Gear Fit2 Pro leak reveals new features like offline Spotify support

We’ve known for a while now that Samsung has been working on a new wearable device called the Gear Fit2 Pro (SM-R365). Last week, it was spotted on a blank support page on Samsung’s website, essentially confirming its existence. Some more information about Samsung’s new wearable device has leaked online today.

As the name suggests, the Gear Fit2 Pro is an improved version of Samsung’s existing Gear Fit2 Tizen-powered fitness tracker. One of the biggest improvements is the support for 5 ATM water resistance.

This means that the fitness tracker can be fully submerged in water and will offer tracking functionality for swimming workouts. The Gear Fit2 doesn’t offer that. It’s only IP68 certified and not submersible. The Gear Fit2 Pro will reportedly be able to sync with the Speedo On app for enhanced swim tracking.

The Gear Fit2 Pro has one feature which will make it stand out in the crowd. It will have support for music playback, including offline Spotify support. Like the Gear Fit2, it’s said to have an integrated GPS as well.

Samsung is reportedly going to offer the Gear Fit2 Pro with a watch-style clasp which will make it a better option for rigorous workouts. Samsung is going to unveil the Gear Fit2 Pro alongside the Galaxy Note 8 on August 23.

It’s unclear when it will be released and how much it will cost. The Gear Fit2 Pro will be compatible with both iOS and Android devices.

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SamMobile Daily Recap: August 14, 2017 — Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8 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.

Deals

Daily Deal: Save 65% on a Gear VR (2016)

Firmware News

August security update now arriving on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+

Sprint rolling out CallingPLUS maintenance update for the Galaxy S8

General

Samsung shares a short video promoting its latest neckband earphones

Opinion

The Galaxy Note 8 will be special for one rarely discussed reason

Phones

Galaxy Note 8 could hit retail shelves in the US on August 24

Samsung releases a video teaser for the Galaxy Note 8

Samsung to launch a dual-SIM variant of the Galaxy Note 8 in Europe

Tips & Tricks

PSA: Home or volume key for screenshots? Devices launched with newest Samsung UX support both

The post SamMobile Daily Recap: August 14, 2017 — Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8 and more! appeared first on SamMobile.

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Sprint rolling out CallingPLUS maintenance update for the Galaxy S8

Sprint is pushing out a much-requested update for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. The upgrade transports compatibility for the operator’s CallingPLUS feature, which allows the use of data while placing a VoLTE call, as well as all of the changes included in last month’s security maintenance release.

In addition, the changelog published on Sprint’s website reveals that the update bundles some additional Enhanced Messaging tools, but it doesn’t divulge exactly what they do. One thing it does say, however, is that the upgrade also includes an abundance of miscellaneous bug fixes and stability improvements.

Related: Samsung details contents of July security patch

As is usually the case, the update is making the rounds in stages. If you own a Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ and would like to see if the firmware is ready for your handset, open up Settings, tap About Device, then press Download Updates Manually. Your unit should then contact Samsung’s servers to fetch the release.

Now would probably be an ideal time to point out that it can take anywhere from one-to-fourteen days for the update to reach your device from the date it initially started making the rounds — so if it isn’t showing up yet, there’s no need to panic. It will by Monday, August 28 at the very latest.

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Samsung releases a video teaser for the Galaxy Note 8

Samsung wants the world to get excited about the Galaxy Note 8. Why wouldn’t it? It’s the first new Note handset in two years. Yes, it did launch the Galaxy Note 7 last year, but we all know how that turned out.

We’ve already seen a lot of rumors and leaks concerning the Galaxy Note 8. Countless renders and live images of the new flagship have also been leaked online. Multiple reports have detailed its specifications.

The company itself confirmed a couple of weeks ago when it’s going to unveil the new flagship phablet. It’s yet to confirm precisely when the handset is going to be released.

In order to get the hype going for its new flagship device, Samsung today released a short video teaser on YouTube. The video is basically a collection of buzzwords followed by more buzzwords. The idea is to show that you can do bigger things with the Galaxy Note 8.

Samsung is going to unveil the Galaxy Note 8 at a dedicated event in New York City on August 23. It will confirm all of the details about this handset then. Samsung will also confirm when the Galaxy Note 8 is going to be released and how much it’s going to cost.

The post Samsung releases a video teaser for the Galaxy Note 8 appeared first on SamMobile.

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The Galaxy Note 8 will be special for one rarely discussed reason

From introducing a dual rear camera to Samsung’s flagships to proving to consumers that Samsung can still make phones that don’t combust, the Galaxy Note 8 has a lot riding on it. The Note 8 will be the most feature-packed smartphone on the market when it goes on sale, and if the Galaxy S8 is any indication, Samsung’s upcoming phablet will be a looker while adding all the productivity features the Note lineup is known for.

But there’s one aspect of the Note 8 that I feel isn’t discussed enough, an aspect that’s going to make it extra special: It’s going to be the first Galaxy Note flagship to hit Europe in three years.

The Galaxy Note 5 never made it to Europe because Samsung didn’t think European consumers were productive enough to need a Note device. That changed with the Galaxy Note 7, of course, but as we all know, the Note 7 met an early demise and had Samsung writing off a few billion dollars as it rushed to tackle the process of recalling every Note 7 unit. 2016 became yet another year that consumers in Europe couldn’t get their hands on a modern Galaxy Note flagship, and it no doubt angered a lot of fans of Samsung’s industry-defining phablet lineup.

It’s all about to change this year, although as we have seen here at SamMobile, not everyone is a fan of the direction Samsung has taken for its Galaxy Note smartphones. Once a device that power users gobbled up, it has now been reduced to being a Galaxy S with an S Pen. There is no removable battery on offer, and the battery itself has gone down in size, with the Note 8 to have a 3,300 mAh battery in all likelihood. That’s smaller than the S8+’ battery, and we all know the S8+ isn’t exactly a battery life champion, even if it does manage to get to the end of the day.

But the S Pen and the productivity that accompanies it are still a big draw for many, and despite the worryingly small battery, the Galaxy Note 8 is no doubt highly anticipated by many in Europe. Samsung’s decision to keep the Note 5 away might have seemed sensible at the time, but the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco made for another year of excruciating wait for consumers in the region. It will all be set right with the Galaxy Note 8, though, and it’s one of the reasons why the upcoming Note is such an important device and, as a result, quite special.

What do you think?

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Daily Deal: Save 65% on a Gear VR (2016)

Amazon has cut the price of the Gear VR (2016) by 65%, so you can pick one up for a limited time only for the modest price of $34.99 — but it’s only available for existing Prime subscribers.

To purchase the Gear VR (2016), all you need to do is hit the Buy Now button below. You’ll need to hurry though, as inventory won’t be around for too long — and once it’s gone, it’s gone.

The post Daily Deal: Save 65% on a Gear VR (2016) appeared first on SamMobile.

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Samsung to launch a dual-SIM variant of the Galaxy Note 8 in Europe

Information included in a support page listed on Samsung’s website suggests that it will launch a dual-SIM variant (SM-N950F/DS) of the Galaxy Note 8 in Europe. Don’t get too excited though, as the handset is expected to feature a hybrid tray — so you’ll need to sacrifice the use of the beloved microSD slot to insert an extra SIM.

Fortunately, as the Galaxy Note 8 is rumored to come with as much as 256GB of internal storage in some regions, you shouldn’t need to rely on expandable storage. If you find yourself running low on space, however, there are plenty of affordable cloud storage platforms out there, like Dropbox and Google Drive.

Related: Samsung launches the unlocked dual-SIM Galaxy S8+ in Europe

According to recent leaks, the Galaxy Note 8 will ship with a 6.3-inch Infinity Display, an Exynos 8895/Snapdragon 835 processor, 6GB of RAM and a 3,300mAh battery. It’s also tipped to ship running Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box, but should receive the much-anticipated Android O update in a relatively timely manner.

As for pricing, reliable tipster Evan Blass recently revealed that the Galaxy Note 8 will be Samsung’s most expensive smartphone to date, carrying a price tag of around $1,000 for the base model in China and South Korea, and more than $1,100 in Australia, Europe, North America and South America.

The post Samsung to launch a dual-SIM variant of the Galaxy Note 8 in Europe appeared first on SamMobile.

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PSA: Home or volume key for screenshots? Devices launched with newest Samsung UX support both

Samsung finally shifted to the stock Android method of taking screenshots with the Galaxy S8 as it got rid of its traditional physical home button to make way for the beautiful Infinity display, after years of Android purists crying foul over the Korean giant doing its own thing. But taking screenshots using the volume down and power keys isn’t just exclusive to the Galaxy S8 and S8+ – it is now a built-in feature on Samsung’s new Experience UX, meaning every device that launches with the latest Samsung interface can capture screenshots using the stock Android button combination.

The home and power combination continues to work as well, so it doesn’t matter if you’re a Samsung loyalist or someone moving over from another manufacturer’s device to a Galaxy phone or tablet; you can take screenshots using either combination. On devices that support it, you can also swipe your palm across the display to initiate a screenshot capture, and the option to use the volume and power key combination is now an added way of capturing on-screen content on Samsung devices, at least on those that continue to have a physical home button.

What’s your prefered way of taking screenshots?

The post PSA: Home or volume key for screenshots? Devices launched with newest Samsung UX support both appeared first on SamMobile.

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Galaxy Note 8 could hit retail shelves in the US on August 24

Samsung’s home market will see the release of the Galaxy Note 8 in mid-September, according to a recent report, with the pre-order window to be shorter than it was for the Note 7. In the US, Samsung could scrap the pre-order window altogether, according to a Reddit user. A Best Buy employee has let it slip that the Note 8 will go on sale in North America on August 24, just a day after the device will go official. Pre-orders will reportedly go live on the day of the announcement, and stores will begin stocking the upcoming flagship the next day.

There is no telling whether this information is accurate, although we wouldn’t be surprised if Samsung does make the Galaxy Note 8 available for purchase in one of its most important markets so quickly. The Korean giant has lost a year’s worth of sales owing to the Note 7’s demise, and putting the Note 8 on retail shelves as soon as possible would be a good idea. Not just for the company but also for consumers, who wouldn’t have to wait too long after the device’s announcement to get their hands on one.

Of course, it would be odd if the same courtesy wouldn’t be extended to consumers in South Korea, unless an early release stateside would be followed by a release in other markets within a week or two. As usual, this is a rumor that needs to be taken with the proverbial pinch of salt, especially with the conflicting report about the mid-September launch in South Korea. With only a week or so left before the Note 8’s unveiling, we should see more information rear its head in the coming days, and some of it will hopefully thrown light on when Samsung intends to start selling its highly anticipated 2017 Note flagship.

 

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Samsung shares a short video promoting its latest neckband earphones

In an attempt to drum up some interest, Samsung has taken to its YouTube channel to share a short promotional video highlighting the basic features of its latest neckband earphones, the U Flex.

“Designed to flex with life, the U Flex delivers a top-notch sound experience with a lightweight, bendable, around-the-neck design,” according to a press release that was published by the firm last week.

Related: Samsung’s new U Flex headphones can bend and launch Bixby for you

To set the U Flex aside from its competition, Samsung has bundled a dedicated Active key on the unit, which can be configured to launch a slew of different features, including Bixby and S Health.

The U Flex will be available in black, blue and ivory hues when it hits the shelves later this year. Exactly when that will be, however, remains a mystery — but we’ll let you know as soon as we do.

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