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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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)...

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...

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...

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+...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...