SamMobile Daily Recap: March 9, 2017 — Galaxy S8 spotted at the FCC, Samsung Pay and more!

We publish a lot 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 the perfect 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 split them into their respective categories. If you want to see the latest Galaxy S8 news, simply locate the Phones subheading.

Business

Samsung doubles gap with closest competitor in NAND market

Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong denies all charges at first trial hearing

Samsung kicks off 2017 Solve for Tomorrow Challenge in Canada

Deals

Daily Deal: Snag yourself a Samsung Mini Wireless Charging Pad for 71% off 

General

Samsung confirms it’s seriously thinking about setting up a plant in the US

Phones

Report: Samsung Galaxy S8 to feature facial recognition

Samsung retained its world’s top smartphone seller position in 2016

Unlocked Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus with US carrier support spotted at FCC

TV

Samsung highlights the smart features of its new QLED TV’s One Remote Control

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Grab stock Samsung device wallpapers from the new SamMobile wallpaper archive

Any time a new and notable Samsung device goes on sale, or when its firmware pops up in our database, we make it a point to share the stock wallpapers from the device with you, our readers. If you were tired of searching for these wallpapers on our site, we now have a one-stop solution for you: the SamMobile wallpaper archive.

It is where you can download the stock wallpapers from various Samsung devices, through the same simple interface as our APK and devices sections. Every device’s wallpapers can be downloaded as a single package. Unfortunately, we will be unable to offer them individually, as it would be a pain for us to upload what could be thousands of images one by one. Yes, our archive is limited right now, with wallpapers only from devices launched in and after 2015, but we will be adding wallpapers from both existing and upcoming devices in the future. To be clear, we will not be going back farther than devices launched in 2015 given how extensive Samsung’s device lineup was at that point.

Well, why are you still waiting? Grab those wallpapers and give your Samsung device a fresh new look. If you aren’t already, be sure to follow our Wallpaper Wednesday series, where we bring you new wallpaper options from different categories every week. Have some feedback? Be sure to let us know the comments section!

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Daily Deal: Snag yourself a Samsung Mini Wireless Charging Pad for 71% off

Starting today, you can snag yourself a Samsung-branded Mini Wireless Charging Pad for $11.45. For those unaware, this device is intended to be a scaled-down, more portable version of the orb-style charger (not the Fast Charge model) that was released back in 2015.

If you like the sound of the Mini Wireless Charging Pad 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 yes, it’s available worldwide.

Buy Now

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Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus size compared with Galaxy S6, S7, Note 7, and iPhone 7

Now that the design of the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus has almost been confirmed, new images have emerged which compare the physical size of these devices with other existing smartphones from Samsung and Apple.

Popular leakster @OnLeaks has tweeted multiple images in which he has compared physical sizes of the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus with the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S7, and the Galaxy Note 7 as well as with the Apple iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus.

As you can see in the images, the Galaxy S8 appears slightly shorter than the Galaxy Note 7, while the Galaxy S8 Plus appears slightly taller. As opposed to a popular belief among readers, both the upcoming smartphones are considerably taller than the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S7.

Interestingly, the Galaxy S8 Plus’ height is quite similar to that of the iPhone 7 Plus’ in spite of offering a much larger display. Samsung appears to have tried its best to offer as much screen real estate as it can in its upcoming flagship smartphones. However, it remains to be seen how ergonomic and comfortable they feel while using with one hand.

Would like to compare #Samsung #GalaxyS8 vs #GalaxyS8Plus vs #GalaxyNote7 and maybe more? Just ask and forget approximate Weibo crap… http://pic.twitter.com/LYPzwmEXV7

— OnLeaks (@OnLeaks) March 8, 2017

.@Blaa_Boi There you have it, #Samsung #GalaxyS8 vs #Apple #iPhone7 vs #GalaxyS8Plus vs #iPhone7Plus… http://pic.twitter.com/uMT2xWDaDq

— OnLeaks (@OnLeaks) March 8, 2017

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Galaxy S6 edge Android 7.0 Nougat firmware download available now

It was only a few hours ago that we reported about Samsung releasing Android 7.0 Nougat for the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge. Vodafone has released the update in a handful of countries across Europe today including but not limited to Italy, Netherlands, Ireland, United Kingdom, Romania and more. It has also been released by Swisscom in Switzerland.

If you happen to own a Galaxy S6 edge (SM-G925F) in one of these markets and would rather flash the firmware manually instead of having to wait for the over-the-air update, you’ll be delighted to know that you can now download Galaxy S6 edge Android 7.0 Nougat update from our firmware section. We’ll continue to update it as the rollout is extended to more markets.

We’ve already shown you pictures of how Nougat looks like on the Galaxy S6 edge. If you’re interested in finding out what new features this update brings don’t forget to check out our What’s New with Nougat series.

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Samsung Pay launched in Sweden for Nordea customers

It was reported last week that Samsung Pay would soon be launched in Sweden. The report didn’t reveal much except that we would have to wait until March 9 for a local press event where the details would be confirmed. The wait is now over. It has been officially announced that Samsung Pay has been launched in Sweden for Nordea customers.

Nordea is one of the largest commercial banks in Sweden. All of its customers can now use a compatible Samsung smartphone as well as their Nordea credit and debit cards to pay on the go with Samsung Pay. Since Samsung Pay has both NFC and MST support, it can be used with conventional card terminals as well, which means that it’s going to be accepted by almost all merchants.

Nordea customers have to use the Nordea Wallet app to register their Visa/MasterCard credit and debit cards in the Samsung Pay app after which they can use Samsung Pay to make payments with their phones in most stores around Sweden.

Sweden is now the first Nordic country where Samsung Pay has been made available. Compatible devices include the Galaxy A5 (2016), Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S edge. It will soon support Galaxy A5 (2017) and the Gear S3 smartwatch as well.

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Galaxy S6 edge running Android 7.0 Nougat [Pictures]

We reported an hour back that Samsung has now finally started rolling out the Android 7.0 Nougat update for the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge. We’ve received reports from multiple markets across Europe where said update has been released by Vodafone for both 2016 flagships. This is a big update so it brings a plethora of changes for the handsets.

Once you’ve downloaded and installed the 1.3GB update on your handset, you’ll immediately notice the new user interface called Samsung Experience. It’s simpler and cleaner that what you’ve become used to and it feels very fast and intuitive. The softer colors and rounded icons are easier on the eyes, the notification shade is easier to comprehend and all toggle icons in the shade light up in the blue “active” color when enabled.

This update also brings Samsung Cloud. It’s a cloud storage service that provides users with a backup and restoration option. It backs up native apps like Contacts, Notes and Calendar and even some third-party apps. All users get 15GB of cloud storage free. The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge Android 7.0 Nougat update comes bearing the February security patch.

It’s now being rolled out gradually and will soon be released in other markets as well. Check out the screenshots posted below to see how Nougat looks on the Galaxy S6 edge.

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Galaxy S6 edge Nougat update appears to be rolling out

Galaxy S6 owners have been waiting to receive the Android 7.0 Nougat update for quite some time now. It was reported recently that the update would be released for this device by the end of February. We reported week that Samsung had delayed the Galaxy S6 Nougat release to review its quality, the company said that it would make the update available at the earliest possible opportunity after it was done with the review. We’re now receiving reports that Samsung has started rolling out Nougat for the Galaxy S6 edge.

We’ve received tips from our readers which suggest that the Galaxy S6 edge Nougat update is now being rolled out, one reader told us that the update has been rolled out by Vodafone in the United Kingdom. Firmware version G925FXXU5EQBG has been released for this handset. We’re also seeing reports online of the update being released for both the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge in Switzerland and Germany.

The rollout may just be limited to Europe at this point in time so we’ll have to wait and see when it goes live in other markets across the globe. Have you received Nougat on your Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 edge? Let us know in the comments below.

Thanks, Vincent!

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Flipkart is offering discounts on select Samsung smartphones and wearables

As a part of Samsung Mobiles Fest, Flipkart is offering discounts on select Samsung smartphones and wearables in India for a limited time. Flipkart is offering flat-rate discounts on four smartphones and the Gear Fit 2, and there’s an EMI option for buying the Galaxy A9 Pro and the Galaxy C9 Pro.

There’s a discount of INR 2,590 on the Galaxy On Nxt, INR 2,000 on the Galaxy On8, INR 2,860 on the Galaxy On5, INR 1,700 on the Galaxy On7, and INR 3,000 on the Gear Fit 2. Flipkart is also offering the Galaxy A9 Pro and the Galaxy C9 Pro at an EMI of INR 2,492 and INR 3,075, respectively.

Click the source link below to view all the offers from Flipkart.

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Samsung Pay app gets online shopping and rewards feature in Korea

Samsung has announced that users in South Korea can now shop online for products from local online shops and get reward points while doing so directly through the Samsung Pay app. The rewards program was launched in the US last year.

Samsung Pay users in South Korea won’t even need to register or log into respective online shopping sites separately if they use Samsung’s mobile payment app, which makes the shopping experience more convenient. The company has also launched the Samsung Rewards, a feature that counts online and offline payments, in the country. Users can now earn 2 percent of the transaction every time as points.

The South Korean smartphone giant has partnered with online shopping websites Gmarket, Hellolink, Mobile Coupang Mall, Picnic, Samsung Card, The Hyundai, and Wizwid to integrate the online shopping feature inside the Samsung Pay app. The company’s magazine service Lifestyle will also be upgraded to add content related to life, fashion, beauty, celebrity, and automobiles.

Samsung will launch a membership card for the Rewards program by the end of this month in South Korea. Samsung Pay went live in India earlier this week, and the company plans to expand its mobile payments service in two to three additional markets this year. The company is also looking to add more features to Samsung Pay in the US, while Apple Pay got off to a rocky start in Japan.

 

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