A new 5100mAh power bank has surfaced online in both grey and blue colors with USB Type-C charging and 15W Fast Charging capabilities. The model number, EB-PG950, reminds us that the model number for the upcoming Galaxy S8 is SM-G950, seeing that Samsung’s cultural tetraphobia prevents the Korean giant from using the number “4″ in its model number listing. This new accessory confirms USB Type-C charging for the Galaxy S8 (though leaks have already confirmed this long ago).
As for the battery capacity of the Galaxy S8, whispers inside the industry have pointed to, at most, a 3,250mAh battery, though the 3,500mAh Galaxy S8+ battery that leaked last week may indicate that the S8′s battery size will remain at the Galaxy S7′s 3,000mAh capacity.
Samsung’s 5,100mAh power bank will catch on with users who can never get enough power, but third-party manufacturers will try their hand at getting some customer appeal with power banks and battery cases of their own. If you want to get a power bank that works best with your Galaxy S8 handset, though, Samsung’s official accessory is as good as it gets.
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. However, we think we’ve come up with a fantastic 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 Phonessubheading.
A new image has leaked online which shows us the screen resolution adjustment menu open on a Galaxy S8. This feature was also present on the Galaxy Note 7 when it came out last year. It enables users to select with a simple slider the resolution that they want to go with.
The advantage that users get out of playing with this feature is a noticeable improvement in battery efficiency and performance since those components won’t have to work as hard as they do at the maximum resolution if it has been adjusted to a lower setting.
The leaked image shows us the Galaxy S8 screen resolution options will range from HD+ 1480×720, FHD+ 2220×1080 and WQHD+ 2960×1440. It’s quite possible that FHD+ might be the default option on the Galaxy S8 just like it is when Nougat is installed on existing Samsung devices in the interest of providing a balance between display quality and battery life.
Even if that is the case, users will be able to change it easily by accessing this menu in the Settings app. All current running apps will be closed when the resolution is changed.
Amazon has further slashed the price of Samsung’s first-generation Wireless Charging Pad. While stock lasts, you can currently pick one up for just $20.08 (60%). Best of all, the promotion isn’t restricted to the United States — so everyone with access to the online merchant can bag themselves one for the reduced price.
If you want to take advantage of this deal, hit the Buy Now Button below. It would probably be wise to hurry, though, as we don’t anticipate stock sitting on the shelves for this one as there are plenty of people out there waiting for an opportunity as good as this to score themselves new tech.
“No sir, there is no Paytm support.” “Sorry sir, it won’t work.” “Sir, this machine doesn’t support phone payment.” Those are some of the reactions I have received ever since I started using Samsung Pay at stores here in India following the launch of the payment service in an early access program. The first week was frustrating, too. Samsung Pay worked twice at my favorite restaurant, but not anywhere else.
The reason? Well, it was because I was following Samsung’s illustration in the Samsung Pay app, which says the phone should be placed on the top of the card reader/payment terminal, too literally. Most of the terminals I tried either said there was a card detection error, and a couple of machines simply blinked each time I placed the phone on them. But the second week saw me going from “meh, this thing sucks” to repeatedly telling (and annoying) my friends that I had just made another payment using Samsung Pay.
Here’s a video of a transaction I made using Samsung Pay while purchasing the Galaxy A7 (2017) (note that card detection happens instantly on most machines, especially those that aren’t wired to the retailer’s payment terminal):
My opinion changed once I realized that placing the phone against the side of the machines is what it work properly, as that is where credit and debit cards are swiped to initiate transactions (NFC-enabled machines, however, should work by placing the phone on top). I also realized that the upper half of the S7 edge is where the MST chip resides. I was trying to align the display on the card readers squarely with the center of the phone, so there were a higher number of failures than I would like to admit in the beginning.
The bigger problem was the unwillingness of a few shopkeepers to let me try paying through the phone. This was likely because very few card readers in India work on NFC. As a result, those who have tried using their banking apps at these stores would have failed to make payment, which, in turn, must have suggested to the storekeepers that paying through mobile devices doesn’t work with their payment terminals.
These stores did let me try Samsung Pay, but their lack of enthusiasm meant I didn’t try more than twice before turning away in dismay, which is why it took me an entire week to figure out the proper way of operation. Well, that and the fact that India is a densely populated country and has considerable queues in big stores, so I wasn’t willing to hold up the folks behind me just so I could try this new way of payment and possibly suffer the wrath of a few impatient shoppers.
The solution, no doubt, is educating stores and their cashiers about Samsung Pay, something the Korean giant has clearly not done at this point. Maybe it is because the service hasn’t launched for everyone yet, but it’s a step the company should be taking from the very beginning so that there are no holdups for people who do try to pay with their Samsung phone. The fact that many retailers were quick to point out that they don’t support Paytm (a popular online payment wallet in India) as they realized I was bringing my phone close to their payment terminals is the only indication we need that this is not something that will be immediately successful.
Well, at least not in a market like India, where cash payments still rule the roost, even despite the government’s recent push towards digital payments. Also an obstacle is the fact that the Samsung phones that support Samsung Pay are all mid-range and flagship devices, which don’t sell in high numbers compared to the company’s budget handsets. There have to be enough people out there trying this out to bring it to the limelight. It has been rumored that Samsung Pay could come to the Galaxy J lineup, so there is hope, and the public release of the service should also bring a positive effect.
But whatever the problems, you have to try Samsung Pay to see just how effortless it is. Samsung’s decision to support MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) was clearly a home run, as the service supports every single payment terminal/card reader out there as long as it supports credit and debit cards. I have seen cashiers at the stores I visited smile after being impressed with what I had pulled off, and the fact that I no longer have to reach for my wallet (and then put the thing back in my pocket) makes these payments a very convenient affair. It helps that most of the major Indian banks are supported already, with more to come in the future.
I’m still bringing my wallet into stores as there is always a possibility Samsung Pay won’t work, but I’m looking forward to the day I can simply carry my phone around to buy things. In fact, such a day might not be far as Samsung Pay hasn’t once failed for me in the last week. Samsung’s biggest (and perhaps only) task is to bring stores around the country up to speed. Marketing the thing out on the streets will also help, and I suppose the only reason Samsung isn’t doing that right now is that it is testing the waters before it makes a big move.
Have you tried using Samsung Pay since it went live in India? How has the experience been? Let us know by getting a conversation going in the comments!
Who says that the leaks will stop surfacing online now that Samsung has confirmed that it’s going to unveil the Galaxy S8 on March 29? The endless stream of leaked photos and videos hasn’t dried up and we don’t expect it to in the days leading up to the official announcement. A very short video has emerged out of China today which gives us a glimpse of what appears to be a working Galaxy S8.
You can see the Galaxy S8′s gorgeous display in the video and how nicely it blends with the minimal bezels that the smartphone has. The person holding the phone unlocks it by placing his finger on the fingerprint sensor that’s located at the back alongside the rear camera. He then flips it over to give us a look at the other side.
This is far from a proper walkthrough of Samsung’s new flagship smartphone but it does reiterate almost everything that we’ve heard about the handset’s design and looks so far. We just have to wait until March 29 now to find out more about the Galaxy S8.
The Galaxy C7 Pro is a pretty robust mid-range handset with its 5.7-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display, 2.2GHz Snapdragon 626 processor with 4GB RAM and up to 64GB of expandable internal storage.
It even features a 16-megapixel front and rear camera as well as a 3,300mAh battery. Samsung has released it with Marshmallow in China but it may receive an update to Nougat in the not too distant future.
The FCC filing for the Galaxy C7 Pro (SM-C701F) has now been spotted. This suggests that Samsung is preparing to release the handset in markets other than China. While it’s unclear at this point in time in which markets Samsung is going to sell this handset, it’s likely that the United States might be one of them as well.
It is being reported that Samsung will push the Galaxy S8 as their main flagship smartphone variant over the Galaxy S8 Plus. Last year, the company focussed more on the Galaxy S7 edge, thanks to its larger and curved display. However, the company’s strategy might be different this time around.
According to a report by ETNews, Samsung has chosen the Galaxy S8 (with a 5.8-inch display) over the Galaxy S8 Plus (with a 6.2-inch display) as their primary variant. The company has reportedly decided to produce 2.1 million units of the Galaxy S8 Plus and 2.6 million units of the Galaxy S8 in March. However, the difference would increase further in the month of April. Samsung reportedly plans to manufacture 3.3 million units of the Galaxy S8 Plus and 4.5 million units of the Galaxy S8. Out of 12.5 million units that would be supplied initially to the customers, 7.1 million units would be of the Galaxy S8 Plus and 5.4 million units of the Galaxy S8.
Samsung is releasing both the variants of a Galaxy S smartphone with curved displays for the first time. Last year, the company sold 10 million units of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge during the first 20 days after its release date. Since the company and its partners estimate the demand for all the variants before manufacturing them, it seems like consumers would prefer the Galaxy S8 over the Galaxy S8 Plus due to ample screen real estate in a not-so-large body. The publication also reports that Samsung will use Galaxy Note 7′s Y-OCTA display technology only in the Galaxy S8, and not in the Galaxy S8 Plus.
Samsung chairman’s wife Hong Ra-hee and the mother of Lee Jae-yong is expected to play a key role in the ongoing succession scenario. She currently holds 0.77 percent of Samsung Electronics’ shares and civil law also entitles her to her spouse’s assets. The chairman holds a 3.54 percent stake in Samsung Electronics and a 20 percent stake in Samsung Insurance. This holding is 50 percent more than Ra-hee’s three children.
Since the law offers a greater share of the inheritance to spouses than the children, Ra-hee would become the largest individual shareholder over Samsung affiliates. After inheritance, her stake in Samsung Electronics would be worth 4 trillion won or $3.57 billion. Analysts expect that her increased holding in the conglomerate’s crown jewel may be utilized to further Lee Jae-yong’s push to expand the Lee family’s control over the Samsung Group.
However, the plan has been hit by a setback due to Lee Jae-yong’s arrest in connection with South Korea’s influence-peddling scandal. He is being tried on charges of bribery, embezzlement and concealment of assets abroad and until the outcome, he remains behind bars. The trial is expected to be wrapped up in three months.
Citing industry sources, a report out of South Korea today claims that the Samsung Group’s battery affiliate Samsung SDI has put its Galaxy Note 7 battery compensation plan for sister company Samsung Electronics on hold as the two affiliates have yet to find a middle ground for a settlement. The two companies have still not reached a decision on settlement money.
Samsung SDI didn’t really have a good year in 2016. It suffered significant losses due to the Galaxy Note 7 debacle and also had to deal with slow sales of automotive batteries in China. It posted an operating loss of 926.3 billion won or $826.90 million last year.
Samsung Electronics announced the result of its lengthy probe into the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco back in January this year. The company confirmed that the battery was at fault and that it was going to seek compensation from its battery suppliers which include Samsung SDI and China’s ATL.
Reports suggest that Samsung SDI has earmarked more than 95 billion won to be paid as compensation for the faulty batteries. It supplied 70 percent of all batteries for the Galaxy Note 7. It’s unclear what figure both companies will agree on but it’s expected that Samsung Electronics will lower the settlement amount given the close ties between both companies.
Samsung SDI declined to comment on the matter while pointing out that the talks are still ongoing.
With a little more than a week to go until the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus are made official, Samsung has aired another advert teasing the handsets on TV in South Korea. This latest offering heavily plays on the relationship between the ‘Galaxy’ branding and space. Also, note how the door appears to be in the shape of the Galaxy S8 we’ve seen in leaked hands-on pictures.
Samsung is reportedly betting big on Galaxy S8 preorders ahead of the smartphone’s availability on April 21. The company recently decided to unveil subsidy plans for customers earlier than usual during the pre-order period of April 7 to April 17 and then shipping the phones from April 18 (ahead of the official release date).
The South Korean smartphone giant is also planning a nationwide hands-on event right after the phone’s unveiling in New York and London on March 29. The Investor’s sources predict that the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus would sell more than the Galaxy Note 7 during the preorder period. Samsung had managed to sell around 400,000 units of the Galaxy Note 7 during the preorder period, but the company had suffered an operating loss of $6.26 billion due to the battery fiasco.
Samsung is expected to make an all-out effort to make up for the losses it suffered due the Galaxy Note 7 ahead of the September 2017 release of the Apple iPhone 8. The Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus are expected to feature 5.7-inch and 6.2-inch curved Super AMOLED displays, respectively. Samsung will also debut its AI assistant Bixby, which was announced yesterday, with the upcoming smartphones.
Several mobile carriers in Canada started rolling out the much-awaited Android 7.0 Nougat update for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge. SaskTel, Bell, Virgin Mobile, EastLink, Wind Mobile and Freedom Mobile released said update for those who own Samsung’s 2016 flagship on their networks. However, two of the country’s largest carriers were missing from that list.
Rogers had previously confirmed by updating its OS release schedule that it would send out the Android 7.0 Nougat update for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge by March 20. It has kept its word as the Nougat update for last year’s Samsung flagship is now out on Rogers. Another major carrier, Telus, has released the update as well.
Firmware version G930W8VLU2BQB6 and G935W8VLU2BQB6 is now being rolled out for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge respectively by Rogers and Telus in Canada. The over-the-air update will go live across all regions of the country in the very near future. The update files are also available for download from our firmware section for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge.
Samsung unveiled several new display technologies during a private briefing at this year’s Mobile World Congress, including a 3D Touch-like OLED panel, which the firm will reportedly adopt in order to make the navigation keys on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus (and the entire screen on the upcoming Galaxy Note 8) pressure-sensitive. Although, a source in attendance told the The Korea Herald that it doesn’t seem ready to be unveiled soon.
“Samsung exhibited new technologies, including force touch, OLED without polarizer, VR headsets with high resolution and blue-less OLED. They are expected to be launched within one to two years,” said an anonymous attendee in a statement to The Korea Herald. “Another interesting technology was OLED panels without polarizer. When the technology is complete, this can significantly reduce power consumption,” he said.
Circling back to the Gear VR headset. The one that was showcased during the briefing had 1,200 PPI (pixels per inch). It’s believed that Samsung’s end goal is to release a unit with 1,500 PPI — a huge step up from the current Gear VR, which has less than 1,100 PPI. When the resolution eventually reaches the target amount of pixels per inch, it should solve virtual reality sickness, including general discomfort, headaches and stomach awareness.
Financial analysts have made several predictions about how Samsung’s first quarter of 2017 is going to turn out. Some suggested that the company would see a 40 percent increase in operating profit but this was revised down to 30 percent just two weeks ago. According to a new report out of Korea, the company is likely to post results that beat market expectations.
A local securities firm predicts that due to the stellar performance of its chip business, Samsung is going to post a market forecast-beating operating income for the first quarter of 2017. NH Investment & Securities forecasts an operating income of 9.6 trillion won or $8.59 for the quarter ending March 2017, higher than the market estimate of 8.9 trillion won or $7.7 billion.
The company is expected to recoup its losses from a seasonal decline in display and mobile demand through improved sales of its DRAM and 3D NAND products. The mobile division is expected to contribute more to the bottom line from Q2 as Samsung will show off the Galaxy S8 later this month and start selling it from April. It expects the division’s earnings to pick up due to higher demand for a new Samsung flagship.
Samsung Turkey’s roadmap for the Nougat update is being proven accurate yet again, as the Galaxy S6 edge+ is now being upgraded to Nougat in Turkey. Firmware G928CXXU3CQC7 has been spotted on Samsung’s servers; it’s the same firmware that rolled out for the Galaxy Note 5 last week, so Galaxy S6 edge+ owners should look forward to receiving the latest version of Android on their device.
We should see the update rolling out over the air and through Samsung Smart Switch shortly, and we will be sure to update this post once the update goes live. If you’re in Turkey and are seeing the update on your device, do reach out to us with screenshots and details. For details on what Nougat brings to your devices, check out the video below and also take a look at our comprehensive list of features here.
