SamMobile Daily Recap: July 3, 2017 — Galaxy Tab S3, Harman 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. However, we think we’ve come up with a fantastic solution — a daily recap. Here’s what we published today. Business Samsung and HARMAN collaborate for new entertainment and marketing solutions Samsung...

Samsung’s all-in-one VR headset is powered by Exynos processor, features eye tracking

Samsung’s virtual reality headset, the Gear VR, is the most popular device in its category. However, you need a compatible, high-end Galaxy smartphone for that to work. Most VR firms are now trying to launch standalone VR headsets, and Samsung has been toying with the idea since a few months. Now, the company has showcased the Exynos VR III, its first all-in-one VR reference platform. The...

Daily Deal: Take 15% off a Gear S3 frontier

Amazon is now selling the Gear S3 frontier for $299, which is a cool 15% off its recommended retail price of $349. For those unfamiliar with the unit, it’s the ruggedized, LTE-enabled variant of the firm’s latest smartwatch, the Gear S3 — and it’s definitely worth your attention. Samsung Gear S3 Frontier review: Outclassing most smartwatches in the market If you want to take advantage of this promotion (we’d recommend you do as it’s a great saving),...

Galaxy J5 (2017) to launch in South Korea on July 4

Samsung has announced that it will launch the Galaxy J5 (2017) in South Korea on Tuesday, July 4. The handset will be available from three of the region’s largest carriers, with pricing set at 344,300 Won ($300), making it one of the cheapest smartphones the firm has released in the region to date. The Galaxy J5 (2017) was unveiled last month alongside the Galaxy J3 (2017) and Galaxy J7 (2017) and for a budget-friendly device, it’s actually...

Samsung expands Newsroom initiative with one for the United Kingdom

Samsung’s Newsroom initiative is meant for providing customers in key markets with news, locally relevant developments and events in their native language. It has launched eleven newsroom sites so far for key markets like the United States, Russia, Mexico, India, Brazil, South Korea and Germany. Just last week, the company launched a dedicated newsroom for Argentina as well. It’s not stopping there....

Introducing our new weekly Firmware Magazine

Before SamMobile evolved to become the number one source of all things Samsung as you know it today, it was essentially a firmware tracker for Samsung devices. We’ve come a long way since then but firmware still remains at the core of what we do. To that end, we’re now introducing a new weekly Firmware Magazine which will serve as your go-to resource to find out if one of your Samsung devices has received a new update or if it’s due to receive a...

Samsung needs to stop with this Smart Glow LED nonsense on its budget phones

Last year, it was a pleasant surprise to see Samsung finally offering a notification LED on its budget smartphones. It was the Galaxy J7 Prime that debuted with the notification LED on Samsung’s budget lineup, and while the device’s availability was limited to the Indian market, it was a good first step from the Korean giant at offering something so basic for those who don’t opt for its mid-range or flagship phones. In the same year, Samsung also...

Next Galaxy A and Galaxy C series smartphones to ship with a dual-camera

Samsung will bundle a dual-camera on its “next” Galaxy A and Galaxy C series smartphones, according to a relatively reliable Twitter tipster. The handsets are expected to hit the shelves shortly after the upcoming Galaxy Note 8, which should debut the firm’s dual-camera setup. Unfortunately, we don’t know know exactly what the next Galaxy A and Galaxy C series handsets are, though if we were to hazard a guess we’d say the Galaxy A9 (2017) or Galaxy...

Galaxy Xcover 4 now receiving June security update

The Galaxy Xcover 4 is Samsung’s latest smartphone in Europe to receive last month’s security maintenance update (G390FXXU1AQF8), which bundles a total of 96 fixes for Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) in the Android OS and 23 patches developed by the firm for Galaxy-branded smartphones. This news comes a matter of minutes after an identical 300MB upgrade started making the rounds for the recently-launched Galaxy Tab...

Galaxy Tab S3 June security patch rolling out

Samsung is now rolling out the June security patch for its latest and greatest premium tablet, the Galaxy Tab S3. The company has rolled out said firmware update for both the cellular and Wi-Fi only models of the tablet. It’s making the jump up from the May security patch which was released for the tablet several weeks ago. Unveiled at the Mobile World Congress 2017 earlier this year, the Galaxy Tab...

Samsung appears to be testing Android 7.0 for the Galaxy J7 Prime

Samsung had launched the Galaxy J7 Prime last year with a metal body, fingerprint sensor, 2.5D glass covering, and features like S Secure and S Battery Planning. It was launched with Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) out of the box, and the company seems to be testing Android 7.0 for the lower mid-range smartphone. We’ve spotted a GFXBench entry for the Galaxy J7 Prime (SM-G610) running...