The Galaxy S8 broke all pre-order records for Samsung. The company’s new flagship smartphone has been very well received even though it’s the first flagship that Samsung has released after the disaster that was the Galaxy Note 7.
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ on March 29 and released both handsets in select markets on April 21. Since then, it has gradually been releasing it in more markets across the globe.
Less than a month after the release of its new flagship smartphone, Samsung has revealed that global Galaxy S8 sales have crossed 5 million units. “Although we cannot provide detailed figures, the sales are going smoothly around the globe.
The combined sales already are beyond 5 million units,” said a Samsung official. Samsung has also revealed that it will continue to release the Galaxy S8 in more markets across the globe in the coming weeks. It aims to bring it to 120 countries by the end of this month, including China.
Market analysts are of the view that Samsung is going to sell 20 million units of the Galaxy S8 by the end of the second quarter. The annual sales of its new flagship might be up to 60 million units which would be a new record for Samsung.
We reported last week that Samsung will soon extend the Galaxy C lineup this year with the Galaxy C10 and Galaxy C10 Plus. These handsets will carry model numbers SM-C9100 and SM-C9150/9158. Like their predecessors, these handsets are likely going to have impressive specs at the price of a mid-range smartphone.
While rumors have suggested that the Galaxy Note 8 might be the first smartphone from Samsung to feature a dual rear camera system, recent rumors claim that this may not be the case. It’s claimed that the Galaxy C10 might actually be the first smartphone from Samsung to come with a dual camera system on the back.
A purported cover for the Galaxy C10 has been leaked online which shows that the upcoming device is going to have a dual camera system. It also includes a cutout for a Bixby button, which isn’t surprising, since Samsung has already confirmed that it will expand Bixby to other devices.
It’s not surprising that Samsung is introducing its dual camera system with a mid-range smartphone in China. Most Chinese manufacturers have introduced similar systems with mid-range handsets. Only the iPhone 7 is the only proper flagship to offer it among the major manufacturers and it obviously comes at a price.
Samsung is yet to confirm when it’s going to make the Galaxy C10 and Galaxy C10 Plus official.
Has the notification LED on your Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ stopped working? You might not be alone in this predicament, as it looks like a few users have seen the notification LED go bad, soon after they purchased the phone. For some, it happened after a software update; for others, it looks like third-party apps that let you customize the notification LED’s colors could be to blame.
A thread on the XDA forums has several people complaining about this, and according to our tipster, Samsung is simply asking consumers to get the phone replaced. It’s unclear if apps like Light Manager are the sole culprit; they do seem to be a major cause, as at least three users say the LED stopped working after they used the Light Manager app. Others say the LED stopped working of its own volition. We tried the aforementioned app but were unable to replicate the issue, but that’s probably because you need to have the app enabled for a while before things go wrong.
But if these apps are to blame, it could be that the notification LED on the S8 and S8+ is not meant to light up in as many colors as these apps make possible. LED customization apps also let the notification light stay on continuously for any app you select, which could cause the LED to burn out. These apps never caused havoc on previous Galaxy S flagships, however, so the issue could be confined to the LED on the S8 and S8+.
We’ve reached out to Samsung for comment on the matter. In the meantime, we suggest you refrain from using apps like Light Manager and Light Flow, as these could ruin an otherwise good phone. Have you noticed issues with the notification LED on your Galaxy S8 or S8+?
Soon after our exclusive reveal that the Galaxy S8 Active was in the works (not that we take too much credit, as it isn’t very surprising that Samsung is continuing the Active line of Galaxy S phones), the device’s user agent string was spotted online. Now, the S8 Active has obtained the necessary certification from the Wi-Fi Alliance, putting it one step closer to its official reveal.
Like the user agent string, the Wi-Fi certification doesn’t reveal any details except that the phone runs on Android 7.0 Nougat (and that it has the model number SM-G892A). If we follow the trend, the Galaxy S8 Active should have the same major specs as the Galaxy S8 while getting a battery that’s larger than the S8+ (a 4,000 mAh cell, like the S7 Active, is plausible). It should also have MIL-STD-810G certification for advanced protection against damage, in addition to the IP68 water and dust resistance carried by the S8 and S8+. However, it remains to be seen if it will feature the Active key of its predecessors, in addition to the Bixby button.
The Galaxy S8 Active will be exclusive to AT&T in all likelihood and should make an official appearance sometime next month, an year after the Galaxy S7 Active was released. Would you be interested in picking up the Galaxy S8 Active?
Samsung has been leading the way in smartphone photography for a while now, and the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge were the top performers on DxOMark’s charts last year until they were bested by the Google Pixel and Pixel XL. DxOMark has now published its results for the Galaxy S8 and S8+ and given Samsung’s newest flagships a score of 88, the same as the S7 and S7 edge.
The Galaxy S8 improves in a lot of areas where the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge weren’t so great, and according to DxOMark, the S8 offers “excellent autofocus, accurate white balance, and very effective noise reduction” in still photography. Where it falters is in low-light conditions, where the S8 can’t maintain the same level of sharpness as its competitors. As we pointed out in our review, the S8 does offer increased sharpness in tough lighting conditions compared to the S7, but there’s still some improvement to be had in this regard.
Video recording is where the Galaxy S8 comes out at the top, matching what the competition has to offer. DxOMark found exposure and dynamic range in videos to be “very good,” but found the stabilization system (the S8 offers both optical and electronic stabilization in 4K videos) and color rendering to be excellent. Autofocus was also found to be very fast, which isn’t surprising as the S8 features Dual Pixel autofocus like its predecessor.
Samsung might have received the top score for its new flagships, but that shouldn’t sway you away from the Galaxy S8 and S8+, as these phones have amazing cameras that work well in all lighting conditions. Furthermore, Samsung’s camera app offers a great user experience in terms of overall features. The selfie camera has also received considerable improvement, and at the end of the day, there is no reason to believe your S8 or S8+ is any less capable than other phones when it comes to smartphone photography.
Hit the source link for a full rundown of how the Galaxy S8 and S8+ performed in DxOMark’s tests.
We know that Samsung made the Gear VR in collaboration with VR firm Oculus. ZeniMax, a games company which successfully sued Facebook-owned Oculus, has now filed a lawsuit against Samsung over the Gear VR virtual reality headset. The lawsuit alleges that Samsung knowingly profited from Oculus’ VR technology, which was originally developed at ZeniMax.
Oculus executive John Carmack’s company id Software was acquired by ZeniMax in 2009. He was one of the driving forces behind Gear VR’s development. However, the lawsuit alleges that he owed much of his success with the VR headset as a part of team at ZeniMax. The Gear VR, however, comes with the ‘powered by Oculus branding’.
ZeniMax’s lawsuit states that Samsung “continued to develop the Gear VR with full knowledge of ZeniMax’s allegations and without obtaining any right or permission from ZeniMax to use any of its copyrights or other confidential information.” ZeniMax’s lawsuit against Oculus ended with Oculus and its executives being penalised for patent infringement.
The Galaxy S8 and S8+ (and most Galaxy smartphones and tablets from Samsung) come preinstalled with the company’s custom built web browser Samsung Internet. It’s faster and smoother than Google Chrome for Android, and comes with a lot of additional features like an ad blocker, a secret mode that authenticates users by fingerprints or iris, a QR code scanner, and a video enhancer.
However, some users tend to prefer Google Chrome on their Galaxy devices over Samsung’s web browser because they want their data (such as bookmarks) in sync with Google Chrome on their desktop. Samsung really wants those users to try out Samsung Internet, so it has released a Google Chrome extension that can keep bookmarks in sync with the company’s mobile web browser.
Here’s how you can use Samsung Internet plugin with your desktop’s Google Chrome web browser:
Step 1: Visit samsunginternet.com using Google Chrome web browser from your desktop, which will redirect you to Samsung Internet extension on the Chrome web store. Then click the Add To Chrome button.
Step 2: A pop-up dialog will appear. Click the Add Extension button. The extension will now be added to Google Chrome on your desktop.
Step 3: Now you should be able to see the Samsung Internet extension on the right side of the address bar on Google Chrome.
Step 4: After clicking on the Samsung Internet extension, fill your Samsung account credentials (registered email ID and password) into respective text fields, activate the ‘Remember Me’ option, and then click the Sign In button.
Step 5: Now click the Import button as highlighted in the screenshot below. The extension will now let you select from a list of Google Chrome bookmarks that you want to import to Samsung Internet web browser on your Galaxy S8 or S8+ (or any other compatible Galaxy device).
Step 6: A pop-up dialog box will now ask you whether to add or replace Chrome bookmarks in the folder. Select the ‘Add’ option unless you want to replace your current bookmarks in the folder.
Step 7: Voila! Now you should be able to see all your Chrome bookmarks in the extension, and they will be synced with the Samsung Internet web browser on your Galaxy S8 (or any other Galaxy smartphone or tablet).
Note: You should be signed into your Samsung account on your Galaxy smartphone or tablet for this to work. You can add new bookmarks by clicking the circular add button on the bottom right side of the extension.
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.
Disney has teamed up with Samsung to celebrate the upcoming release of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales by launching a special edition case for the Galaxy S8 – or so it would seem.
While the add-on is still yet to be announced, a series of pictures were uploaded to Weibo earlier today, showing off the case itself, together with the slew of accessories it ships with, including a faux gold ring.
Just like the Iron Man variant of the Galaxy S6 that launched back in 2015, the Pirates of the Caribbean version is said to have a custom UI, which is automatically applied via NFC when the case is attached to the handset.
According to Android Authority, the case will set customers back around 300 yuan ($44) when it launches in China in June. It’s currently unclear whether it’ll make its way to other markets, but we’re guessing it will.
Back in March, we exclusively revealed that Samsung had started development of its successor to the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7, and now a report has surfaced online claiming that the Galaxy Note 8 is set to sport a 6.3-inch display — presumably with a tall 18.5:9 aspect ratio — which is a mere inch larger than the panel on board the Galaxy S8+.
The report also corroborates recent rumors suggesting that the handset will feature a dual-camera configuration, though it’s not expected to be the firm’s first device to have one. A relatively reliable Chinese tipster has reason to believe that the camera system will debut on the long-rumored foldable Galaxy X ahead of the Galaxy Note 8′s release.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a great deal of information about the Galaxy Note 8 — but we’re expecting some pretty big things. After all, Samsung’s going to have to pull out all the stops if it wants to win over the three-to-four million customers that were forced to return their Galaxy Note 7 last year after it was left with no other choice but to issue a global recall.
With summer rapidly approaching, chances are you’re going to be snapping a lot more pictures on your camera or smartphone — so it would probably be wise to stock up on another microSD card. Fortunately, Amazon has slashed the price of the Samsung-branded 32GB EVO Select microSD down to just $12.99 (18% off).
For those unaware, the EVO Select range of microSD cards offer one of the fastest transfer speeds on the market (up to 80MB/s), which makes them perfect for recording Full HD video. They’re also waterproof, resistant to extreme temperatures and aren’t affected by magnetic fields.
Like the sound of the 64GB EVO Select microSD card and want to take advantage of this promotion? Simply hit the Buy Now button below. We strongly advise you to hurry though, as Amazon only has a limited amount of inventory available for this specific deal, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.
The Galaxy S6 was the beginning of a new era for Samsung’s flagship smartphones. Samsung demonstrated with the handset that it was also capable of making smartphones with striking designs and impeccable build quality. It was a complete departure from the kind of design language that Samsung used for all previous flagship smartphones.
Samsung pushed the envelope on design and display manufacturing with the Galaxy S6 edge. It was the company’s first smartphone with a dual-edge curved display. The Galaxy S6 edge ended up outperforming the Galaxy S6 in the market as customers liked it more. It was also the case with the Galaxy S7 edge and the Galaxy S7.
The Galaxy S7 was an improvement over its predecessor. It wasn’t a major update in the sense that it felt like Samsung took something good with the Galaxy S6 and made it even better with the Galaxy S7. That’s the feeling you got when you picked up a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge after using the predecessor.
It’s not the same feeling you get after you pick up a Galaxy S8, though. I’ve been using the Galaxy S6 edge as my daily device for two years, and while I did move to the Galaxy S7 edge for a while, I moved back to the Galaxy S6 edge because I couldn’t justify the move to the newer handset. The Galaxy S6 edge had everything that I needed to get me through the day and an upgrade to the latest model didn’t make much sense to me.
It is a completely different story with the Galaxy S8. I had a huge smile on my face the moment I unboxed the device and held it for the first time. Yes, we’ve all seen it in photos and videos, but it really does take you by surprise when you take it in your hands for the first time.
The Galaxy S8 feels far ahead of its time if you’re moving up from the Galaxy S6. It’s much more comfortable to hold in the hand and feels significantly more premium. Who can fault that gorgeous display! The Galaxy S8′s Infinity Display will make you fall in love with the device instantly. If you get the Galaxy S8+ like I did, it would be very difficult not to.
The curves and edges of the Galaxy S8 are smoother which makes it very comfortable to hold it for an extended period of time. The metal frame doesn’t jab into your palms like that of the Galaxy S6. That being said, you can’t fault the Galaxy S8′s build quality. It feels every bit as premium and robust, if not more.
All of the obvious differences will be immediately noticeable. The Galaxy S8 is significantly more powerful than the Galaxy S6. The software is better and so are the cameras. It has advanced security features like iris recognition and facial recognition. The LTE modem is capable of hitting gigabit speeds. You get all of this and much more for the price you pay.
To me, the Galaxy S8 is without a doubt one of the best smartphones that Samsung has ever made, as far as the design and build quality are concerned. The handset is unlike any Samsung has made before. It’s refinement of the highest order.
With the Galaxy S8, you get the feeling that the design evolution that Samsung started with the Galaxy S6 two years ago has reached its logical conclusion. It has progressively improved over the past couple of years and reached its peak.
Samsung had a point to prove with the Galaxy S6, that it could also make smartphones that look and feel really good. The Galaxy S8 highlights Samsung’s ability to not just react to what its competitors are doing but create a new path that others will eventually follow.
The Tizen-based Samsung Z4, which was announced last week by the company, will be launched in India on May 19. It will be available with a price tag of INR 5,790 (approximately $89.52), and will compete with entry-level Android smartphones.
The Samsung Z4 is the first phone running Tizen 3.0. It features a 4.5-inch WVGA LCD display, a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage, a microSD card slot, and 5-megapixel front and rear-facing cameras with LED flash.
It’s a dual-SIM smartphone with 4G LTE connectivity as well as Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It comes packed with a 2,050 mAh battery.
When Samsung took the wraps off its Bixby virtual assistant a little over two months ago, it revealed that it wouldn’t only be available on smartphones and that over time it will make its way to a slew of home appliances — and that expansion has finally started.
On Sunday, the South Korean company announced that it’s now pre-loading Bixby on its Family Hub 2.0 refrigerator. It’s also started rolling a rather hefty software update for all units that have already been shipped, which bundles compatibility for the assistant.
Samsung’s decision to bring Bixby to the Family Hub 2.0 comes amid Amazon and Microsoft’s recent unveiling of new smart home products. It’s believed that the firm is planning to put the AI on board all of its consumer goods to further challenge its competitors.
“The digital assistant Bixby can learn itself by analyzing user’s voice commands,” said a representative on behalf of Samsung, later adding that a Family Hub 2.0 equipped with the Bixby will provide totally different services from any other refrigerator.
Equipped with Bixby, the already smart Family Hub 2.0 is smarter than ever, enabling you to search for recipes and weather information with voice commands. Its deep learning algorithm also enables the fridge to control temperature automatically and recall recipes based on your eating habits.
