Facebook 360 for Samsung Gear VR gathers social media VR content in one place

Facebook’s purchase of Oculus should signal to everyone the social media company’s intent to play a large role in virtual reality. Samsung and Facebook worked together to produce the Korean giant’s first-gen. Gear VR, as Facebook supplied the Oculus VR software while Samsung crafted its own headset. That was in 2014, and Facebook and Samsung are still working together. Many would argue that the Samsung-Facebook partnership has been a success, since...

The Galaxy S8 Active and Gear VR support: It’s time to give the people what they want

The Galaxy S Active series has been something of an abandoned stepchild for Samsung: the company puts its efforts behind making the smartphone, but limits its availability and capabilities. For one, Samsung has made this a mostly-AT&T-exclusive series in the US since its inception, which seems rather out of step with a company that can sell any phone it builds. Next, even when the company gives the Active series features such as gorgeous AMOLED...

Wallpaper Wednesday: Texture

Welcome to the latest edition of Wallpaper Wednesday. This week we’re focusing our attention on five texturised backgrounds. All of the images are available in a suitable resolution for the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge and just about any other smartphone (or even tablet) on the market. If any of the following images float your boat and you want to download and set one as your...

SamMobile Daily Recap: March 8, 2017 — CIA hacking Smart TVs, Galaxy S8 and more!

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 a great solution — a daily recap. In the list below, you’ll find the stories we’ve published today. Chances are, you’re not going...

Galaxy A7 (2017) release in Canada expected on March 17

It was first reported a couple of weeks ago that Samsung is going to release at least one model from its new Galaxy A (2017) series in Canada. That model was said to be the Galaxy A5 (2017). Previous reports suggest that this handset is going to cost $499.99 CAD when it does arrive and if a new report is believed, the Galaxy A5 (2017) is going to be released in Canada on March 17. According to the report major carriers Bell, Rogers and Virgin Mobile...

Samsung responds to reports about CIA hacking its smart TVs

We reported earlier today that WikiLeaks has published a trove of documents that allegedly detail the hacking tools that the United States Central Intelligence Agency uses. One of the tools mentioned in the documents is called “Weeping Angel” which the agency is believed to have created in partnership with the United Kingdom’s MI5. The CIA apparently used this tool to hack into Samsung smart TVs and record conversations using the TV’s microphone. The...

Leaked image shows Galaxy S8 vs Galaxy Note 7

There won’t be a lot of Galaxy S8 vs Galaxy Note 7 comparisons given that the latter was discontinued late last year but many would still be interested in knowing how the two handsets look side-by-side. While we’ve seen plenty of leaked pictures of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus on their own the latest leaked image out of China shows us how both upcoming handsets look when placed alongside Samsung’s...

Daily Deal: Pick up a Wireless Charging Battery Pack Cover for the Galaxy S7 for 64% off

For a limited time, you can pick up a Wireless Charging Battery Pack Cover for the Galaxy S7 for $32.42 (64% off). This accessory is a must-have for anyone who finds their smartphone running low on juice towards the middle of the day. Its durable plastic body should also provide your device with an extra layer of protection against dents and scratches. If you like the sound of the Wireless Charging Battery Pack Cover for the Galaxy S7 and want to...

Samsung showcases the best themes of 2016

Samsung has announced the best themes of 2016 for its Galaxy smartphones. The company has listed top ten themes under various categories as per the number of times they’ve been downloaded. You can see top ten free and paid themes below, but if you want to check out the best themes as per your country, the best ones selected by Samsung’s editors, or the best theme designers, you can hit the source...

These Galaxy S8 leaks are actually great for Samsung

I don’t think we’ve ever really been surprised by a flagship Samsung smartphone. There are just so many leaks leading up to the launch that we already know what the handset is going to look like, what its specifications are going to be and in most cases, it’s also known when it’s going to be out and how much it’s going to cost. Samsung’s official announcement merely serves as reiteration and confirmation of everything that we hear in the weeks before...

Samsung files for U Flex trademark, possibly a new set of wireless Level earphones

It appears that Samsung has a new pair of wireless Level earphones in the pipeline. The company has filed a trademark application for the brand “U Flex” in the European Union. The trademark description mentions that the brand is meant to be used with “Earphones; Bluetooth earset; Wireless earset for mobile phones, smartphones and tablet computers” leaving little to the imagination. Samsung has already...

Samsung Q1 2017 operating profit increase revised down to 30 percent

Just two weeks ago, several analysts predicted that Samsung would see a 40 percent increase in operating profit at the end of the first quarter of this year. This estimate has now been revised down. Samsung is now expected to post an operating profit of 8.7 trillion won ($7.5 billion) for the first quarter of the year which runs from January through March. The operating profit was previously expected to come in at 9.3 trillion won ($8.14 billion)...

Samsung jumps 23 spots to take 16th position in global market cap ranking

Samsung Electronics’ shares have been hitting new all-time highs every other week. It recovered very well after falling down a bit due to the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco. Even now when times are uncertain for the company and its leadership, investors appear unfazed by the uncertainty as they continue to push the stock to new highs. The Korea Exchange has announced that Samsung has now taken the 16th position in the global market capitalization ranking....

Samsung distributes 10,000 solar LED lanterns in India to promote the girl child

Samsung comes up with a lot of initiatives from time to time, which revolve around children and their education. The company has come up with a new initiative in India where it distributed 10,000 solar LED lanterns to promote gender diversity and education of the girl child. The company distributed these solar LED lanterns to girl students in government schools of Noida, Gurugram, and Sriperumbudur towns. These lanterns will provide...

February security update now arriving on the Galaxy C7 Pro

Samsung is now in the midst of rolling out last month’s security update for the Galaxy C7 Pro. For those unaware, the upgrade (C7000ZHU2AQB1) transport fixes for a total of 50 bugs present in the Android OS, in addition to a handful of patches that are exclusive to the firm’s latest devices. If you reside in one of the few markets — China and Hong Kong — where the Galaxy C7 Pro is available and would like to see if the upgrade is ready for your...

CIA can apparently hack your Samsung smart TV and spy on you

WikiLeaks has leaked a new trove of documents that are said to reveal some of the methods that the CIA uses to hack electronic devices. The documents describe how the US Central Intelligence Agency and its allied agencies are able to bypass encryption of apps like WhatsApp and Signal by breaking into an Android device and swooping data before encryption is even applied. The documents also mention a program called “Weeping Angel.” It’s said to be...

Verizon model of the Gear S3 classic spotted at the FCC

Last month, a Verizon-branded variant of the Gear S3 frontier (SM-R765V) passed through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) — and now what’s believed to be the carrier’s model of the Gear S3 classic (SM-R775V) has appeared in the agency’s online database. What’s strange about this filing, however, is that at present the only variant of the Gear S3 with cellular capabilities...