Themes Thursday: Here are three new themes you should check out this week

We welcome you to this week’s Themes Thursday! Samsung has released 79 theme packs in its Theme Store since past seven days, and we’ve shortlisted three that might look appealing to you. All the themes listed here are paid, but there are some decent free themes too.

The Black and Orange color combination of the Orange Breakthrough theme looks quite sharp and attractive. The [HIO] Golden Lion: Live theme has golden accents with circular icons and a suitable wallpaper, and it might appeal to a lot of users.

The Rotate UI [Platinum] theme by popular designer Hiten Soni uses striking colors, an interesting background that looks like a map, and a well-designed dialer. Which theme did you like from this week?

Orange Breakthrough | Paid

[HIO] Golden Lion:Live | Paid

Rotate UI [Platinum] | Paid

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BREAKING: First live photo leak of the Galaxy S8 confirms key details

We knew this was bound to happen in the days leading up to the Galaxy S8 launch and it has happened today. VentureBeat has posted what appears to be the first live photo leak of the Galaxy S8. The image confirms some key details about Samsung’s next flagship smartphone that have been reiterated in rumors and reports repeatedly.

Samsung is going to launch two models of the Galaxy S8 which will feature a 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display. There’s not going to be a flat display version as both handsets will have the dual-edge curved display. The screens are said to cover 83 percent of the handset’s front panel and it certainly looks nice.

We already know that the Galaxy S8 is going to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and the report adds that it’s going to feature 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. A battery size of 3,000mAh and 3,500mAh is mentioned for the 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch model respectively.

The image reveals that the Galaxy S8 is going to have a USB Type-C port and that the physical home button has been removed. We can also see that the standard 3.5mm headphone jack has not been ditched. We can also see that the fingerprint sensor has been positioned alongside the camera on the back.

While the 12-megapixel (f1.7) rear and 8-megapixel (f1.7) front cameras are reportedly not going to see a resolution improvement compared to the Galaxy S7, the rear camera is said to have a new visual search feature with icons being displayed on the screen that enable users to indicate the type of search to be performed. This feature can be used to perform Optical Character Recognition-enabled web searches, for example. There’s a sensor alongside the front camera which will provide iris scanning functionality like the Galaxy Note 7.

The report also mentions that Samsung is going to launch the Galaxy S8 at a special event in New York on March 29. The public release is going to take place a couple of weeks later in April. Both Galaxy S8 models are reportedly going to cost €100 more than the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 with the 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch models expected to be priced at €799 and €899 respectively.

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Galaxy S7 Active Nougat update might arrive soon

Samsung finally started rolling out the Android 7.0 Nougat update for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge last week. The company also posted a list of devices that are going to receive the said update in the first half of 2017. Since it’s part of the 2016 flagship series, many would expect the Galaxy S7 Active to be prioritized, even though the device is exclusive to just one carrier in the United States.

While Samsung is yet to confirm when the Galaxy S7 Active Nougat update is going to be released, we’ve spotted that the handset bearing model number SM-G891A has received its Wi-Fi certification. This is normally an indication that the release is not that far off. However, keep in mind that since this device is locked to AT&T, the carrier can hold up the update and that’s something that mobile carriers have a tendency to do.

It really can’t be said with any amount of certainty at this point in time when the Android 7.0 Nougat update is going to be released but this is a positive indicator and hopefully, the Nougat update is going to be released for the Galaxy S7 Active soon enough.

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Samsung’s new Windows 10 tablet one step closer to launch

We exclusively reported last year that Samsung is going to launch its second Windows 10 tablet in a few months. It’s going to be a successor to the company’s first Windows 10-powered hybrid tablet, the Galaxy TabPro S. Presuming that Samsung sticks to its naming convention, this new tablet will be called the Galaxy TabPro S2 and given that it has now received its Wi-Fi certification, it’s one step closer to launch.

Our report mentioned that Samsung is going to offer four models of the new Galaxy TabPro: SM-W728, SM-W727, SM-W723, and SM-W720. It’s possible that some of these variants might offer LTE support. We’ve spotted the Wi-Fi certification for the SM-W727V and it’s only a matter of time before the others go through this process as well.

Details about the specifications of this tablet are slim at this point in time but it’s likely going to tout a 12-inch Super AMOLED display with 2160×1440 pixel resolution and the latest Intel Core M series processors.

It’s possible that Samsung might launch this new Windows 10-powered tablet at the Mobile World Congress 2017 next month. The company is also expected to launch the Galaxy Tab S3 at this event.

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Daily Deal: Save 52% on a Belkin in-car charging kit

While stock lasts, you can pick up a Belkin MiXiT ultra-compact car charger, complete with a 1.2m microUSB cable, for just $11.99 — a total saving of $13 (52%). What’s particularly neat about this specific charger is that it’s extremely small and weighs just 15 grams, so storing it discreetly shouldn’t be an issue.

If you like the sound of the Belkin MiXiT charging kit and want to take advantage of this promotion, hit the Buy Now button below. We strongly advise you 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.

Buy Now

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Samsung isn’t the only one making curved displays for smartphones

Samsung is the currently the leading manufacturer of curved display panels for smartphones, and a lot of brands have started using curved displays in their flagship smartphones. However, the South Korean electronics giant now has a new competitor in the segment.

Japan Display Inc. (JDI), a joint venture between Hitachi, Sony, and Toshiba, has revealed an LCD panel that can be bent like OLED displays from Samsung and LG. This has been achieved by replacing glass backing by a plastic one on both sides of the liquid crystal layer. Although JDI’s newest “Full Active Flex” 1080p LCD panels aren’t as thin or flexible as OLED panels, they could be used in smartphones that have curved edge displays.

JDI claims that it has launch partners for its bendable LCD panels, but the company hasn’t named anyone specifically. It appears that Full Active Flex LCD panels are a lot cheaper than their OLED counterparts, so you can expect them in cheaper smartphones. It is being rumored that all the OLED suppliers, including Samsung, couldn’t Apple’s needs (at least until 2018), and Apple could use a curved LCD display from JDI for its upcoming iPhones.

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Vodafone starts distributing Nougat update for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge in Germany

Vodafone has today started rolling out the long-awaited Android 7.0 Nougat update for its carrier-branded models of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge currently located in Germany. The upgrade, which weighs in at approximately 1.3GB, transports a flurry of added functionality to the handsets, including Samsung Pass and a revamped user interface.

It’s worth noting, however, that due to the amount of devices the upgrade has to reach, it’s being distributed in stages — so there’s a good chance it won’t arrive on your unit for a few days. At present, it would appear that the Galaxy S7 edge is the main focus as forums are filled with reports from users who’ve reportedly received the OTA, while only a handful of comments are circulating from Galaxy S7 owners.

If you own a Vodafone model of the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge and would like to see if the update is ready for your device, simply head into Settings » About Device » Download Updates Manually. Alternatively, you can always wait until you receive an alert instructing you to install the firmware.

Thanks, Henk!

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Samsung officially teases Samsung Pay launch in India

We exclusively reported last year that Samsung is prepping for the launch of Samsung Pay in India. Earlier today, Samsung started rolling out Android 7.0 update for the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge in India, and we’ve noticed that the company has begun teasing the launch of Samsung Pay in the country.

A message that says “The future of payments is coming soon!” pops up as soon as you start using the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge running Android 7.0 in India. If you dig a little deeper, you can find the Samsung Pay app installed on the phone, which is proof enough that the South Korean electronics giant is almost ready to launch Samsung Pay in India.

 

Thanks for the tip, Sumit Sahoo!

 

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Samsung starts rolling out Nougat for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge in Russia and India

After rolling out Android 7.0 to its current flagship smartphones in China, France, Malaysia, South Korea, UAE, and the UK, Samsung has started the rollout of Nougat update for the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge in Russia and India.

The Nougat OTA update for the Galaxy S7 (with build number G930FXXU1DQAZ) has a file size of 1285.64MB. The Android 7.0 update for the Galaxy S7 edge, which has a file size of 1290.74MB, flaunts the build number G935FXXU1DQAZ.

The update brings Android 7.0 along with various other improvements in user experience, UI design, improved Always On Display, Samsung Pass, and many other new features. You can know more about all the new Android 7.0 features by reading our comprehensive list.

 

Developing…

Thanks for the tip, Sumit Sahoo!

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Galaxy Tab S2 Nougat update gets Wi-Fi certification

We confirmed two months ago that Samsung had started working on the Android 7.0 Nougat update for the Galaxy Tab S2. After officially announcing the Nougat release for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge last week, Samsung shared a list of devices that are due to receive this update in the first half of 2017. The Galaxy Tab S2 is on that list and has now been given Wi-Fi certification for the Nougat update.

All 2015 models of the Galaxy Tab S2 – SM-T810, SM-T815 and SM-T817 – have paid a visit to the Wi-Fi Alliance for certification purposes. They have now been certified with Android 7.0 Nougat onboard. This means that a big step has now been taken towards the eventual rollout of said update.

Samsung has not yet confirmed precisely when it’s going to release Nougat for the Galaxy Tab S2 but it shouldn’t be too long now. Perhaps it will make us wait until the Galaxy Tab S3 is out. Its next-generation flagship tablet is expected to be launched at the Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona next month.

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