SamMobile Daily Recap: July 18, 2017 — Galaxy S8 Active, OLEDs 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. Bixby Bixby launch in China delayed due to local cybersecurity laws Business Apple reportedly goes...

Reminder: Galaxy S8 and S8+ will retain 95 percent of their battery capacity after a year

Back when the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ were launched, Samsung had made a very important announcement. According to the Korean giant, the batteries inside the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will hold 95 percent of their original battery capacity in a year’s time. We’ve mentioned this before, and we thought it would be a good idea to remind our readers that the Galaxy S8 and S8+ will not see their battery endurance reduce by much 12 months after one starts...

Apple reportedly goes back to Samsung for 7nm A12 processors

Apple stopped offering Samsung manufacturing contracts for its A-series processors after it faced power efficiency problems with the A9 chipset for the iPhone 6s. The US-based consumer electronics giant then started working exclusively with TSMC for the A10 and A11 processing chipsets for iPhones and iPads. Now, it is being reported that Apple is going back to Samsung for its A12 processors that could be used in next year’s devices. According...

Daily Deal: Grab Samsung’s Fast Charge Dual-Port Car Charger for 59% off

For a limited time only, you can snag yourself a Dual-Port Car Fast Charger for just $18.98 (59% off). Without a doubt, the best thing about this charger is that it features Samsung’s Adaptive Fast Charging technology, which is capable of charging a handset from 0 to 50% in half an hour. If you like the sound of the Dual-Port Car Fast Charger and want to take advantage of this promotion, hit the Buy Now button below. We advise you...

Galaxy S9 to sport the same Infinity Display as the Galaxy S8

The Galaxy S9 should sport the same shape screen as the Galaxy S8, according to The Bell, which also claims that the firm has already placed an order for the 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch Infinity Display panels for Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, respectively. Looking to the future, Samsung is also believed to have commissioned its screen-making division, Samsung Display, to start manufacturing the same 6.3-inch Infinity Display that’s set to be on board...

Samsung’s software and a MediaTek processor are a match made in hell

The Galaxy J7 Max, recently launched in India as the successor to the Galaxy J7 Prime, isn’t the first Samsung phone to be powered by a MediaTek processor. That honor goes to the Galaxy J2 Prime, a much more affordable handset that was launched late last year. I didn’t get to use the Galaxy J2 Prime, so I cannot comment on how that handset performed in day-to-day usage. I have, however, been using the Galaxy J7 Max as my primary device for around...

Samsung and LG following different strategies with their 4K TVs

The TV market has been stagnant for quite a while now, and the world’s two largest TV brands LG and Samsung are following different strategies to sell their 4K TVs. While LG is trying to ramp up the sales of its 4K TVs by launching cheaper models, Samsung is planning to launch Tizen software-based ultra-premium QLED TVs. The two companies will showcase their new TV next month right before the start of IFA 2017. Apart from the Galaxy Note 8, Samsung...

Samsung-owned Harman acquires Hi-Fi audio equipment manufacturer Arcam

Samsung lapped up Harman International last year for $8 billion to strengthen its connected automobile and consumer audio portfolio. Later, the company started using Harman-owned AKG’s audio technologies into its mobile devices and accessories. Harman and Samsung recently showcased new entertainment products that are a result of their close collaboration. Now, Harman has announced that it has acquired the UK-based A&R Cambridge Ltd. (also known...

New Galaxy S8 Active render appears online, launch expected soon

We’ve been hearing about the Galaxy S8 Active for a couple of months now. The handset is codenamed Cruiser and will be an AT&T exclusive in the United States. Over the past few weeks, the handset has received its Wi-Fi certification and has also surfaced on benchmarking websites a few times. It has also stopped by the Federal Communications Commission. While Samsung and AT&T are yet to confirm...

Galaxy S8 buy one get one free offer returns with trade-in condition

Samsung previously launched a buy one get one free promotion for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ back in May. It has now launched a similar promotion with a slight change. There’s a trade-in condition and Samsung has revealed the devices that it’s going to accept as a trade-in for this promotion. Customers can trade-in a Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, Galaxy S7, S7 edge, iPhone 6s, 6s Plus and the iPhone 7, 7 Plus. No other device is eligible...

Samsung may start supplying OLED displays to Xiaomi

Samsung has a virtual monopoly in the small-to-medium OLED display market which is why most major manufacturers who want to make the shift to OLED displays for their smartphones end up at Samsung’s door. According to reports, Samsung may start supplying OLED displays to Xiaomi. Xiaomi has reportedly signed an OLED supply deal with Samsung recently. It’s apparently going to source OLED displays from Samsung for its next flagship smartphone that’s...

Samsung increases the production of 8GB HBM2 memory chips due to rising demand

Samsung, the current world leader in memory chips, has announced that it has increased the production of 8GB HBM2 memory chips. HBM2 (second-generation High Bandwidth Memory) chips are used in high-end computers and servers for artificial intelligence, advanced graphics, high-performance computing, and network systems. HBM2 offers a data bandwidth of 256GB/s, and is currently the fastest type...

Samsung will recycle recalled Galaxy Note 7s to recover 157 tons of rare metals

There was a lot of pressure on Samsung following the demise of the Galaxy Note 7 to limit the environmental impact of it all. The company addressed those concerns by releasing a refurbished variant of the Galaxy Note 7 that it calls the Galaxy Note FE. The refurbished variant is essentially the same device with a smaller battery. Samsung said that it was going to recycle a certain number of recalled Galaxy Note 7s as well. It’s not going to sell...