fall back to either iris or facial recognition when one or the other fails.

But that’s a discussion for another article. For now, I’d just like to say that our criticism stems from the fact that we are more involved with Samsung devices than pretty much any other site out there. We thought Samsung could only go forward with its flagship devices after the Note 7, but it seems in the race to outsmart its competition with that Infinity Display, the Korean giant has ignored a few aspects that mar the otherwise excellent experience offered by the Galaxy S8 and S8+.

All I can say is that if our criticism of the S8 and S8+ have put you off, we here at SamMobile apologize. But as a fan site, we can’t help but point things out as they are, and hope Samsung takes some of the feedback and incorporates it into device development, just like it does with consumer feedback. We’re working on lots of content surrounding Samsung’s new flagships, and we’ll try to keep the negativity to a minimum.

No promises though: Being some of the most active and consistent users of Samsung devices, we stand to be a lot more disappointed with the missteps that the company takes with its smartphones. I know we fall way behind on positive content, so we’ll also try to be more energetic on that front going forward.

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Daily Deal: Save 36% on a Gear VR (2016)

Amazon has slashed the price of the 2016 variant of the Gear VR –so while stock lasts, you can pick one up for just $64 (36% off). This is the same model that was released alongside the Galaxy Note 7 last year, and features both a USB Type-C and microUSB; meaning it’s compatible with the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy Note 5.

If you want to take advantage of this deal, simply click the Buy Now button below. You’ll probably want 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. We should state, however, this isn’t International promotion, so you’ll only be able to snag yourself one for the discounted price if you reside in the United States.

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Samsung releases kernel sources for the Exynos-powered Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+

The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have made their way to a handful of markets across the globe. As Samsung continues to expand the availability of its new flagship smartphone, the company has done a commendable job by releasing kernel sources for the Exynos-powered Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+.

As more and more people get their hands on the new flagship, there will be many who want to customize their devices. Providing developers with kernel sources enables them to start working on custom kernels for the device. Custom kernels will give users significantly more control over their device and countless modification options.

You can visit Open Source Release Center (OSRC) to download the kernel sources for the Exynos-powered Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. This is certainly going to benefit a lot of people as most markets are going to receive the Exynos variant. You should expect custom kernels for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ to start popping up in a couple of weeks.

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Samsung is offering 50% discount on Gear VR with Wireless Controller and Gear 360 (2017) if you purchase Galaxy S8 or S8+

Samsung usually offers incentives to those who preorder its flagship smartphones, including freebies or discounts. These incentives vary by market, and the company is being quite generous to its Galaxy S8 and S8+ customers in Malaysia. Apart from a free Limited Edition Starter Kit (Clear Cover, Screen Protector, Wireless Charging Stand, USB Type-C cable) and a 5,100 mAh Battery Pack, Samsung is also offering additional freebies during their 3-day roadshow for the Galaxy S8 and S8+.

Customers in the country can get a 50% discount on the new Gear VR with Controller and the Gear 360 (2017) if they purchase the Galaxy S8 (priced at RM 3,299) or S8+ (priced at RM 3,699) during Samsung’s roadshow in Malaysia. Interested customers can also trade in their existing smartphones for the Galaxy S8 or S8+ during the roadshow. For its ‘Trade Up’ program, the company has specified trade-in values for popular smartphone models (including other brands) in the table below.

Samsung will launch the DeX docking station, which turns the Galaxy S8 or S8+ into a PC-like desktop experience, in Malaysia sometime in June 2017 with a price tag of RM 459. The company’s roadshows are happening from 5-7 May 2017 between 10 AM to 10 PM at Sunway Pyramid, Queensbay Mall Penang and Sutera Mall in Johor Bahru in the country. The South Korean smartphone giant is also offering a free battery pack to those who purchase the smartphones from stores.

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How to move all of your data from an iPhone to a Galaxy S8

If you’ve made the switch from an iPhone to a Galaxy S8, there’s a good chance you’re going to want to transfer all of your content from iOS to Android. The good news is: it’s possible. However, if you don’t have an adapter handy to connect the two devices, it’s going to take a little bit of time.

Here’s how you do it:

You will need

• A Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+
• An iPhone running iOS 9 or newer
• A Lightning cable
• A Mac/Windows computer with Samsung’s Smart Switch software installed
• A USB-C cable

Preparation

Before we go any further, connect your iPhone to your computer and create a backup using iTunes. Instructions on how to do so can be found here. Once you’ve done that, open up Smart Switch and install any software updates that are available.

Let’s get started

Step 1: Ensure Smart Switch is running on your computer, then connect your Galaxy S8 using a USB-C cable.

Step 2: After Smart Switch recognises your handset (it may take a few minutes), hit the Restore button.

Step 3: Press Select a different backup.

Step 4: Change the source of the backup you want to restore from Samsung Device Data to iTunes Backup Data using the dropdown menu.

Step 5: Choose the data you want to restore and press Confirm.

Step 6: Press Restore Now.

Step 7: Wait for the restoration process to complete, hit Confirm, then disconnect your Galaxy S8.

Voilà!

You’re all done. If something doesn’t go quite according to plan, be sure let us know in the comments section below and we’ll do our very best to get you back on track. Otherwise, feel free to check out our other Galaxy S8 tips and tricks, and be on the lookout for more in the coming days.

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Galaxy J3 Prime now available from T-Mobile

T-Mobile and its prepaid subsidiary MetroPCS have now started selling the Galaxy J3 Prime. It’s an entry-level smartphone with specs to match but it does come with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. T-Mobile postpaid customers can purchase the Galaxy J3 Prime for $6 down and $6 per month for 24 months. This works out to a full price of $150.

The carrier’s prepaid customers can buy it for $150 upfront. However, for a limited time, the carrier is providing a $75 instant discount on the handset. After all of the offers have been redeemed, the handset can be picked up for as low as $69.

You get what you pay for, so the specs won’t be something worth writing home about. It has a 5-inch 1280×720 pixel resolution display, an Exynos 7570 processor with 1.5GB RAM, 16GB storage, 5-megapixel rear and 2-megapixel front camera and a 2,600mAh battery.

Head over to the T-Mobile or MetroPCS website right now if you’re interested in picking up this smartphone.

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How great does this Galaxy S8 with a clear back look?

Remember the time when someone found a way to peel the color film from the Galaxy Note 5′s back so that the internals could be on full display at all times? Well, someone just did that with the Galaxy S8 but the procedure is a bit harder on the new flagship than it was on the Galaxy Note 5.

The Galaxy S8 doesn’t have a color film. The color is actually more of a coating that can’t be peeled off. It has to be removed using a paint remover. Once the coating is removed, the lamination layer can easily be peeled off thus leaving you with a clear piece of glass.

Bear in mind that this procedure requires disassembly of some parts of the handset and absolutely voids any and all official warranties. You lose wireless charging as well if you opt for maximum transparency. It’s also pertinent to mention here that the Galaxy S8 won’t be water resistant once you’re done.

If you’re curious about this, check out the video by the YouTuber JerryRigEverything embedded down below in which he details all of the steps required to give your Galaxy S8 a clear back as well.

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Samsung posts Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ video overview

If you’ve been using Samsung smartphones for a while now then you won’t really find it that hard to get familiar with the company’s new flagship smartphone. However, if the Galaxy S8 has enticed you to switch over from another manufacturer, Samsung has posted an overview video for you which will help you understand some important bits about your new smartphone.

The video walks you through the design of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, all of the contents inside the box, the display sizes, key placements, swipe gestures, software buttons and more.

It also details the edge lighting feature that’s activated by notifications, the Always-On Display and its features, navigation bar settings and then circles back to the Infinity Display again.

It’s a short video that provides a quick overview of Samsung’s new flagship smartphone. If you’re intrigued, you’ll find the video embedded below.

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Themes Thursday: Have a look at this week’s best new theme packs

Welcome back to Themes Thursday! This is where we showcase some of the best new themes released each week for Galaxy smartphones. A whopping 242 new theme packs have been released by Samsung over the past one week. We’ve gone through each and every one of them, and shortlisted a few theme packs that you might find worth having a look at.

[Anup] Night Window (AOD), [NR] Sierra, and Raining Love (AOD) have pretty good AOD designs. [Kendi] Glow UI and [IMG] Material Pixel have a Material UI design theme, if you like that sort of thing. Which theme did you like the most?

[Anup] Night Window (AOD)

[IMG] Material Pixel

[Kendi] Glow UI

[LINEDECO] Street Life

[NR] Sierra

[PIXOME] Calm Flight (LIVE!)

[Soni] Flair UI

AURORA

Raining Love (AOD)

Rose Day Page 9 – THENEW

Spring [Inah]

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SamMobile Daily Recap: April 27, 2017 — Galaxy S8, Q1 2017 earnings and more!

We publish a lot of stories on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the majority of news breaks during our European hours of operation, which makes it difficult for our readers in the US (and other regions) to keep up. However, we think we’ve come up with a fantastic solution — a daily recap.

Here’s what we went live today.

Business

Samsung Electronics decides to cancel treasury shares worth $43 billion

Samsung Electronics rejects holding company structure

Samsung posts highest-ever Q1 operating profit on revenue of $44.7 billion

Samsung retains top spot in US home appliance market

Deals

Daily Deal: Save 65% on a pair of Level U Pro headphones

Phones

Hong Kong to get unlocked Galaxy S8+ with 6GB RAM

Samsung confirms new flagship smartphone launch for the second half of 2017

Samsung rolls out an update in Korea for Galaxy S8′s red tint problem

Samsung Z4 user manual reveals dual LED flash

Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay expands to Hong Kong, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UAE

Tips & Tricks

Galaxy S8 Tip: How to clear unread notification badges from app icons

Galaxy S8 Tip: How to enable Smart Stay on Galaxy S8 and S8+

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Hong Kong to get unlocked Galaxy S8+ with 6GB RAM

It has been three weeks since the much-rumored Galaxy S8+ with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage was officially confirmed. It’s only being sold in select markets like South Korea and mainland China. Samsung is selling locked units of this handset so it’s not going to be that easy for people who reside in other markets to get their hands on this variant.

That’s going to change soon, though. Samsung conducted an event in Hong Kong today to announce the launch of Samsung Pay. It also confirmed that the Galaxy S8+ with 6GB RAM will soon be released in Hong Kong.

The company added that all Samsung smartphones sold in Hong Kong are not locked to carriers which means one can easily buy a 6GB Galaxy S8+ in Hong Kong and use it elsewhere.

If that really is the case, you can expect many 6GB Galaxy S8+ variants to show up on eBay in the near future.

Samsung has said that the handset will be released in Hong Kong on May 25, but it hasn’t confirmed pricing for it yet.

Thanks, Justin!

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Samsung rolls out an update in Korea for Galaxy S8′s red tint problem

Some Galaxy S8 and S8+ owners were complaining about a “reddish” tint on their smartphone’s display, and Samsung had said that it would fix the problem with a software update. It now appears that the company has rolled out a software update that offers users with options to adjust the screen’s color temperature.

Samsung has started rolling out a software update for the Galaxy S8 (SM-G950N) and S8+ in Korea (SM-G955N). The update (with firmware version G950NKSU1AQDG or G950NKSU1AQDG) provides an additional setting in the Adaptive Display screen mode where users can adjust the ‘full screen color balance’ as per their personal preferences.

Note: The company might release this update to other markets in the coming days, but we currently don’t know an accurate time frame.

Thanks for the tip, Henk!

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Samsung Z4 user manual reveals dual LED flash

We’ve already seen multiple reports which suggest that Samsung’s next Tizen smartphone is going to be the Samsung Z4 bearing model number SM-Z400F. This handset has already been spotted at the FCC and has even received its Wi-Fi certification.

The user manual of the Samsung Z4 now appears to have surfaced online. It reveals that the handset is going to feature a rather interesting rear flash setup.

Not only will the handset have a front flash it’s actually going to have two separate LEDs at the back which will function as the flash. As expected, the Samsung Z4 is going to be the first smartphone from Samsung that runs Tizen 3.0 straight out of the box.

The manual doesn’t actually reveal much about the actual specifications of the handset so we may have to wait for a while before that information becomes public. Samsung is yet to confirm when it’s going to launch its next-generation Tizen smartphone.

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Samsung Pay expands to Hong Kong, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UAE

Samsung has announced that it has expanded the reach of its mobile payment service to four new markets: Hong Kong, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UAE. Samsung Pay has been officially launched in Sweden and the UAE, while the service is available through an early access program in Hong Kong and Switzerland. The company is making sure that users get the best out of its service through partnerships tailor-made for those markets.

Sweden and the UAE are the first markets in the Middle East and Nordic regions, respectively, to get Samsung Pay. The mobile payment service was launched in these countries alongside the launch of the Galaxy S8 and S8+, and it will also be available through the Gear S3 in these markets. Apart from credit and debit cards, users in these markets can use pre-paid as well as loyalty cards with Samsung Pay for mobile payments.

“Less than two years ago, Samsung Pay came to life in Korea with a simple mission: To empower customers with mobile payments that are simple, secure and available almost anywhere. Today, Samsung Pay is so much more. Our launches in different parts of the world demonstrate governments’ and consumers’ changing attitudes towards progressing to a cashless society,” said Thomas Ko, VP and Global General Manager of Samsung Pay.

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Daily Deal: Save 65% on a pair of Level U Pro headphones

While stock lasts, you can pick up a pair of Samsung’s Level U Pro Bluetooth headphones for just $34.99 (65% off). In addition to delivering fantastic sound quality, this particular set of earphones are sweat resistant, making them the perfect companion for anyone who enjoys working out.

If you like the sound of the Level U Pro headphones and want to take advantage of this promotion, simply hit the Buy Now button below. We know we say this a lot, but we’d recommend you hurry, as Amazon has only set aside a limited amount of inventory for this specific deal.

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Galaxy S8 Tip: How to enable Smart Stay on Galaxy S8 and S8+

The Smart Stay feature, which Samsung debuted with the Galaxy S3 five years ago, is still present in the recently released Galaxy S8 and S8+. However, it’s turned off by default. When activated, the Smart Stay feature keeps the screen on while you’re looking at it.

The feature uses the front-facing camera of the smartphone to know whether you’re looking at the screen. If it suits your use case and if you want to try it out, here’s how you can enable the Smart Stay feature on your Galaxy S8 or S8+.

Step 1: Open the Settings menu either from the home screen, app drawer, or notifications shade.

Step 2: Locate and select the Advanced Features menu.

 

Step 3: And then activate the Smart Stay toggle, and it’s done!

Note: This feature consumes additional battery power because the front-facing camera turned on to monitor whether you’re looking at the screen, so your phone’s battery life might reduce. Moreover, it works only in well-lit conditions, but not under direct sunlight.

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Galaxy S8 Tip: How to clear unread notification badges from app icons

The default app launcher on the Galaxy S8 and S8+ can show unread notification badges on respective app icons. This makes it easier for users to know which apps have notifications that they haven’t checked out yet. However, it can also get pretty annoying when apps bombard users with useless notifications,

It’s quite easy, actually, to clear notification badges from app icons without opening the corresponding app. You just need to long press the app icon (either from the home screen or from the dedicated app drawer), and a pop-up menu will appear. Click on Clear Badge option from the menu, and you’re done!

You can read more tips and tricks related to the Galaxy S8 and S8+ here.

 

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Samsung retains top spot in US home appliance market

Samsung has been the undisputed king of the US home appliance market for some time now and it’s a similar story in the first quarter of 2017. Market research firm TraQline found that Samsung had clinched the top spot from Whirlpool the US home appliance market.

TraQline is out with a new report today which shows that Samsung retained its top spot in the US home appliance market in the first quarter of this year as well.

Improved sales of fridges and washing machines have enabled the company to expand its market share to 19.2 percent of the entire market. This sales-based figure is up 4.5 percent points from the same time last year.

Choi Ik-soo, an executive vice president at Samsung Electronics, said that the company’s FlexWash and FlexDry washing and drying system is gaining popularity in the country while its Family Hub refrigerators are also bringing in a lot of customers.

Samsung has now been the leader in the US home appliance market for the fourth consecutive quarter ever since it emerged as the market leader in Q2 2016 with a 16.7 percent market share.

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Samsung Electronics rejects holding company structure

Samsung Electronics received a restructuring proposal from US activist hedge fund and minority shareholder Elliott Associates which proposed that the company be split into two. It called for setting up an operational and holding company and listing the latter on external exchanges in order to significantly boost shareholder value.

Samsung took its time to study the proposal in detail and at its annual shareholder meeting last month said that it was not going to adopt a holding company structure for now. However, at that time, it didn’t completely rule out the possibility.

It has done that today, though. Samsung has said that the company’s Board of Directors has decided not to convert to a holding company structure.

A comprehensive review conducted with external advisors has revealed that a holding company structure will not strengthen the competitiveness of Samsung’s business and may potentially weigh on its operations in the long-term.

The review also highlighted some issues that may crop up if the proposal is to be accepted. Creating a holding company would require divestments of equity stakes held by Samsung Electronics and its affiliates. This will require approval from directors and shareholders of all relevant companies and can thus not be implemented by Samsung Electronics alone.

Existing laws will also force the company’s financial affiliates to divest part or all of their stakes. This might lead to volatility in the company’s share price. The uncertainty of the legal and regulatory environment has also been deemed not conducive to such a major change.

Samsung has thus concluded that the risks and the challenging environment associated with a fundamental change in corporate structure would not be beneficial for enhancing shareholder value and sustaining growth for the business in the long-term.

It believes that the holding company structure does not have clear benefits compared to Samsung Electronics’ current business structure.

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Samsung Electronics decides to cancel treasury shares worth $43 billion

As the name suggests, treasury shares are those that a company keeps in its own treasury. It either comes from a repurchase or buyback from shareholders or it may be stock that was never issued.

Samsung Electronics today announced that the company’s Board of Directors has approved a plan to cancel all existing treasury shares held by the company. At present value, the treasury shares held by Samsung Electronics are worth almost $43 billion.

The treasury stock was retained by the company to use as a financial resource for merger and acquisition transactions as well as for securing talented professionals. However, it feels that the strong balance sheet and increase in cash holdings of the company have reduced the need to hold treasury shares.

To limit the impact on the financial market as the value of these shares exceeds $40 billion, Samsung is going to cancel them in two stages. The first stage will see the cancellation of 50 percent of the holding which is about 9 million common and 1.6 million preferred shares. The remainder will be canceled after the board’s approval in 2018.

Samsung holds 17,981,686 of common shares which accounts for 12.9 percent of the outstanding common stock and 3,229,693 of preferred shares which equal to 15.9 percent of the outstanding preferred stock in its treasury. This step is part of Samsung’s commitment to enhance long-term value for shareholders.

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Samsung confirms new flagship smartphone launch for the second half of 2017

Samsung posted its Q1 2017 earnings today and it’s evident that the Galaxy Note 7′s demise contributed to the decline in revenue from the mobile business as Samsung didn’t have a new flagship smartphone on the market.

It’s now planning to turn things around by maximizing sales of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ while also confirming that another flagship smartphone is due in the second half of this year.

Samsung normally launches a new Galaxy Note flagship in the second half of the year, that’s what it has been doing for the past few years. However, there was some speculation last year that perhaps it might ditch the Galaxy Note lineup altogether.

That might not be the case, though, given that Samsung has previously said that the Galaxy Note lineup isn’t going anywhere and that a new handset will be launched in 2017. The fact that it has reiterated the launch of a second flagship in the earnings release goes to show that Samsung is surely going to go ahead with it.

Whether or not the upcoming flagship carries the tainted Galaxy Note branding remains to be seen.

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Samsung posts highest-ever Q1 operating profit on revenue of $44.7 billion

Samsung shared its earnings guidance for the first quarter of 2017 last month. It expected the operating profit to come in at 10.1 trillion won or $9 billion. The company today reported its Q1 2017 earnings and hasn’t strayed too far from its guidance.

Samsung brought in an operating profit of 9.9 trillion won or $8.7 billion. This makes Q1 2017 Samsung’s second-best quarter ever and also represents the highest-ever operating profit for the January to March period. Overall revenue came in at 50.55 trillion won or $44.7 billion.

The company points out that revenue from its mobile business fell during the quarter due to a decline in flagship product sales. However, its quarter was salvaged by increased sales for the memory and display businesses. Profits were driven by the semiconductor and display panel segments.

Samsung mentions in the earnings release that even though smartphone and tablet demand saw a slight decrease quarter-over-quarter, smartphone shipments actually increased slightly during this period.

This was primarily due to the new Galaxy A (2017) series and robust sales in the mid- to low-end segment in emerging markets. The division’s overall profits decreased due to price adjustments of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

The company is looking to improve the performance of its handset division year-over-year by maximizing sales of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ this quarter but it does expect competition to intensify with newly launched smartphones in the market.

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Wallpaper Wednesday: Illustration

Welcome to the latest edition of Wallpaper Wednesday. This week we’re focusing our attention on five illustrated backgrounds. All of the images are available in a suitable resolution for the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and just about any other smartphone (or even tablet) on the market.

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 press the 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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Animals

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Bear

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Lake

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Thieves

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Town

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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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