[Poll] How do you feel about voice control on Samsung smartphones?

It’s common knowledge now that the Galaxy S8 is going to come with an AI-powered virtual assistant called Bixby. We’ve already told you that it’s going to be much better than the likes of Siri and Cortana so it will also for greater voice control on Samsung’s next-generation smartphone. Bixby will eventually trickle down to other Samsung devices, including but not limited to non-flagship handsets.

So the question is, are you excited about the possibility of using voice commands to interact with your Samsung smartphone more than ever before? Or would the feature not really make a difference to you until and unless it has support for your native language? Vote below and let us know what you think in the comments section.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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T-Mobile releases January security patch for the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge

Samsung may have detailed the February 2017 security patch today but that doesn’t mean that last month’s patch is out for all of its supported devices, particularly the ones that are locked to carriers. T-Mobile has started rolling out the January security patch for the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge today.

Magenta is rolling out firmware version G920TUVS5EQA2 and G925TUVS5EQA2 for the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge respectively. Both minor updates come just under 30MB and bring just the security patch update. T-Mobile is rolling out the update over-the-air so it should go live for all those who own this handset on its network in the very near future.

For those who just can’t wait for this update to arrive, there’s another way, but for that they have to be okay with manually flashing their handset. These latest updates are now available from our firmware section, click here to download it for the T-Mobile Galaxy S6 and here for the Galaxy S6 edge. Those who are not comfortable with doing this can just wait as it shouldn’t be too long before they receive the OTA notification on their handset.

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Samsung’s upcoming Windows 10 tablet might feature an Intel U-Series processor

We reported exclusively last year that Samsung has a new Windows 10-powered tablet in the pipeline and over the past few weeks we’ve seen the tablet get the relevant certifications that are required before launch. The Galaxy TabPro S2 has now been spotted at the FCC. The listing includes a schematic of the rear and suggests that it might feature a metal back. We also get to see what might possibly be fan holes at the top left corner. According to a report, this means there’s a possibility that the new tablet could have an Intel U-Series processor.

The schematic also includes a Verizon logo on the back which means that it’s going to have LTE support built-in. Previous reports suggest that the Galaxy TabPro S2 might feature a 12-inch 2160×1440 pixel resolution display and the latest Intel Core M series processor.

Intel’s U-Series processors require less power but deliver less performance when compared to full-power Intel processors meant for proper notebooks. Since the Galaxy TabPro S2 will be a tablet it would be the perfect fit for this particular series of processors from Intel. Precisely which U-Series processor Samsung might opt for this tablet remains a mystery right now.

Nothing is confirmed at this point in time so who knows, Samsung might not go with an Intel U-Series processor at all. Samsung is likely going to unveil the Galaxy TabPro S2 at the Mobile World Congress 2017 later this month.

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SamMobile Daily Recap: February 7, 2017

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

In the list below, you’ll find the stories we’ve published today. Chances are, you’re not going to be interested in all of them. To help you find what’s important to you, we’ve split them into their respective categories — so if you want to see the latest security patch news, locate the Firmware News subheading.

Camera

PSA: Amazon Prime members can buy the Gear 360 at an unbeatable price

Deal

Daily Deal: Snag yourself a 64GB EVO microSD card for 63% off

Firmware News

Samsung details February 2017 security patch

[Update: Galaxy S7 too] 98MB stability update rolling out to the Galaxy S7 edge in the UK

General

Samsung launches LINE pop-up stores to celebrate release of the Galaxy A (2017) series

IoT

Samsung halts the production of Artik 10 in favor of Artik 7

Opinion

The eyes have it: is the Galaxy S8 fingerprint sensor designed with discomfort in mind?

Phones

Galaxy S8′s Bixby AI assistant will have support for 7-8 languages

Latest live Galaxy S8 leaked photo shows impressive thin bezels

Purported Galaxy S8 CAD schematics reveal interesting detail about the camera hump

Samsung releases the Galaxy A (2017) series in Indonesia

Some Galaxy Note 7 owners will continue legal fight against Samsung

Take a look at the clearest Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus renders yet

Virtual Reality

Samsung shipped more Gear VR units last year than the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PSVR combined

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The eyes have it: is the Galaxy S8 fingerprint sensor designed with discomfort in mind?

Back when Samsung announced the new iris scanner in the Galaxy Note 7, the Korean giant said it had been working on it for 5 years straight. We’d seen very little information about the iris scanner, so the company’s announcement was a pleasant surprise. What Samsung does to one high-end Galaxy S phone, however, often finds its way to the other (the S Pen excepted, though that could change this time around), so we have it on good authority that the iris scanner will arrive in the Galaxy S8.

Well, according to leaked photos of the next “Galaxy” (or, should I say, Galaxies, plural), Samsung intends to push its iris scanner to the forefront of the user experience, sidelining the fingerprint sensor for some who preferred their clicky home button and fingerprint authentication all in one. Leaked photos show that Samsung will reposition the fingerprint sensor from the bottom bezel of the front display to the back cover, to the right of the back camera (with the flash to the back camera’s left). Official Galaxy S8 cases confirm the same, so it seems to be a done deal at this point.

The decision to move the fingerprint sensor does bring mixed reaction, though. There are some who find the front-mounted home button and fingerprint sensor to be more intuitive and easy to use. Placing the fingerprint sensor on the back of the Galaxy S8 isn’t necessarily a decision made in the name of intuitiveness.

There are those who’ve never liked the front-mounted fingerprint sensor, so a back-mounted sensor allows these individuals to have more front-display real estate. Additionally, back-mounted fingerprint sensors are growing in popularity, with high-end smartphones such as the LG V20, Google Pixel and Pixel XL, along with veteran phones such as the Huawei Nexus 6P utilizing the same.

At the same time, however, advocates of the fingerprint sensor’s traditional location would argue against what seems to be an awkwardly-placed sensor on the back cover. After all, Samsung is not placing the sensor in the middle of the back cover, as has been the case with a majority of phone makers that opt for a back sensor; instead, Samsung is placing the sensor adjacent to the back camera, requiring users to reach up for it instead of having it accessible where your fingers touch the back cover.

With the re-positioning of the fingerprint sensor, and the work placed into the iris scanner, Samsung could be encouraging users to go with the company’s own vision (pun intended) on the matter: ditch the fingerprint sensor and adopt the iris scanner with your eyes wide open.

I personally think that fingerprint scanners are problematic on the back cover because users cannot see their finger and have to place it on the sensor “hoping” they get it right. Front-mounted sensors have always been easier to use in that regard because you can automatically see where your finger is placed on the home button – no extra steps needed.

For those who want their home button back and don’t see themselves adopting the iris scanner in the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, let me encourage you to give it a try before you become frustrated with Samsung’s new sensor placement. The iris scanner, like the fingerprint sensor, has its share of flaws, such as its quirky operation in certain lowlight settings, not to mention the 20cm distance from the human eye or the 25-35cm distance for the visually challenged who wear either glasses or contacts.

In our Galaxy Note 7 review, though, I found the iris scanner so effective that Samsung’s awkward placement of the fingerprint sensor in the Galaxy S8 gives me yet another excuse to use the iris scanner exclusively. Your mileage (or vision, rather) may vary.

So, yes, the fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy S8 is awkwardly placed, but I have a feeling Samsung has done this by design. If there’s any new biometric form that can change your mind about the traditional home button/fingerprint sensor setup, though, the answer lies in your vision. The eyes just might have it.

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Daily Deal: Snag yourself a 64GB EVO microSD card for 63% off

Running low on storage on your smartphone or tablet? You’ve come to the right place. For a limited time only, you can pick up a Samsung-branded 64GB Evo microSD card (complete with a microSD-to-SD adapter) for $21.98, which is a total saving of $38.01. Aside from snappy transfer speeds, this particular range of storage chips is waterproof and resistant to extreme temperatures — so if your device happens to take an unwanted swim in the pool, you can rest assured that all of your precious content is safe.

If you like the sound of the 64GB EVO microSD card and want to take advantage of this promotion, hit the Buy Now button below. We 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. Unfortunately, the merchant isn’t offering international shipping, so you will need to reside in the United States (or know somebody who does and is willing to forward the package to you) in order to purchase the card for the reduced price.

Buy Now

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Latest live Galaxy S8 leaked photo shows impressive thin bezels

We’ve only seen one so-called live photo of the Galaxy S8 even though countless purported renders of the device has been posted online so far. The general perception that we have of the next flagship smartphone is that it’s going to have a very impressive screen-to-body ratio which will result in super-thin bezels. The front of the device will basically look like one big glass display and that’s reiterated by another live photo of the Galaxy S8 that has leaked out today.

The latest live photo of the Galaxy S8 only shows the lower half of the device but we can see that it has a dual-edge curved display with an impressive lack of bezel. We can also see the standard 3.5mm headphone jack as well as a USB Type-C port. Two antenna lines and the speaker grille can be seen as well.

Granted that this picture was posted on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, and hasn’t been verified but it does fit in nicely with everything that we’ve heard about the Galaxy S8 so far. We should expect to see more leaks related to the Galaxy S8 in the days leading up to its launch later next month.

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Purported Galaxy S8 CAD schematics reveal interesting detail about the camera hump

Earlier today we reported on some of the clearest Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus renders yet and now the same source has released additional CAD schematics of what’s claimed to be Samsung’s next flagship smartphone. The schematics make an interesting revelation. Apparently, the Galaxy S8 is going to have a very small camera hump even though the handset is nominally thicker than its predecessor.

The schematics compare the Galaxy S8 with the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy Note 7. The Galaxy S7 has a 1mm camera hump which is fairly visible so Samsung slimmed it down to 0.8mm in the Galaxy Note 7. If these schematics are believed, the Galaxy S8 is going to have a 0.2mm camera hump which will be negligible in the grand scheme of things. It’s basically going to be like a flat rim around the camera lens.

The new flagship itself won’t be too bulky compared to its predecessors as it’s expected to come in at 8mm against both the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy Note 7 which measure 7.9mm. The schematics also reiterate that the Galaxy S8 is going to have a significantly larger screen-to-body ratio compared to the last two flagships from Samsung.

It goes without saying that because none of this has been officially confirmed we should take it with a grain of salt no matter how nicely it fits with everything that we’ve been hearing about the Galaxy S8. Samsung is expected to formally unveil the Galaxy S8 on March 29.

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Galaxy S8′s Bixby AI assistant will have support for 7-8 languages

It’s common knowledge now that the Galaxy S8 is going to come with an artificial intelligence virtual assistant called Bixby. We exclusively told you recently that Bixby is going to be much more capable than its rivals and that it’s going to be very deeply integrated with the system. According to a new report, Bixby will have support for 7-8 languages at launch, even more than Google Assistant.

Google’s AI voice assistant currently has support for English, German, Brazilian Portuguese and Hindi languages. Samsung’s Bixby is reportedly going to support up to 8 languages, including but not limited to English, Korean and Chinese. Samsung is said to be banking on its AI virtual assistant to drive consumer demand for the Galaxy S8. We can also expect Bixby to eventually make its way to other Samsung products as well such as smart TVs, appliances and other connected devices. Bixby will surely play a much bigger role in the Samsung ecosystem in the coming years.

The report reiterates that Samsung is going to unveil the Galaxy S8 in New York City on March 29. It also says that the company is going to release the Galaxy S8 in South Korea and select markets around April 20.

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Samsung shipped more Gear VR units last year than the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PSVR combined

SuperData has published a new report which reveals that more than 6.3 million virtual reality headsets were shipped last year and Samsung took the lead with the Gear VR as it shipped 4.51 million units. The Gear VR was actually the most-shipped virtual reality headset last year as Samsung moved more units than the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR combined.

The low price compared to the other headsets was obviously a big advantage for Samsung. The other headsets cost north of $700 each and require equally expensive PCs while the PlayStation VR requires a PlayStation 4 console. Granted that customers need a premium Samsung smartphone to use the $99 Gear VR with but even then the overall cost is low thus making the cost of entry affordable for people who are trying out VR for the very first time.

The overall shipments figure is also in Samsung’s favor because the company gave away free Gear VR headsets to customers who pre-ordered the Galaxy S7 and continued to dish them out in multiple promotions. It’s dominant position in the VR space isn’t just because of the free shipments, Samsung confirmed last month that it has also sold more than five million Gear VR headsets ever since it was first launched a couple of years ago.

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Samsung launches LINE pop-up stores to celebrate release of the Galaxy A (2017) series

Last year, Samsung teamed up with popular messaging application LINE to launch a series of exclusive accessories for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, and now the firm has revealed that it’ll be continuing the partnership for its latest budget-friendly smartphones — the Galaxy A3 (2017), Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017) — by opening a pair of pop-up stores in Singapore and Taiwan.

As you’d expect, the retail space will be used to showcase the new range of LINE FRIENDS cases, which have been designed specifically for the handsets. What’s particularly neat, though, is that all customers who purchase one of the latest Galaxy A series devices in the regions will be given the option to get their mitts on either a free protective case or portable battery pack.

The pop-up stores are also full of crowd-pleasing attractions, including a Gear VR 4D Experience Zone which transports visitors to a virtual amusement park and takes them on an immersive roller coaster ride with their favorite LINE FRIENDS characters, including Brown and Sally — so if you’re in the area with young children, taking them in is a surefire way to brighten their day.

If you’re located in Taiwan or Singapore and want to head over to the pop-up store, you’re going to need to know where it is and how long it’ll be around for. In the former, it can be found at the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store in Taipei and will run through February 28, while it’s located at the Westgate Samsung Experience Store in the latter and will be open until April 2.

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Samsung releases the Galaxy A (2017) series in Indonesia

Samsung officially launched the Galaxy A (2017) series last month. The new handsets feature significant improvements in design and functionality, Samsung has clearly upped its game in the mid-range sector with these handsets. The company is now gradually releasing the new Galaxy A (2017) series in markets across the globe. The Galaxy A3 (2017), Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017) have now been launched in Indonesia.

The Galaxy A3 (2017) is the entry-level model in this series. It features a 4.7-inch 720×1280 pixel resolution Super AMOLED display, a 1.6GHz Exynos 7870 processor with 2GB RAM, 13-megapixel rear and 8-megapixel front camera as well as a 2,350mAh battery. The Galaxy A5 (2017) has a bigger 5.2-inch full HD display with a 1.9Ghz Exynos 7880 processor under the hood coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It features a 16-megapixel camera on the front and back alongside a 3,000mAh battery.

The Galaxy A7 (2017) is the star of this series with its 5.7-inch Full HD display, 1.9Ghz Exynos 7880 processor, 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, 16-megapixel cameras and a 3,600mAh battery. The entire series has IP68 certification for water and dust resistance. It’s powered by Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.

The new series is available in Indonesia starting today in Black Sky, Blue Mist and Gold Sand colors. Samsung is charging Rp 3,999 million ($299), Rp 4,999 million ($375) and Rp 5,999 million ($450) for the Galaxy A3 (2017), Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017) respectively.

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PSA: Amazon Prime members can buy the Gear 360 at an unbeatable price

Samsung introduced its Gear 360 VR camera in the first quarter of last year and made customers wait for six months before it revealed when the camera will be available in the United States properly and how much it was going to cost. The Gear 360 has been available through Samsung’s retail partners since August 19, 2016 for $349 in the United States. If you didn’t pick one up because you thought it was too expensive then you might want to pay attention.

Amazon is offering a great incentive to Prime members by giving them a 35 percent discount on the Gear 360 camera. This means that this $349 product can be yours for $225.99. Now that’s an unbeatable price. The only caveat here is that you need an Amazon Prime membership in order to buy the camera at this discounted price.

Not to worry, though. If you’ve never signed up for Amazon Prime previously you can sign up for a free one-month trial right now and take advantage of this offer. You aren’t required to continue the membership after the free trial is over. If you did subscribe to Amazon Prime in the past but don’t anymore, you can just subscribe to the $10.99 monthly tier and still buy the Gear 360 at a very nice discount.

Head over to Amazon right now and buy the Gear 360 for just $225.99.

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Take a look at the clearest Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus renders yet

Over the course of the past few weeks, we’ve seen a number of renders surface online allegedly highlighting the design of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus — and now we’re feasting our eyes upon the clearest ones yet, together with a 360-degree video, which further showcases the design of both handsets.

These latest renders, however, aren’t from a disreputable source. They come courtesy of @OnLeaks, one of the most reliable ‘serial leakers’ in the game. It’s worth noting, though, that they’re merely renders based on information we’ve heard in the past — so they should be taken with a considerable pinch of salt.

Closely tying in with previous computer-generated imagery, this latest set show off two devices with a glass-and-metal sandwich design. Both units appear to feature an iris scanner, USB Type-C port, 3.5mm headphone jack and a rear-mounted fingerprint reader (positioned next to the camera).

One of the biggest differences between the Galaxy S8 and its predecessor is rumored to be its button arrangement. Aside from the lack of navigation keys on the front, the power button has been moved from the right to the left of the device. There’s also an additional button on the right, which is believed to be for Bixby.

For those unaware, the Galaxy S8 is believed to sport a 5.7-inch display, while  – as its name suggests — the Galaxy S8 Plus is expected to pack a larger 6.1-inch screen. Both will be dual-edge curved Super AMOLED panels, similar to the ones that ship on board the Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S7 edge.

Other alleged specifications include an Exynos 8895/Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB/6GB of RAM, a 12-megapixel dual-pixel rear-facing camera, an 8-megapixel selfie shooter and a 3250mAh (Galaxy S8)/3,600mAh (Galaxy S8 Plus) non-removable battery.

You can check out the short 360-degree clip and the rest of the renders below:

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Samsung details February 2017 security patch

Every month Google releases an Android Security Bulletin update which includes patches for security vulnerabilities found in Android. Some OEM partners combine their monthly security updates with the latest Android Security Bulletin to ensure that every month they’re sending out an update that ensures their devices remain safe. Samsung does this too and today the company has detailed its February 2017 security patch.

Samsung’s February 2017 security patch includes all of the patches in the Android Security Bulletin release for this month, there are a few dozen of them, and it also patches 7 Samsung Vulnerabilities and Exposures (SVE) that are exclusive to the company’s devices. Samsung has patched a handful of privately disclosed vulnerabilities with severity ranging from low to medium in this release.

Now that it has detailed the February 2017 security update, you can expect to start seeing it being rolled out over the coming weeks. It’s going to take a lot of time before this security update is out for all compatible devices but the process will now begin soon.

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Some Galaxy Note 7 owners will continue legal fight against Samsung

Samsung has put the Galaxy Note 7 debacle behind it as it has already spent billions of dollars on the refund and exchange program and it has also concluded its investigation into the root cause of the fires. The company blamed battery defects and its report has been backed up by an independent laboratory run by the government of South Korea. However, a group of five Galaxy Note 7 owners in South Korea who filed a law suit against the company say that they will continue the legal fight with Samsung as they claim the company accused them of making false claims about the smartphone.

“The situation is favorable for the plaintiffs as it turns out that the Note 7 fires and explosions were caused by faulty batteries,” said a Harvest Law Office official, representing the five consumers in this lawsuit, it has also been pointed out that they have no plan for a settlement at the moment. The five claim that staffers from Samsung’s customer service centers called them “frauds” and accused them of seeking monetary compensation by making false claims about the Galaxy Note 7.

They decided to take legal action against Samsung because they thought the company was trying to pass the buck to customers for the fire. The five then filed separate complaints against Samsung for compensation at the Seoul Central District Court, also claiming that the company harmed their reputation by branding them as frauds.

This isn’t the only lawsuit related to the Galaxy Note 7 that Samsung is having to deal with. Different groups of customers have filed multiple lawsuits in South Korea and abroad as they seek monetary compensation from Samsung. The first trial in this particular case is expected to take place in the first half of this year.

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