Samsung Smart Switch app updated with Android Oreo support

Here’s another indication that the Android 8.0 Oreo beta program for the Galaxy S8 could start sometime this week: Samsung has updated its Smart Switch app for its phones and tablets with support for Oreo. You know, so anyone moving from an older device to the Galaxy S8 and getting the chance to take part in the beta can transfer their data using the company’s official tool instead of having to start...

SamMobile Daily Recap: October 31, 2017 — Android 8.0 Oreo, Galaxy A5 (2018) 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 published today. Business Samsung dividends will double next year to increase shareholder value Samsung posts record profits in Q3 2017 Samsung...

New Gear IconX (2018) update brings Bluetooth improvements

Samsung is rolling out a new firmware update for the Gear IconX (2018) today. It’s a minor update that brings Bluetooth improvements. The update is now available for download and Gear IconX (2018) owners can get it right away. The Gear IconX (2018) activity tracking wireless earbuds were launched earlier this year. They’re quite similar to the original Gear IconX but with slight improvements that...

Bixby will now receive its weather data from The Weather Company

The Weather Company has confirmed that it’s now providing weather data for Samsung’s digital personal assistant Bixby. One of the basic commands that you can give to Bixby is to have it pull up weather information. The Bixby weather experience is now going to be powered by The Weather Company. This is an expansion of the existing global partnership that Samsung and The Weather Company announced earlier this year. That partnership made TWC the default...

Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 Oreo beta license indicates impending launch

The Android 8.0 Oreo update for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ is in the pipeline. Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 Oreo beta in the near future. The license agreement for the upcoming Galaxy Beta Program has now gone live which suggests that the launch isn’t that far off. Samsung is yet to confirm when it’s going to launch the Galaxy S8 beta program, though. Previous reports have suggested that the beta might be launched in...

Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 (2018) processor gets Bluetooth 5.0 certification

Bluetooth 5.0 is coming to Samsung’s mid-range lineup. The Galaxy S8 was the first smartphone to feature Bluetooth 5.0 and Samsung is now expanding the new standard to its mid-range handsets. The Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 (2018) processor has received Bluetooth 5.0 certification. This confirms that the premium mid-range handsets will have the new standard onboard when they arrive next year. We’ve previously...

Gear Sport firmware update improves sensor accuracy, adds new features

Samsung today released a new firmware update for the Gear Sport smartwatch. The company’s new smartwatch was released recently. Samsung unveiled the Gear Sport at IFA 2017 in Berlin a couple of months back. The Gear Sport combines minimalist design with military-grade durability. It features a 1.2-inch circular Super AMOLED display, a 1.0GHz dual-core processor with 4GB of storage and 768MB of RAM....

Samsung dividends will double next year to increase shareholder value

Samsung launched its Shareholder Value Enhancement Program back in 2015 to increase shareholder value. The program saw the company doling out billions in dividends. The company has also spent billions on buying back shares and canceling them. Samsung today outlined its Shareholder Return Program for 2018-2010. Shareholders will be pleased to find out that Samsung dividends will double next year. The company is going to increase annual dividends by...

Samsung shakes up its leadership with three new CEOs

Samsung Electronics CEO Kwon Oh-hyun recently announced that he was going to step down from his position. He said that amid the “unprecedented crisis” that the company faced, it was time for a new leadership to take the reins. The company today announced his replacement. Samsung Electronics previously had three co-CEOs, the other two being Boon Boo-keun (BK Yoon) and Shin Jong-kyun (JK Shin). Both of them are resigning as well. Samsung Electronics...

Samsung posts record profits in Q3 2017

Samsung recently released its earnings guidance for the third quarter of this year. The guidance predicted that the company was on track for another record quarter. Samsung today released its Q3 2017 earnings results and it has indeed posted its highest ever quarterly profits. Samsung brought in revenues of 62 trillion won or $55 billion and posted an operating profit of 14.5 trillion won or $12.91 billion. This is the highest ever operating profit...

Samsung Internet v6.2 brings beta features like Night Mode for everyone

Samsung released the Samsung Internet Beta v6 three months ago. The beta version of its web browser introduced several new features including the Night Mode. Samsung today announced that it’s rolling out Samsung Internet v6.2 to the public. The beta features that were launched three months ago are now available for everyone. It was also confirmed a couple of months ago that Samsung Internet v6.2 beta...

SamMobile Daily Recap: October 30, 2017 — Android 8.0 Oreo, 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 we covered today. Business Samsung might announce reshuffle of top brass tomorrow Firmware News Firmware Update Magazine: October 30, 2017 Galaxy...

SamMobile Firmware Update Magazine: October 30, 2017

Welcome to the latest 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...

Samsung Flow for Windows 10 now works without Trusted Platform Module

Samsung Flow was launched three years ago to provide seamless content handoff between devices. It can be used to transfer content between devices like smartphones, smartwatches, TV, PCs and tablets. Samsung has gradually expanded it to more devices. Four months ago, Samsung made it compatible with all Windows 10 PCs. Samsung Flow for Windows 10 enables users to accomplish a variety of tasks. For example, they can use their compatible Galaxy smartphone’s...

Samsung airs first Gear Sport TV ad in South Korea

Samsung recently unveiled its new Gear Sport smartwatch and it’s now available for purchase in South Korea. The smartwatch was released in Samsung’s home country over the weekend. Now that it’s available for purchase, Samsung has got the hype machine up and running. It has aired its first TV ad for the Gear Sport in South Korea. The Gear Sport offers military-grade durability and a host of new features. The list of features includes Spotify’s offline...

Galaxy S8 Oreo beta program will go live in these countries

Samsung started working on the Android 8.0 Oreo update for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ last month. We reported recently that there’s a possibility that Samsung might launch the Galaxy S8 Oreo beta program soon. Another report claimed that the beta program will be launched in the United States on October 31. A new report brings us the names of the countries where Samsung is going to launch the Galaxy S8 Oreo beta program. It doesn’t reveal precisely...

Samsung still leads in India but it’s under immense pressure from Xiaomi

Samsung has long been the market leader in India but in recent years, the company has had to put up with intense competition from Chinese rivals. The latest data from Counterpoint Research shows that while Samsung maintained its lead in Q3 2017, Xiaomi came very close to topping Samsung’s smartphone market share in India. Samsung and Xiaomi accounted for 45 percent of the Indian smartphone market...

Samsung might announce reshuffle of top brass tomorrow

The latest reports out of South Korea suggest that Samsung could announce its reshuffle of the company’s top brass tomorrow. The company has recently been finalizing the replacement of Vice Chairman Kwon Oh-hyun who announced that he was resigning from the job. His decision to depart Samsung has people concerned about the leadership vacuum at the company. It doesn’t help that the conglomerate’s heir Lee Jae-yong is behind bars. If his appeal is denied,...

Galaxy S9 back will reportedly ‘change a lot’

Rumors and reports about the Galaxy S9 continue to filter is as anticipation for Samsung’s next flagship smartphone grows. The latest suggests that the Galaxy S9 back is going to “change a lot.” That means Samsung might make some design changes to the rear panel of the Galaxy S9. Just what can the company change? Perhaps it might finally remove the pain point for a lot of customers by repositioning the fingerprint sensor. The handset is also expected...

AT&T releases major security update for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge

AT&T has released an update for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge in the United States. The upgrade, which weighs in at 135MB, transports all of the security patches included in both September and October’s release, as well as some preventative measures to protect the handset from the BlueBorne exploit. Related: Samsung details contents of October security patch BlueBorne, for those unaware, is a vulnerability that allows remote hackers to...

Samsung launches a try-before-you-buy Galaxy Studio in Malaysia

Samsung has launched one of its famed Galaxy Studio pop-up stores in Malaysia. Located along Kuala Lumpur’s Jalan Bukit Bintang, the retail space provides customers with an opportunity to experience the firm’s latest products, including the Galaxy Note 8, Gear Fit2 Pro and Gear VR with Controller. There are plenty of interactive activities on offer to help you see how each product will fit into your day-to-day life. You can, for example, strap on...

Samsung built a Bitcoin mining rig out of old Galaxy S5s—and it’s more efficient than a computer

Samsung’s found a use for your old Galaxy S5 (and no, it doesn’t matter if it’s smashed to smithereens): Pair it with thirty-nine other units, install a build of the firm’s specialist operating system, which isn’t available just yet, then insert them all into a strange building-like structure to create your very own Bitcoin Miner Cluster that’s capable of mining at a greater power efficiency than a standard desktop computer. Chances are, you don’t...

SoundAssistant is one of Samsung’s best applications, but it isn’t for everyone

Earlier this week, Samsung updated its SoundAssistant application with support for the Galaxy Note 8—and I haven’t been able to put it down since. There’s something about having complete control over all of your handset’s audio preferences that’s oddly satisfying (I know, I know, I’m probably the only person who feels that way). Related: SoundAssistant is now compatible with the Galaxy Note 8 There isn’t anything to say about SoundAssistant...

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: October 27, 2017 — Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy S9 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 published today. Firmware News Galaxy J5 (2017) now receiving BlueBorne security update in Europe Phones Samsung patents a pressure-sensitive...

Galaxy J5 (2017) now receiving BlueBorne security update in Europe

Samsung has started distributing a new update—J530FXXU1AQI3—for the Galaxy J5 (2017) in Europe, following a rollout of a near-identical upgrade for the Galaxy J7 (2017) last week. The release bundles all 40 patches included in August’s security release, in addition to some measures to protect the handset from the BlueBorne exploit. There aren’t any new features to play around with There isn’t a whole lot to say about the update, because let’s be...

Samsung patents a pressure-sensitive in-display fingerprint reader

Samsung has filed for a patent with KIPRIS, South Korea’s Intellectual Property Rights Information Service, for a pressure-sensitive in-display fingerprint reader, leading many to believe the technology will debut on the upcoming Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. It’s more likely, however, that it will be on board the Galaxy Note 9, if a recent tweet from the firm’s former Marketing Manager is anything to...

Themes Thursday: Here are this week’s hottest themes

It’s Thursday, which means that it’s time for another exciting  edition of our weekly Themes Thursday segment. This week, a number of new themes found their way onto the Store. Unfortunately, they’re not all worth of your attention as the majority are priced too high. If I had to choose my favourite new theme in today’s column, it would be Saturn Blue. Although it’s priced at $1.99,...

SamMobile Daily Recap: October 26, 2017 — Galaxy A7 (2017), Galaxy S9 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 covered today. Bixby Samsung envisions a greater role for Bixby in your home Business Samsung will support seven new C-Lab startups Firmware...

Samsung hypes up its smartphone displays at the Pixel 2 XL’s expense

If you follow tech news, you might have heard about the Pixel 2 XL’s display problems. Customers have reported issues with viewing angles and display burn-in. That’s hardly the experience you want from a flagship smartphone that costs a pretty penny. Even Google has acknowledged that there are issues and that it’s looking into them. Samsung has felt that this is an opportune moment to hype up its smartphone displays. The company is a market leader...

Galaxy A7 (2018) surfaces with an Exynos 7885 CPU, 6GB of RAM

Samsung has started development of the successor to the Galaxy A7 (2017), according to a listing spotted on Geekbench’s online database on Wednesday, which points towards the handset sporting a 6-inch Full HD+ display ((2160 x 1080 pixels), a 1.6GHz Exynos 7885 octa-core processor and 6GB of RAM. There’s no word on whether the South Korean company will adopt a dual rear-facing camera design for the...

Samsung kicks off its annual OpenSource Conference in South Korea

Samsung has kicked off its annual OpenSource Conference at its Research and Development campus in Ueon-dong, Seoul. The exhibition, which is the largest open-source conference in South Korea, commenced on October 25 and will end on October 26. More than 1,000 developers are said to be in attendance. A number of influential players, including Cho Sueng-hwan, Vice President of Samsung’s Software Center, took to the stage during the commencement ceremony...

Gear Fit2 Pro, Gear IconX and Gear S3 now compatible with the Galaxy J series

Good news for Galaxy J5 Prime, Galaxy J5 Pro, Galaxy J7 Neo and Galaxy J7 Prime owners: You can now use your handset with the Gear Fit 2, Gear Fit2 Pro, Gear IconX, Gear S2 and Gear S3, without having to resort to third-party tweaks to make them work. Samsung has issued an update for the Gear Manager application on the Play Store in Brazil (it should make its way to other regions in the near future), which introduces support for the aforementioned...

Samsung Pay updated with support for Android 8.0 Oreo in India

Samsung Pay was treated to a familiar update in India on Thursday, following its release in Sweden last month. The upgrade bundles support for Android 8.0 Oreo, even though it’s yet to make its way to any of Samsung’s smartphones, as well as a number of undisclosed bug fixes and stability improvements. We aren’t sure why the firm’s released the upgrade in the region, but less than an hour ago a rumor...

Samsung will support seven new C-Lab startups

Samsung has announced that it will support seven startups created by its employees as part of its C-Lab program. We don’t know exactly how much money the firm has set aside for the startups, which range from everything from an AR/VR solution that can be used to remotely control smartphones to a portable air purifier, but it’ll certainly be enough to help them get started. BlueFeel—A personal portable air purifier that doesn’t block the user’s mouth,...

Galaxy S9 fingerprint sensor may not be in the display after all

There have been countless rumors about Samsung working on optical fingerprint recognition technology. It would enable the company to integrate a fingerprint sensor into the display itself. Samsung was rumored to introduce this technology with the Galaxy S8 but that didn’t happen. Recent reports suggested that the Galaxy S9 fingerprint sensor might be integrated into the display. According to a new report out of China, the Galaxy S9 is not going to...

Galaxy S8 Oreo beta program may go live in the US on October 31

We reported last month that Samsung has started working on the Android 8.0 Oreo update for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. We also came across newer Oreo firmware versions for both devices recently which suggested that the Galaxy S8 Oreo beta program might be launching soon. It’s now being said that the Galaxy S8 Oreo beta program is going to launch in the United States on Tuesday, October 31. Galaxy...

Wallpaper Wednesday: Earth (Part 2)

Welcome to the latest edition of Wallpaper Wednesday. This week we’re highlighting five more backgrounds that feature elements of Earth. All of the images are available in a suitable resolution for the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and just about any other smartphone on the market. If any of the following images float your boat and you want to download and set one as your wallpaper,...

SamMobile Daily Recap: October 25, 2017 — Galaxy Note 8, Samsung Pay 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 published today. APK SoundAssistant is now compatible with the Galaxy Note 8 Firmware News T-Mobile Galaxy J7 Android 7.1.1 Nougat update...

Samsung India begins R&D work on 5G technology

Samsung has been playing a major role in the development of 5G technology. The company recently conducted its first 5G fixed wireless access trial in the United Kingdom. It has also inked agreements to deliver the first multi-vendor 5G trials with Verizon and Cisco. Samsung has now revealed that research and development work on 5G technology has begun at its R&D center in India. Dipesh Shah, the managing director of the Samsung R&D Institute...

SoundAssistant is now compatible with the Galaxy Note 8

Samsung has updated its SoundAssistant application with support for the Galaxy Note 8. The upgrade also bundles compatibility for a number of new features and interface improvements, which have been built for the latest version of the firm’s Experience—formerly known as TouchWiz—user interface (8.5). Among the new additions is the facility to alter the volume of an individual application and change the increments that volume is increased/decreased....

Samsung’s latest incentive to use Samsung Pay benefits children in need

Samsung will donate a school meal to a child in need every time you use its mobile payment platform—Samsung Pay—instead of an Oyster on Transport for London (TfL) and National Rail services, which covers the DLR, London Underground, London Overground and London River Bus. There’s a caveat, though. To ensure a meal is donated, you’ll need to use a Mastercard-issued credit or debit card as your preferred payment for travel and seeing as most financial...

T-Mobile Galaxy J7 Android 7.1.1 Nougat update released

We reported recently that the Galaxy J7 might soon receive the Nougat update. The handset was spotted at the Wi-Fi Alliance running a Nougat build. It was a big indication that the company was planning on rolling out the update soon. T-Mobile has now started rolling out the Android 7.1.1 Nougat update for the Galaxy J7. It’s one of the few devices that Samsung has updated straight to version 7.1.1 from Marshmallow. T-Mobile Galaxy J7 Android 7.1.1...

SamMobile Daily Recap: October 24, 2017 — Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S6 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 covered today. Firmware News Galaxy S6 edge update brings October security patch Samsung to release the Android 8.0 Oreo update in Turkey...

Samsung to release the Android 8.0 Oreo update in Turkey in early 2018

Samsung’s Turkish subsidiary is aiming to start rolling out the much-anticipated Android 8.0 Oreo update in Turkey at the beginning of 2018, according to a post published on Guncelmiyiz, the firm’s local update portal. While we don’t know exactly what smartphones—and tablets—will receive the upgrade in the region, it’s safe to assume that the Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S8 will be among the first, closely followed by the Galaxy S7. Related: These...

Samsung Spain hands out 200 free Galaxy Note 8 units on a plane

Samsung’s reputation took a hit because of the Galaxy Note 7. The handset’s faulty battery made it a fire risk so it was quickly banned from airplanes. The airlines actually started making announcements that the Galaxy Note 7 was not allowed in the cabin. The company bounced back with the Galaxy Note 8. The great response it has received for the new handset shows that the Note faithful are loyal to...

Samsung doesn’t think OLED displays are suitable for TVs

If you’re waiting for Samsung to launch an OLED TV, you might have to keep waiting. The company has said that it doesn’t think that OLED displays are suitable for TVs. That’s not something that its rival LG agrees with as it continues to churn out great OLED TVs. Samsung launched its QLED TVs earlier this year and positioned them as an alternative to OLED TVs. The two technologies are completely different. Samsung claims that the performance of QLED...

Galaxy S6 edge update brings October security patch

Samsung is now rolling out a new Galaxy S6 edge update that brings the October security patch. The company detailed the latest security maintenance release a couple of weeks back. It has since been released for several devices. Samsung has already released the October security patch for devices like the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8. Now, it’s the Galaxy S6 edge’s turn. The October security patch is now being rolled out for the Galaxy S6 edge (SM-G925F)...