AT&T Galaxy S7 Active Nougat update brings Samsung Cloud and Samsung Pass

At last, at last. The AT&T Galaxy S7 Active, considered to be one of the most oddly-placed smartphones in Samsung’s lineup (not really flagship, not really non-flagship), is finally getting the long-awaited update today to Android 7.0 Nougat after receiving its WiFi certification just last month and being spotted on GFXBench running Nougat back in January of this year.

The update weighs in at 1.58GB and brings the build number to NRD90M.G891AUCU2BQB2, removes the AT&T address book, and brings new Samsung services such as Samsung Cloud and Samsung Pass to the ruggedized smartphone. Samsung Cloud is Samsung’s newest cloud storage service that provides 15GB of free cloud storage to Samsung Galaxy users.

Some have had trouble with Samsung Cloud blowing through their data plans, though, so just be sure to keep an eye on your data plan as you use it. Samsung Pass is all about storing your passwords so that you need only log in with your fingerprint (or, with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, your eyes) to access all your favorite websites. Of course, Samsung Knox safely stores and protects your biometric information. 

In addition to these Samsung-specific services, S7 Active users can also expect to see Samsung’s resolution scaledown feature that lets you conserve battery life by reducing your display resolution, not to mention the new Performance Mode that allows you to achieve better sound, game graphics, and battery life through customization.

Other Nougat features include Bundled Notifications, Doze on the Go (or, as it has been called by some, Deeper Doze), Notification Direct Reply that lets you respond to texts from the notification shade, along with file-based encryption, direct boot, and background updating. Check out more in our What’s New With Nougat series.

Have you gotten the S7 Active update? Like what you see? Glad to finally see Nougat land?

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Gear S3 Frontier update is small, brings Jansky wearable

Upswings in life are often around the corner. The same can be said for updates. Today’s update comes to the Gear S3 Frontier and brings a mysterious element to the smartwatch experience.

Coming in at a measly 35.08 MB, the new Gear S3 Frontier update is designed for versions starting with the model number SM-R765, what we know to be the Gear S3 Frontier LTE version only (the non-LTE version has the model number SM-R760). What we know from the source is that the new update bring performance improvements, and an update to the security policy, but the mysterious element “Jansky wearable” remains unknown. This sounds at the very least as though it could be another watchface, but time will bear out its true nature.

Apart from these details, little else is known about this Gear S3 Frontier LTE update. This is the first major update since three months ago when Samsung updated the non-LTE European and non-LTE US models to improve GPS performance and world clock settings.

We’ll be back to update this as details become available. For now, though, we want to know if you’re seeing this update on your Gear S3 Frontier LTE model. Are you seeing the same update on your non-LTE Gear S3 Frontier? If so, let us know.

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Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge get flat $100 discount

It looks like Samsung really wants you to buy a Galaxy S7 or a Galaxy S7 edge. The company has been offering some great discounts on both handsets recently. It shaved off $250 on the Sprint variant of both models and also offered a similar discount for the T-Mobile Galaxy S7 edge. It also threw in a free 128GB microSD card with both offers.

While those offers are still running, Samsung is out with a new offer that provides a flat $100 discount on the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge. It doesn’t matter if you purchase the handset on Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint or just go with an unlocked variant.

Samsung will give you $100 off on both models if you purchase one from its online store. That’s not all, Samsung will also give customers a free 64GB microSD card with each purchase of the Galaxy S7 and a 128GB card with the Galaxy S7 edge.

This is a great way for Samsung to clear some inventory of last year’s flagship as it gears up to launch the Galaxy S8 later this month. It’s very beneficial for those who’ve always wanted to purchase a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge but remained on the fence because they didn’t want to spend too much on a smartphone.

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Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus price and colors possibly revealed

You’ve already seen a lot of leaked photos and videos of the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus. You’re also aware of when the handset is going to be officially launched. All that’s left to know is how much are both models of the new flagship going to cost and what colors they will be available. Samsung will obviously not confirm this information before March 29 which is when it’s going to unveil the Galaxy S8 but according to a new report, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus will be available in three different colors.

It’s claimed that the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus will be available in Silver, Black and Violet colors. The last one sounds a bit interesting but Violet isn’t a color that’s too common with Samsung flagships. It’s also claimed that the 5.7-inch Galaxy S8 will cost 799 euro while the 6.2-inch Galaxy S8 Plus will be priced at a hefty 899 euro. If this is true, the new flagship will be a bit more expensive than its predecessor as Samsung priced the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge at 699 and 799 euro respectively after launch.

None of this has been confirmed officially, though, so take it with a grain of salt until there’s more evidence to support the theory. We’ll be on the ground in London on March 29 to bring you all of the latest developments from Samsung’s Galaxy S8 launch event.

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SamMobile Daily Recap: March 7, 2017 — March security patch, semiconductor investment and more!

We publish a solid amount 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 with every post. But, we think we’ve come up with an ideal 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 to help you find what’s important to you, we’ve split them into their respective categories. If you want to see the latest Galaxy S8 news, for example, locate the Phones subheading.

Business

Samsung could invest up to $12.5 billion in its semiconductor business

Deals

Daily Deal: Save 52% on a 32GB EVO microSD card

Firmware News

January security patch now arriving on the first-generation Galaxy J5 in Europe

Samsung details contents of March security patch

T-Mobile distributing January security update for the Galaxy Note 4 in the US

Phones

Samsung discounts T-Mobile Galaxy S7 edge by $250

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The Galaxy S8 isn’t out yet but its clone already is

It’s not uncommon for clones of upcoming flagship smartphones to appear well before the smartphone itself has been officially announced. We have seen plenty of leaked pictures and videos to get an idea of what the Galaxy S8 looks like and it appears so have no-name Chinese manufacturers who create these clones. The Galaxy S8 may not be out yet but its clone, quite possibly the first one, already is. It goes without saying that this is unlikely going to be the first and last Galaxy S8 clone. There will be many.

Spotting a clone isn’t that difficult even though the manufacturers try very hard to imitate the original device. Even though it appears to have a screen-to-body ratio that’s quite similar to that of the Galaxy S8, the alignment of the front camera and sensors is off while the rear camera is just too big. The incorrect placement of the fingerprint sensor on the back is a dead giveaway. It’s also missing the fourth hardware button that’s reportedly going to be for Bixby, Samsung new AI assistant that will debut with the Galaxy S8.

It’s unclear how much this Galaxy S8 clone costs in China but it’s obviously going to be priced much less than what the real deal will go for. There’s no word as yet on its specs as well but they’re definitely not going to be something to write home about.

Samsung will officially unveil the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus on March 29.

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Daily Deal: Save 52% on a 32GB EVO microSD card

You can currently pick up a 32GB EVO microSD card for $18.19 (52% off). For those unaware, aside from snappy transfer speeds, the EVO range of chips is waterproof and resistant to extreme temperatures — so if you happen to submerge your handset in water, you have peace of mind that all of your content is safe.

If you like the sound of the 32GB 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 seeing as it’s available worldwide, we have a feeling it’s going to sell out fast.

Buy Now

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Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus appear side-by-side in newly leaked images

Just three hours after the Galaxy S8 leaked in a short video, the device has appeared once again alongside Galaxy S8 Plus. You can clearly see the size difference between these two devices, and decide which one you would want to buy as per your comfort.

These images appear to come from a screen protector manufacturer, offering a clear look at both the devices. The Galaxy S8‘s screen comes with the Always-On Display feature and a persistent on-screen home button. Above the new bezel-less display, there are a bunch of sensors along with the front-facing camera and the iris scanner.

On the top, the phone has a SIM card tray and a secondary microphone. There’s a USB Type-C port, loudspeaker, and a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom. These images offer us the clearest look at the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus to date. Which device would you opt for?

 

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Galaxy C5 Pro is finally live on Samsung China’s website

We first reported six months ago that Samsung was developing the Galaxy C5 Pro for China. Recent reports have suggested that it might be released in markets outside the People’s Republic as well. The handset has already been leaked multiple times and Samsung even showcased it at the Samsung Forum 2017 in China last week. The Galaxy C5 Pro has finally gone live on Samsung China’s website. It joins the Galaxy C7 Pro which was quietly launched in the country two months back.

Measuring in at 145.7 x 71.4 x 7 mm, the Galaxy C5 Pro features a 5.2-inch 1920×1080 pixel resolution display, it’s powered by a 2.2GHz Snapdragon 626 processor with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The handset features a 16-megapixel f/1.9 camera on the front and back aside from a 2,600mAh battery. Additional features include Always On Display, NFC, dual-SIM and 4G LTE support, USB Type-C port, a fingerprint sensor and Samsung Pay support. It’s available in gold, blue and pink colors.

It remains to be seen if and when this handset makes its way out of China. Samsung hasn’t confirmed anything about a global launch for the Galaxy C5 Pro just yet. Since the handset only went live on Samsung China’s website earlier today we’ll have to wait a bit to find out what the company is charging for this handset down in the People’s Republic.

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Samsung investors unfazed by bribery scandal as stock touches all-time high

South Korea’s special prosecutor’s office finally revealed the result of its investigation into the bribery scandal yesterday. It was looking into allegations of bribes being paid indirectly to President Park Geun-hye to win the government’s influence. Samsung is alleged to have paid $37 million in bribes so that the government would back a merger between two of its affiliates. The prosecutor’s office concluded in the report that Samsung did pay bribes for this purpose through Choi Soon-sil, a close friend of the president who has now been impeached.

These are uncertain times for the company. Samsung Electronics vice chairman and the conglomerate’s heir Lee Jae-yong was arrested a couple of weeks ago on several charges including bribery. His trial begins soon after he was formally indicted last week. However, the company’s investors appear unfazed.

Despite these concerning developments, investors continue to push Samsung Electronics stock to new highs. Even if there has been a retracement in the stock over the past few weeks over concerns about leadership, buyers have swooped in and picked up the stock at what they probably perceive to be a discounted valuation and these fresh positions have helped push the stock to record highs.

With Lee Jae-yong’s trial a couple of days away, Samsung Electronics shares hit an all-time high today of 2,015,000 Korean won or $1752. The stock has never been higher and it goes to show that investors have not lost faith in the health of the company’s business and with 2017 set to be the year of Samsung, perhaps they feel that’s enough to absorb the impact from any changes at the very top.

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Black Galaxy S8 leaked in short video

The endless streak of Galaxy S8 leaks continues as the launch event comes closer with each passing day. Many renders, pictures and even videos of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus have leaked online already but that doesn’t mean we won’t get to see more in the days leading up to the launch event. A short video has now emerged on YouTube which gives us a glimpse at the black Galaxy S8.

The handset looks quite good in this rich black color. This video doesn’t reveal anything new about the design which we’ve already seen many, many times. The Galaxy S8 has minimal bezels so it basically feels like a big piece of glass from the front. Since it no longer has a physical home button the fingerprint sensor has been repositioned on the back alongside the camera. We can also see the handset’s branding on the back in this video.

It goes without saying that we’ll see more leaks like this in the days to come. Samsung is due to unveil the Galaxy S8 at an event in New York City and London on March 29. A recent report suggested that the device’s release has actually been delayed by a week.

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Samsung announces first commercial launch of TVkey in Germany

Samsung announced the creation of a next-generation security solution called TVkey six months ago. It enables users to access pay-TV services directly on select new Samsung TVs by plugging a low-cost TVkey USB dongle instead of needing a set-top box or a second remote. It developed the TVkey with NAGRA, one of the leading providers of content protection.

“By partnering with NAGRA on TVkey, we are setting a new standard for the industry, enabling pay-TV providers to securely deliver premium UHD content directly to consumers,” said Jong-hee Han, Executive Vice President, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics said in September last year.

It was confirmed back then that TVkey will be fully developed into an open market solution which would be accessible to the wider TV industry in early 2017. Samsung and NAGRA have today announced the world’s first commercial deployment of TVkey at German satellite operator HD+.

The HD+ TVkey enable subscribers to access HD+ channels without needing a separate receiver or CAM module with smartcard. They can then access high-quality programming include HDR and 4K directly on newer-model Samsung TVs.

Customers who pick up a new compatible Samsung TV from participating retailers in Germany will receive the HD+ TVkey free for a limited time after they register on the HD+ website. This promotion also gives them a free six-month HD+ subscription which when expired can be converted into a regular subscription.

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Galaxy Xcover 4 will be released in these markets

Samsung officially announced the rugged Galaxy Xcover 4 smartphone last week. The handset is designed for harsh environments as it has been manufactured based on the MIL-STD 810G standard. The handset can work in extreme high and low temperatures while also being water and dust resistant. The Galaxy Xcover 4 has a 4.99-inch 720×1280 TFT display, a 1.4GHz quad-core processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB of storage. It has NFC and microSD card support, a 2,800mAh battery and runs Android 7.0 Nougat. The handset’s touchscreen display can even be used with gloves on.

The company said that it’s going to release the Galaxy Xcover 4 in Europe starting this April for 259 euro. We can now share a list of markets where the Galaxy Xcover 4 is going to be released next month.

• ATL – Spain (Vodafone)
• ATO – Open Austria
• AUT – Switzerland
• BGL – Bulgaria
• BTU – United Kingdom
• CNX – Romania (Vodafone)
• COA – Romania (Cosmote)
• COS – Greece (Cosmote)
• CPW – United Kingdom (Carphone Warehouse)
• CRO – Croatia (T-Mobile)
• DBT – Germany
• DDE – null
• DPL – null
• DTM – Germany (T-Mobile)
• ETL – Czech Republic
• EUR – Greece
• EVR – United Kingdom (EE)
• FTM – France (Orange)
• ITV – Italy
• MAX – Austria (T-Mobile)
• MOB – Austria (A1)
• NEE – Nordic countries
• O2C – Czech Republic (O2C)
• O2U – United Kingdom (O2)
• OMN – Italy (Vodafone)
• OPV – null
• ORO – Romania (Orange)
• ORS – Slovakia
• ORX – Slovakia
• PHN – Netherlands
• PLS – Poland (PLUS)
• PRO – Belgium (Proximus)
• PRT – Poland (Play)
• ROM – Romania
• SEB – Baltic
• SEE – South East Europe
• SIM – Slovenia (Si.mobil)
• SWC – Switzerland (Swisscom)
• TCL – Portugal (Vodafone)
• TMS – Slovakia
• TMZ – Czech Republic (T-Mobile)
• TPH – Portugal (TPH)
• TPL – Poland (T-mobile)
• TRG – Austria (Telering)
• TTR – null
• VD2 – Germany (Vodafone)
• VDC – Czech Republic (Vodafone)
• VDF – Netherlands (Vodafone)
• VDH – Hungary (VDH)
• VDI – Ireland (Vodafone)
• VGR – Greece (Vodafone)
• VIP – Croatia (VIPNET)
• VOD – United Kingdom (Vodafone)
• XEC – Spain (Movistar)
• XEF – France
• XEH – Hungary
• XEO – Poland
• XEU – United Kingdom / Ireland
• XFV – South Africa (Vodafone)

These are all of the markets which will receive the Galaxy Xcover 4 (SM-G390F), we’ll update if another variant destined for other markets shows up.

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Samsung could invest up to $12.5 billion in its semiconductor business this year

Samsung is, by far, the largest memory chip maker in the world. According to DRAMeXchange, the company racked up $14.151 billion in NAND flash memory sales last year, while its closest competitor Toshiba managed to bring in just $7.898 billion in sales. However, Samsung may fall to second place if Toshiba’s memory business merges with Western Digital. Now, the South Korean company is expected to invest more in its semiconductor business than it did last year.

According to a report from the US-based research firm IC Insights, Samsung Electronics could invest up to 14.5 trillion won ($12.5 billion) in 2017, which is 11 percent higher than last year’s investment. The company is expected to the world’s largest chip manufacturing plant in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. The company is expected to start manufacturing V-NAND flash memory in the new manufacturing unit by mid-2017. SK Hynix, Samsung’s local rival is expected to invest 7 trillion won this year.

Samsung plans to reduce the investment in DRAM manufacturing while increasing the investment in 3D NAND memory chips. The company will also make investments in its Icheon plant M14 for the production of 3D NAND memory. Earlier this year, SK Hynix acquired a 51% stake in LG’s silicon wafer producing arm LG Siltron for 620 billion won.

Intel, the second largest semiconductor company in the world, is expected to increase the investment to $12 billion this year, an increase of 25% compared to last year. TSMC, the third largest semiconductor brand, is likely to invest $10 billion this year, but that’s a 2% drop from last year. Industry insiders are predicting DRAM and NAND flash memory business to continue to rise this year

 

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Samsung discounts T-Mobile Galaxy S7 edge by $250

Samsung has been offering some great discounts on the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge recently as it gears up to launch the Galaxy S8 in a couple of weeks. Samsung recently offered the Sprint Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge at a significant discount and it’s now doing something similar for the T-Mobile variant as well. The company is selling the T-Mobile Galaxy S7 edge for $429.99 which is a $250 discount compared to the retail price. To entice customers to pick up this handset it’s also going to give a free 128GB microSD card with each purchase.

Buying the handset from Samsung means that it can’t be bought on T-Mobile’s Jump on Demand or Equipment Installment Plan but since that’s quite a big discount I’m sure many would go away and buy it outright at that price. The company’s online store currently has all four color options in stock – black, blue, silver and gold – but that might change soon once units start flying off shelves.

Head over to Samsung’s online store right now to take advantage of this price cut if you’ve been meaning to pick up a new Galaxy S7 edge.

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T-Mobile distributing January security update for the Galaxy Note 4 in the US

While the Galaxy Note 4 was recently treated to the February security patch in Europe, on the other side of the pond T-Mobile has started rolling out the January maintenance release for its carrier-branded variant of the handset in the United States, reveals online blog TmoNews. 

It’s unclear whether the update is making its way to the Galaxy Note Edge as well, but seeing as the two devices have received upgrades simultaneously in the past (on more than one occasion), you probably wouldn’t wrong in assuming that’s also the case with this release.

For those in need of a refresher (although, you shouldn’t need one — we’ve said it twice already today!), the January patch bundles fixes for a total of 67 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures in the Android OS and an additional 28 patches specifically for Galaxy-branded smartphones.

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January security patch now arriving on the first-generation Galaxy J5 in Europe

Less than 24 hours after it arrived on the Galaxy J7 (2016), Samsung has started rolling out the January security patch for the first-generation Galaxy J5 in Europe; bringing fixes for a total of 67 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures in the Android OS and an additional 28 patches specifically for the handset.

Blast from the past: Galaxy J5 Review: Samsung needs more awesome budget smartphones like this

Like usual, the update (XXU1BQA4) is making the rounds in stages. If you’d like to see if it’s ready for your device, simply open up the Settings menu and select the relevant option from the Software Update section under in the About Device subheading.

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Samsung details contents of March security patch

Samsung has taken to its Security Blog to detail the contents of this month’s maintenance release. The upgrade addresses a total of 73 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) in the Android OS and an additional 12 patches for the firm’s latest Galaxy-branded handsets.

As we’ve said time and time again, the majority of the patches are listed as “privately disclosed” — and for good reason. Samsung can’t go into great detail about the fixes as there are some bugs that may not have been discovered yet, and hackers may attempt to exploit them before the firmware arrives.

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