Galaxy S8 signup page appears with phone design hint

The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have much to commend them as upcoming devices. We’ve seen the trademark application filed back in January, drawings of the device, official phone monikers and logos, support pages and product numbers, official Samsung cases and third-party case listings, along with numerous photos to confirm the phone’s existence.

But some leaks are more important than others.

The Galaxy S8 signup page has leaked, with only the words “Unbox your phone” and “sign up to be among the first to know about the Next Galaxy.” What’s most interesting, though, about the Galaxy S8 signup page is the phone design trace that we’re given. This same design looks eerily similar to the phone design we’ve seen in the Galaxy S7′s Secure Folder app that has arrived with the Nougat update, and the top and bottom bezels are thin and in sync with what the upcoming phone will bring.

The spec sheet for the Galaxy S8+ shows the presence of rounded corners that take up 0.1 inches of the phone’s display, matching the phone’s design trace on the S8 signup sheet. The left and right of the display are practically bezel-less, in line with what rumors have stated about the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+.

The Galaxy S8 signup page will be officially made available at some point after the announcement, but we still don’t know when the announcement date will be exactly. We’ve heard it could be March 29th, but Samsung has said that it will reveal more in a few days. We expect a one-minute Galaxy S8 tease at MWC 2017, which may answer our questions then. If April 21st is indeed the worldwide launch date of the device, then Samsung will have to strike soon – presumably next month.

Do you want to know about The Next Galaxy?

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2mgcUxo
via IFTTT

SamMobile Daily Recap: February 24, 2017 — Galaxy S8, Galaxy Tab S3 and more!

We publish a ton of stories on a daily basis. Unfortunately, most of the 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 a solid solution — a daily recap.

In the list below, you’ll find the stories that went live today. We understand that you’re not going to be interested in all of them, so we’ve decided to split them into their respective categories. If you want to see the latest Galaxy Tab S3 news, simply locate the Tablets subheading.

Business

Samsung taking new steps to improve transparency in financial donations amid bribery scandal

Top Samsung executives reportedly offer resignations over corruption scandal

Deals

Daily Deal: Save 49% on a second-generation Gear VR

Firmware News

February security patch hits the Galaxy S7 in India

Galaxy Note 4 February security patch released in Europe

General

Samsung to conduct UK’s first 5G trials with Arqiva

Laptops

Samsung Chromebook Plus now available from the Google Store

Phones

Samsung Galaxy S8 leaks yet again, this time wrapped inside a protective case

Samsung launched 31 new smartphones in 2016

Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay is now available in Malaysia

Tablets

More Galaxy Tab S3 photos leak, confirm keyboard dock and AKG audio presence

Samsung Galaxy Book said to have Windows 10, LTE and S Pen support

Watches

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

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2mt2QNu
via IFTTT

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

Welcome back to another issue of Watchface Friday! Every Friday, we highlighting 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 S3 classic

Digital Tick

Mr. Time

Slate and Blue Analog

Gear S3 frontier

Drips Watchface V1

Lonely Planet Earth

Vatka DFG All-in-One

 

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2lB2AOY
via IFTTT

Specs comparison: Samsung Exynos 8895 vs. Qualcomm Snapdragon 835

Samsung unveiled the Exynos 8895 SoC, the company’s next-generation flagship smartphone processor, yesterday. Even though the new chipset’s model number is 8895, the company is categorizing it as an Exynos 9 series SoC. The South Korean electronics components giant also announced that the chipset is already being mass produced at Samsung’s foundries. It will most probably debut with the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus next month.

The Exynos 8895 is quite identical to the Snapdragon 835 chipset from Qualcomm, which was unveiled last year. Both these chipsets are built using Samsung’s 10nm LPE FinFET process, and feature 64-bit octa-core CPUs, support for 4K screens, dual-ISPs, Gigabit LTE modems, Bluetooth 5.0, and faster wired and wireless charging solutions. Both the chipsets are optimised for 4K and VR content as well as AI and machine learning.

The Exynos 8895 is Samsung’s first Heterogeneous System Architecture (HSA) compliant SoC, which means that the CPU, GPU, and the interconnect can access data from a common memory. To point out key similarities and differences of these two chipsets, we’ve made a comparison table that you can refer below.

	Exynos 8895	Snapdragon 835
Process	10nm FinFET	10nm FinFET
CPU Cores	Octa-Core, 64-bit	Octa-Core, 64-bit
CPU	4 x 2.5GHz Exynos M2 + 4 x 1.7GHz Cortex-A53	4 x 2.45GHz Kryo 280 + 4 x 1.9GHz Kryo 280
GPU	ARM Mali-G71 MP20	Adreno 540
Display Resolution	4K UHD (4096 x 2160) or WQUXGA (3840 x 2400) 60FPS	4K UHD (4096 x 2160) 60FPS
Graphics API Support	OpenGL ES 3.2, Vulkan 1.0, OpenCL 2.0, DirectX 11, Renderscript	OpenGL ES 3.2, Vulkan 1.0, OpenCL 2.0, DirectX 12, Renderscript
RAM	LPDDR4X	2 x 32-bit LPDDR4X 1866MHz
Storage	eMMC 5.1, UFS 2.1, & SD 3.0	eMMC 5.1, UFS 2.1, & SD 3.0
ISP	Dual ISP	Dual ISP
Camera	28MP Single, 28MP+16MP Dual	32MP Single, 16MP Dual
Camera Technologies	Dual-Pixel, PDAF	Hybrid AF, Optical Zoom, Face Detection, HDR Video
Video Recording	Up to 4K @ 120FPS	Up to 4K @ 30FPS
Video Playback & Codecs	MFC, Up to 4K @ 120FPS; H.264 (AVC), H.265 (HEVC), VP9	Up to 4K @ 60FPS; H.264 (AVC), H.265 (HEVC), VP9
Audio	Unknown Chipset, Possibly with aptX	Qualcomm Aqstic, Qualcomm aptX HD
DSP	VPU	Qualcomm Hexagon
Modem	LTE Cat. 16 5CA 1Gbps Download; LTE Cat. 13 2CA 150Mbps Upload	LTE Cat. 16 4CA 1Gbps Download; LTE Cat. 13 2CA 150Mbps Upload
Wi-Fi	Dual-Band Wi-Fi ac/b/g/n with MU-MIMO	Wi-Fi ad, Dual-Band Wi-Fi ac/b/g/n with MU-MIMO
Bluetooth	5.0	5.0
Global Positioning	GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou	GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, SBAS
Security	Samsung KNOX, Security Processing Unit	Qualcomm Secure MSM, Qualcomm Haven, Qualcomm Studio Access, Qualcomm SafeSwitch
Charging	Samsung Adaptive Fast Charge, Fast Wireless Charging (Qi & PMA)	Quick Charge 4.0 (USB PD Compatible), WiPower

 

As you can see in the comparison table, the Exynos 8895 supports 4K video recording and playback at 120fps, while the Snapdragon 835 is limited to 4K video recording at 30fps and 4K video playback at 30fps. However, our preliminary findings suggest that the Adreno 540 GPU inside the Snapdragon 835 could end up being more powerful than the Mali-G71 MP20 GPU that’s used in the Exynos 8895. The Adreno 540 also supports DirectX12 API, while the Mali-G71 is limited to DirectX 11. Both support Vulkan 1.0, though, which is more important going forward.

In the connectivity department, both chipsets support Cat. 16 LTE standard with theoretical download speeds of up to 1Gbps (5CA in Exynos 8895 and 4CA in Snapdragon 835) and upload speeds of up to 150Mbps (Cat. 13 2CA). The Snapdragon chipset, however, supports the latest Wi-Fi 802.11 ad (60GHz) standard, which is helpful for transmitting data at a theoretical speed of 7Gbps, but at a shorter distance only. The Exynos is still limited to dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 ac. Both chipsets support the new Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity standard.

Overall, it appears that CPU performance of both these chipsets could be similar, while the Snapdragon 835 marching ahead in terms of graphical performance. The Exynos 8895 has a stronger video recording and playback game, thanks to support for 4K videos at 120 fps. The Qualcomm chipset has more connectivity options, which is generally why so many smartphone brands, including Samsung, use Snapdragon chipsets. Samsung might use both these chipsets in the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus, depending on the market.

It’s hard to declare the winner now, solely based on the specifications of these chipsets. We’ll have to wait and test both the variants of the Galaxy S8 to see which one performs better. Samsung is also notoriously known for optimizing the Exynos variants of its Galaxy smartphones better than the Snapdragon variants, which makes it even harder to judge which is a superior chipset. Which one do you think would perform better this year? Do you prefer Snapdragon or Exynos? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2lzW3Ea
via IFTTT

Daily Deal: Save 49% on a second-generation Gear VR

If you’ve been meaning to enter the virtual reality market, but haven’t had the wherewithal to shell out $99.99 for Samsung’s latest Gear VR, you may want to listen up. While stock lasts, you can bag yourself a second-generation model of the device for just $51.43 (49%). There is a caveat, though — you’ll need to be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of the deal.

There are very little differences between this particular model of the Gear VR and its successor (the 2016 Gear VR). The newer model is a little bit more comfortable and features some minor cosmetic changes, which means the second-generation variant is still a solid offering. It’s compatible with the Galaxy S6 series, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge and Galaxy Note 5.

Like the sound of the second-generation Gear VR and want to pick one up for the reduced price of $51.43? Simply hit the Buy Now button below. Unfortunately, Amazon only has a limited amount of inventory available (set to arrive on March 1) for this specific deal, and once it’s gone, it’s gone — so if you’re interested, it would probably be better to act sooner rather than later.

Buy Now

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2msuzxR
via IFTTT

Samsung officially releases Secure Folder for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge

Following the recent appearance of the Secure Folder APK for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, Samsung has officially made the Secure Folder app available from the Galaxy Apps store. Secure Folder is supported by the S7 and S7 edge on Android 7.0 Nougat, and Samsung says more devices will be supported soon. The new Galaxy A (2017) devices already support Secure Folder, so it will be devices like the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 5 that will receive support in the future once they get updated to Nougat.

For those wondering what Secure Folder does, it is basically a more user-friendly version of Samsung’s KNOX security solution that lets you create a separate, private space for all your important apps and data. Anything you do inside Secure Folder – creating a document, taking pictures, or making notes – will not be visible during normal operation, which means no one other than you will be able to access this data. Since Secure Folder creates a separate entity for apps used inside, you can have two WhatsApp accounts on a single device, and similarly have two accounts in apps that might not otherwise have support for multiple accounts.

Secure Folder can be downloaded from the Galaxy Apps store if your S7 or S7 edge is running Nougat, and also from our APK archive. Not every region has Nougat on Samsung’s current flagships yet, but the company is slowly and surely getting around to global coverage so it shouldn’t be long before you are able to start using Secure Folder.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2kTLQ6U
via IFTTT

Samsung to conduct UK’s first 5G trials with Arqiva

Samsung today announced that it’s going to conduct the United Kingdom’s first 5G trials with a focus on Fixed Wireless Access in collaboration with Arqiva. The purpose of this trial is to demonstrate 5G’s potential to serve as an alternative to fibre deployment for fast broadband services.

“Our trial with Samsung will demonstrate the enormous potential of 5G FWA as an alternative to fibre for delivering ultra-high speed connectivity to homes and businesses,” said Simon Beresford-Wylie, CEO of Arqiva.

The trial is going to kick off in the second half of 2017 in the nation’s capital London and will involve the deployment of an end-to-end 5G FWA solution network in the city centre which will operate on the 28GHz band. Samsung’s 5G base stations will leverage high-frequency millimeter wave spectrum coupled with advanced technologies like bean-forming to provide high-density coverage and ultra-high-bandwidth to devices installed in nearby homes and offices.

Samsung has designed its 5G base stations for easy and rapid deployment while the device for consumers is user-installable which means a subscriber can be online on the 5G network in mere minutes. This is an obvious advantage over fibre solutions which require a significant rollout and deployment time.

Arqiva’s infrastructure assets make it the perfect partner for Samsung to carry out these trials as it has mobile sites and lampposts which can be used to install the 5G base stations.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2l6wibe
via IFTTT

Galaxy Note 4 February security patch released in Europe

Do you have a more recent Samsung device that has still not been updated to the February security patch? If you do, you’re not going to like this one bit. Samsung has started rolling out the February security patch for the Galaxy Note 4 in Europe even though some of its recent devices have yet to receive similar treatment. However, it’s not like we’ve not seen the company do this many, many times in the past.

The unbranded version of the Galaxy Note 4 is now receiving the February security patch in Europe. The company is rolling out software version N910FXXS1DQB4 for the handset. Bear in mind that this is a device that’s not eligible for any more major Android updates so it’s not like the Galaxy Note 4 will be bumped up to Android 7.0 Nougat. It has reached its two-year cutoff date for major updates but at least users can rest assured that they have the latest security patch.

The update weighs in at just over 380MB so it likely includes some other optimizations and tweaks as well aside from the February security patch. If you own the Galaxy Note 4 and happen to be based in the region where this update is being rolled out now you should receive the over-the-air update notification in the near future. Alternatively, you can also download it from our firmware section.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2kTpHpe
via IFTTT

Samsung launched 31 new smartphones in 2016

Over the course of 2016, Samsung released an eye-watering 31 new smartphones, including the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, reveals a chart published by online statistics portal Statista. For comparison, Lenovo, ZTE and Huawei launched 26, 24 and 22 devices, respectively, while the firm’s main competitor Apple only introduced three.

What’s particularly interesting, however, is that Samsung’s figure is actually down from where it was a little more than two years ago, when it flooded the market with 56 new phones. However, following a 49 percent drop in profits for Q4 2014, it revealed that it would cut its lineup by as much as 30 percent — and that’s exactly what it did.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2mjDq5K
via IFTTT

Samsung Galaxy Book said to have Windows 10, LTE and S Pen support

It was reported last week that Samsung might be working on another Windows 10-powered device called the Galaxy Book. The information came from the description of the app called Book Settings which prematurely surfaced on the Windows Store. Some more information about the Galaxy Book is now making the rounds online.

The report mentions that the Galaxy Book is going to be powered by Windows 10 and that it’s going to have LTE and S Pen support. The Galaxy Book is said to support Samsung’s Air Command feature as well. Air Command can be activated by hovering the stylus over the display and clicking the S Pen button. It can also be activated when the S Pen is removed from its holder but it’s yet to be confirmed if the Galaxy Book will have an integrated S Pen holder.

On other devices like the Galaxy Note, the Air Command menu offers features like Smart Select, Samsung Notes and Screen Write so it’s likely going to bring those to the Galaxy Book. The S Pen for this device may also have an eraser just like you get on Microsoft’s Surface Pen. Samsung Galaxy Book is also expected to come with the company’s Smart Dimming feature which will keep the backlight on when a user is looking at the screen, it will use the front camera to detect this.

It’s unclear at this point in time when Samsung intends to launch the Galaxy Book. Perhaps it might unveil it at the Mobile World Congress 2017 later this week where it’s already due to launch the Android-powered Galaxy Tab S3 and the Windows 10-powered Galaxy TabPro S2.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2lg7m1R
via IFTTT

Top Samsung executives reportedly offer resignations over corruption scandal

It has been a tough few months for Samsung. The company has been under investigation by South Korea’s special prosecutor’s office as it looks into claims of Samsung giving tens of millions of dollars in bribes to win the government’s support for a key merger between two of its affiliates. The prosecutor’s office submitted an arrest warrant request for Samsung Electronics vice chairman and the conglomerate’s heir Lee Jae-yong last week after unearthing new evidence and it was granted by the court. Lee Jae-yong has since been placed behind bars and has been questioned again.

Samsung now appears to be in damage control mode. The company today announced a series of steps that it’s going to take in order to make its corporate social responsibility and financial donations more transparent. According to a report, two top executives have also offered their resignation to take responsibility for Samsung’s involvement in the corruption scandal.

According to the report, Samsung Group Vice Chairman Choi Gee-sung and President Chang Choong-gi have both offered to resign and take responsibility for the conglomerate’s involvement in the scandal. Both have already been identified as suspects by the country’s special prosecutor in connection with the probe that led to vice chairman Lee Jae-yong’s arrest last week.

The report doesn’t mention if both executives have formally submitted their resignations yet or if they will remain with the conglomerate in some other capacity. Samsung has not yet commented on this report so it’s unclear whether the resignations have actually been offered or not.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2l6xg76
via IFTTT

Samsung Chromebook Plus now available from the Google Store

Samsung announced two Chromebooks at the Consumer Electronics Show 2017 last month. It released the Samsung Chromebook Plus in the United States about two weeks ago and it was available for purchase through its own website as well as retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. The Chromebook Plus is now available for purchase via the Google Store as well.

This is Samsung’s entry-level Chromebook and it features a 12.3-inch 360-degree rotating touchscreen display with 2400×1600 pixel resolution. It’s powered by a 2GHz hexa-core ARM processor with 4GB RAM, 32GB eMMC flash storage, dual microphones, stereo speakers, a 5140mAh battery and a 720p webcam. It also comes with the Google Play Store installed straight out of the box so it can run any and all Android apps. A capacitive stylus is shipping with the Chromebook.

Customers who are interested in picking one up can head over to the Google Store right now and purchase the Chromebook Plus for $449. The $20 Google Play Store credit is included as well. Samsung’s Chromebook Pro has an Intel Core m3 processor and will be available at some point this spring, the company has not confirmed how much it’s going to cost.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2lQYDGV
via IFTTT

Samsung Pay is now available in Malaysia

Following its release in Thailand earlier this month, Samsung has today launched its mobile payment platform in Malaysia. Customers in possession of a credit, debit or prepaid card issued by CIMB, Citibank, Maybank or Standard Chartered can now store their details in the application, with compatibility for Hong Leong Bank arriving soon.

The South Korean company has also partnered with loyalty card firms B Infinite, BonusLink, and Sunway Pals for the launch; enabling users to ditch the plastic and start using Samsung Pay to collect points while making purchases in partnered shops, which can later be converted into cash.

Malaysia marks the eleventh country that Samsung Pay has expanded to following its debut two years ago in South Korea and the United States.

Read more: Samsung confirms the arrival of Bixby and Samsung Pay Mini

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2lCkMGx
via IFTTT

Samsung taking new steps to improve transparency in financial donations amid bribery scandal

Samsung has been ensnared in South Korea’s corruption scandal which has already led to the arrest of its heir apparent Lee Jae-yong on bribery charges. Lee allegedly paid bribes under the guise of corporate social responsibility grants of more than $35 million to win the government’s support for a controversial 2015 merger between two of its affiliates that allowed the founding Lee family to extend its grip on the business empire. Samsung Electronics today announced that it’s introducing a series of measures to bring greater accountability and transparency in managing financial donations and monetary support for corporate social responsibility activities and funds.

Samsung has decided that all financial donations and CSR function that amounts to more than 1 billion won will now require approval from the company’s board of directors. Previously, Samsung Electronics only required board approval for endowments that were more than 0.5 percent of the company’s shareholder equity.

It’s now going to use the electronic disclosure system operated by the Financial Supervisory Service to disclose details of the financial donations and CSR funding. All related details will be made available in quarterly business reports as well as in the annual sustainability report.

Samsung Electronics has also established a Review Council to improve the preliminary review process. It will be comprised of head executives of legal, financial, human resources and communication departments. The council will meet once a week to review proposed projects. Any and all financial donations or CSR funding amounting to more than 10 million won will be reviewed and will only be transferred to the next process if approved by the Review Council.

The company has also decided to review the operation of approval financial donations and CSR funding every quarter not only by the Review Council and the management but also the audit committee of the board of directors. This review will be conducted solely by outside directors which will help in improving transparency related to the executive of financial donations and CSR funding.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2lR3tDV
via IFTTT

February security patch hits the Galaxy S7 in India

Samsung is updating the Galaxy S7 in India with an update that brings the February security patch to the handset. Some countries had already received the February patch as part of the Nougat update, but that wasn’t the case for India as it was one of the first few markets where Nougat was made available to the S7 and S7 edge. The Galaxy S6 received a similar update in the country yesterday (although the 2015 flagship continues to be on Android 6.0 Marshmallow).

The February security patch features the usual slew of fixes for vulnerabilities that affect Android, as well as fixes for seven vulnerabilities exclusive to Samsung devices. Only the Galaxy S7 is getting the update at this time, but the Galaxy S7 edge should be receiving the same update shortly. If you own the Galaxy S7, you should be able to download the update from the Settings » Software update menu. It’s a 97 MB download, and according to the changelog, there isn’t anything meaningful on offer other than enhanced security.

Thanks, Premkumar!

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2mjuj4W
via IFTTT