SamMobile Daily Recap: July 31, 2017 — Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8 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 went out today. Deals Daily Deal: Save 16% on a Fast Charge Wireless Charging Stand Firmware News Firmware update...

Galaxy J7 Pro goes on sale in India, comes with 64GB storage, Samsung Pay support

The Indian version of the Galaxy J7 (2017), dubbed Galaxy J7 Pro, has gone on sale in the country today. The J7 Pro is the same handset as the J7 (2017) in most aspects but gets 64GB of internal storage (as opposed to 16GB on the J7 (2017) sold in Europe) and full support for Samsung Pay, which is a first for any Samsung phone outside the mid-range and flagship segments. The J7 Pro will cost you INR...

New Data Monetization Solution for IoT launched by Samsung

Samsung today announced the launch of a new Data Monetization Solution for Internet of Things devices using Samsung ARTIK Cloud. This service will enable users to monetize the data that’s shared by IoT devices, thus enabling an IoT data economy. “Samsung ARTIKTM Cloud Monetization is out front in addressing a crucial need in the market. It can help hardware developers monetize solutions without necessarily putting in all the effort themselves,” said...

Samsung to launch new flip phone on August 3

We have heard a lot of rumors and reports about Samsung’s new flip phone so far. The handset is referred to by its model number, SM-G9298. It’s not known right now what Samsung will end up calling it. This week, we’ve seen multiple leaks concerning the upcoming handset. Purported press renders have already been leaked online. Live images of the device itself were leaked online earlier today. Samsung...

Galaxy C7 (2017) support page goes online on Samsung China’s website

The Galaxy C7 (2017) (SM-C7100) looks to be nearing its official launch, as the device’s support page has now been put online on Samsung China’s website. The C7 (2017) may well become the first Samsung phone to hit retail with dual rear cameras, given the handset was recently certified by TENAA and has now been officially listed by Samsung. The C7 (2017)’s user manual isn’t available for download...

Daily Deal: Save 16% on a Fast Charge Wireless Charging Stand

You can currently bag yourself a Fast Charge Wireless Charging Stand for just $33.49 (16% off). Don’t let its name fool you, though. This charger isn’t only compatible with Quick Charge-enabled devices; it also supports regular charging speeds on standard Qi-enabled handsets. Review: Samsung Fast Wireless Charging Stand makes charging very convenient If you like the sound of this particular promotion and want to take advantage of it, hit the Buy...

Live images of Samsung’s new flip phone leaked

Samsung will soon launch a new flip phone which bears model number SM-G9298. This particular handset previously made the rounds online bearing model number SM-W2018. It’s highly likely that like some of Samsung’s other flip phones, the SM-G9298 will only be released in China. We’ve only seen leaked renders of the handset so far. Today, live pictures of the SM-G9298 flip phone have been leaked online,...

Samsung starts rolling out Android 7.0 to Galaxy A3 (2017) in Russia

We had reported earlier that Samsung could roll out the Android 7.0 update to the Galaxy A3 (2017) soon. All the smartphones in the Galaxy A (2017) series, including the Galaxy A3 (2017), had recently received certifications from the Wi-Fi Alliance while running Android 7.0. Now, the South Korean smartphone giant has started rolling out the update to the Galaxy A3 (2017) in Russia. The Galaxy A3 (2017) with model number SM-A320F started receiving...

Firmware update magazine: July 31, 2017

Welcome to the newest edition of our weekly Firmware Magazine. You can think of it as your go-to resource to find out which of your Samsung devices has received a new update or if it’s going to receive a new firmware update in the near future. To keep things interesting, we present the Firmware Magazine in new designs every week. It will always include the important details about firmware updates such as the firmware versions, device model numbers,...

Samsung Australia kicks off pre-registration for the Galaxy Note 8

Samsung is going to unveil its new flagship smartphone in New York City next month. It goes without saying that there’s a lot of excitement among fans for the new flagship. After all, it’s the successor to Samsung’s ill-fated Galaxy Note 7. The company hasn’t said much about the handset itself. It did mention recently that the Galaxy Note 8 is going to be the perfect device for media consumption. Everything else that we know so far about the Galaxy...

Samsung to start full-fledged sales of Harman products

Samsung has said that it’s going to start full-fledged sales of audio products from Harman International in its home country of South Korea. The company announced in November last year that it was going to acquire Harman for $8 billion. This was Samsung Electronics’ biggest acquisition yet, aimed it giving it a major presence in the connected and automotive technologies market. Harman has long been working on designing and integrating sophisticated...

Samsung’s new 6CA LTE modem supports download speeds of up to 1.2Gbps

Earlier this year, Samsung had unveiled the Exynos 8895 chipset with an integrated Cat.16 LTE modem (and 5CA) and download speeds of up to 1Gbps. Now, the South Korean smartphone giant has announced that it has developed a new LTE modem that employs 6CA (Carrier Aggregation) technology to support download speeds of up to 1.2Gbps for the first time in the industry. Samsung has worked closely with Anritsu, a Japanese telecommunication measuring instrument...

Samsung still leads the smartphone market in India

India is one of the most lucrative smartphone markets on the planet and Samsung continues to enjoy a strong leadership position there. The company has been able to hold on to its lead despite tough competition from Chinese rivals. Some of China’s top smartphone vendors that also sell their products in India actually managed to push out all local manufacturers from the top five rankings in the final...

Press render of high-end Samsung flip phone leaked

It has consistently been rumored over the past couple of weeks that Samsung has a new flip phone in the pipeline. Like some of Samsung’s other clamshell smartphones, it’s possibly going to be released in China only. Reports suggest that this handset carries model number SM-G9298, though it was previously referred to as the SM-W2018, and that it’s going to have high-end specifications. One of the first...

Samsung’s foldable Galaxy X smartphone receives Bluetooth certification

For a couple of years now, we have been hearing rumors about Samsung working on a foldable smartphone. Samsung is said to have shown prototypes of the handset to partners on multiple occasions. The company hasn’t officially confirmed this device but the rumor mill believes that it may not be long before it does that. Now, it appears that Samsung’s foldable Galaxy X smartphone has received its Bluetooth...

Samsung may have revealed some Galaxy Note 8 camera features

There have been countless rumors about the Galaxy Note 8’s camera. It’s widely believed that the Galaxy Note 8 is going to be Samsung’s first flagship with a dual camera system. We can expect the flagship to come with several new camera features as well, some of which might have been revealed by Samsung itself. Previous reports have suggested that Samsung Electro-Mechanics will be supplying the dual...

Gear S3 frontier TUMI Special Edition blends luxury and technology

Samsung has teamed up with TUMI to launch the Gear S3 frontier TUMI Special Edition. For those who are unaware, TUMI is a leading global travel lifestyle brand. This smartwatch blends luxury and technology in a stylish design. This special edition of the Gear S3 frontier takes inspiration from TUMI’s world-class design to serve as the ideal travel companion for users. The special edition watchband...

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 makes its way through the FCC

The Galaxy Note 8 is set to be unveiled on August 23, and if recent history is any guide, Samsung’s anticipated Note flagship should go on sale in markets like the US and South Korea within three weeks of going official. But no matter when the Note 8 will become available for purchase, it will need to be given the go ahead by the FCC, and the phone has now cleared that task. As usual, the FCC certification...

Leaked training manual reveals Galaxy S8 Active specs and official renders

The August 1 launch date of the Galaxy S8 Active is looking very probable at this point. Live images of the device were leaked online recently, and now, a leaked Samsung employee training manual obtained by Android Police is giving us more details on the Galaxy S8 Active’s features in addition to a few official-looking renders. The renders show us the military-grade (and IP68-certified) body of the...

Watchface Friday: Here are four of this week’s best watchfaces

It’s Friday, which means 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...

SamMobile Daily Recap: July 28, 2017 — Galaxy S6, Galaxy S8 Active 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 went out today. Business Samsung ends Intel’s 24-year reign, becomes the largest chipmaker in the world Deals Daily...

Samsung Netherlands to pre-install In-Reply Traffic app on new handsets

Samsung Netherlands launched a new app called In-Traffic Reply four months ago. The company aims to help drivers keep their attention on the road when they’re driving and not on their phone. It goes without saying that texting while driving is very dangerous and is not something that drivers should be doing. The company highlighted a survey conducted by PanelWizard when it launched the app. The survey revealed that one-third of the road users in...

Daily Deal: Save 20% on a SmartThings Hub

You can currently snag yourself a SmartThings Hub for $79.98 (20% off), which is a fantastic price to pay for a device that sits at the centre of the IoT household, allowing users to connect a host of appliances to the internet. If you’d like to take advantage of this promotion, all you need to do is hit the Buy Now button below — but Amazon only has a limited amount of inventory available, so you’re probably going to want to act fast. The...

July security update landing on the Galaxy S6 in Europe

Samsung has started pushing out an update, which transports all of the patches included in this month’s security release, as well as a couple of additional bug fixes and stability improvements, for the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge in Europe. Related: Samsung details contents of July security patch The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge have already reached the end of their two-year support period, so it’s nice to see Samsung release regular maintenance...

Samsung ends Intel’s 24-year reign, becomes the largest chipmaker in the world

Samsung announced its quarterly results yesterday, and became the most profitable company in the world. However, the company broke a few other records as well. It ended Intel’s 24-year reign as the largest semiconductor-based chipmaker in the world. Samsung has now leapfrogged Intel by posting a higher revenue as well as operating profits during Q2 2017. The South Korean electronics giant consistently developed new DRAM and flash storage technologies....

Samsung Galaxy S8 Active detailed specs revealed ahead of official announcement

It’s been more than a year since the rugged version of the Galaxy S7 made its way to the US, and Samsung could soon launch its successor. Named Galaxy S8 Active, the durable smartphone has already been certified by the FCC and the Wi-Fi Alliance. Moreover, its images were leaked earlier this week, revealing a flat display and a 4,000 mAh battery. Now, detailed specifications of the smartphone have...

Themes Thursday: This week’s four best new themes

It’s Themes Thursday! We’re bringing you a fresh list of best new themes that have been released over the past seven days, and there are four theme packs in today’s list that you might want to have a look at. All these themes are premium, and cost around $2 each, but the price can vary slightly, depending on the country. The [Binod] CloudsUI is a good-looking theme with really well-done iconography...

SamMobile Daily Recap: July 27, 2017 — Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ 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 went out today. APK S Voice update brings a new icon, and probably other stuff no one cares for Business Here’s...

Samsung reportedly planning to expand its payment service to non-Samsung smartphones

After expanding its payment service to higher mid-range smartphones like the Galaxy A5 (2017) and the Galaxy A7 (2017) earlier this year, and more recently, to the mid-range Galaxy J7 Pro, Samsung is looking to expand the availability of Samsung Pay. It is now being reported that the company is planning to bring its payment service to at least two more mid-range smartphones later this year. Not only that, the South Korean smartphone giant wants to...

S Voice update brings a new icon, and probably other stuff no one cares for

Remember S Voice? Alright, I’ll wait a few seconds. Remember it now? Yes? Good. S Voice, the virtual assistant that Samsung never developed to any meaningful potential only to recently decide it once again needs to get into the business of virtual assistants, is getting an update today. It’s a major update as far as the version number is concerned (the version number has jumped from 3.x to 4.x), but...

Daily Deal: Bag yourself a pair of Level U Pro headphones for 65% off

You can currently pick up a pair of Samsung’s Level U Pro Bluetooth headphones for $34.99 (65% off). As well as delivering fantastic sound quality, this particular set of earphones are sweat resistant, which makes them perfect for anyone who frequently exercises. 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...

Galaxy S8+ with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage launched in Russia

Samsung has today launched the Galaxy S8+ with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal memory in Russia, following its release in Brazil on Wednesday. The handset, which debuted in South Korea back in March, is priced at RUB 64,990 ($1093) and is only available in one color: Midnight Black. Aside from the increased RAM and storage space, this particular variant of the Galaxy S8+ is identical to the regular 4GB/64GB one, so it sports the same 6.2-inch Infinity...

Samsung says the Galaxy Note 8 will be the best handset for media consumption

Samsung released its earnings for the second quarter of the year today. The company has posted record operating profits and has become the most profitable tech company on the planet this past quarter. The company has also revealed some details about its strategy for the second half of this year. Samsung expects demand for smartphones and tablets to increase in the second half due to strong seasonality, however, it is cognizant of the fact that there’s...

Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy Tab S3 receive certification for classified use in the US

Samsung’s high-end smartphones have been certified by the US government in the past, deeming them safe for classified use. Now, the South Korean smartphone giant has announced that its latest flagship smartphones and tablets have been approved by the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) under the Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation program. The Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, and the Galaxy Tab S3 have now appeared...

Samsung to cancel shares worth billions, announces $868.59 million cash dividend

Samsung has taken several steps over the past couple of years to boost shareholder value. It announced a $10 billion share buyback program in 2015 which was completed in one year. Samsung said that the $10 billion exercise contributed to a 20 percent increase in the stock price over the past year. To further increase shareholder value, the company promised to increase the dividend yield on its shares. The company also launched another share buyback...

Things won’t improve for Samsung’s mobile division next quarter but this is how it will respond

Samsung doesn’t provide shipment figures for smartphones in its quarterly earnings releases so it’s unknown precisely how many units the company has shipped in the second quarter of this year. We will soon see estimates from industry trackers, though. The company today reported its earnings for Q2 2017. It has seen strong sales throughout the quarter which is the why the mobile business has brought in 30.01 trillion won ($26.9 billion) in revenue. However,...

Galaxy Tab A 9.7 spotted running Android 7.0 Nougat

On Thursday, the first-generation Galaxy Tab A 9.7 (SM-T550) was spotted in a document on the Wi-Fi Alliance’s database running Android 7.0, leading us to believe that Samsung is preparing to distribute the long-awaited Nougat update for the slate in the not-too-distant future. For those unaware, Android 7.0 brings a slew of new features to the table. In addition to enhanced notifications, improved application permissions and a ton of fresh emoji,...