AT&T releases a major firmware update for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+

Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ owners on AT&T are receiving a major firmware update today. The carrier has bundled together a lot of the stuff that has been released for these two handsets over the past couple of months into one package. The update also brings some visual tweaks to the handsets.

Users will notice a small dot on the left side of the navigation bar. They can tap on it to show or hide the navigation bar. Samsung rolled out this little change with a firmware update over two months back and AT&T has bundled it into its latest release for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+.

The carrier is now rolling out firmware version G950USQU1AQGL and G955USQU1AQGL for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ respectively. It includes the August security patch which is the latest security maintenance release for the company’s devices.

The update also adds support for Google’s Daydream virtual reality platform to the handsets. Google officially confirmed that Daydream support was rolling out to Samsung’s 2017 flagships three weeks ago.

AT&T’s latest release for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ include network performance enhancements as well as Bluetooth, Email, Calendar and Samsung Know updates. It’s rolling out the firmware updates now and they should be live for all users across the US soon.

The post AT&T releases a major firmware update for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2w12PX8
via IFTTT

Galaxy Note 8 release date for Italy revealed by leaked poster

Samsung will formally unveil the Galaxy Note 8 tomorrow, ending months of speculation about its new flagship smartphone. The event will take place in New York City where it will provide official details about the handset as well as pricing and availability information.

According to recent reports, the Galaxy Note 8 is going to be available for pre-order in the United States from August 24. It’s expected to be released on September 15. The timeline might be slightly different for some countries in Europe.

Some reports have claimed that customers in select European countries will be able to place pre-orders for the Galaxy Note 8 starting August 23. A leaked poster mentions that the Galaxy Note 8 is going to be released in Italy on September 14. It’s unclear whether the same timeline will be followed by Samsung for all major markets in Europe.

The leaked poster also reveals that all pre-order customers will receive a DeX dock as a gift for putting money down for the handset. We’ve heard this before as well. Pre-order customers in the United States will get the option to choose between a 256GB microSD card + convertible wireless charger and Samsung’s Gear 360 camera.

No word as yet on the price but recent reports have suggested that the Galaxy Note 8 might cost over 1,000 euro.

The post Galaxy Note 8 release date for Italy revealed by leaked poster appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2wlsDjn
via IFTTT

SamMobile Daily Recap: August 22, 2017 — Bixby Voice, 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 covered today.

Bixby

How to setup Bixby on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+

Samsung launches Bixby Voice in over 200 countries across the globe

Deals

Daily Deal: Save 34% on a 64GB EVO+ microSD card

Firmware News

August security update now arriving on the Galaxy S6 in the Netherlands

Laptops

New Notebook 9 with S Pen will be launched next month

Phones

Samsung shows off the Galaxy S8’s camera features in new videos

256GB Galaxy Note 8 surfaces yet again

Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay hits $8.76 billion in transaction volume in South Korea

TV

Samsung will make its HDR10+ technology open source this year

The post SamMobile Daily Recap: August 22, 2017 — Bixby Voice, Galaxy S8 and more! appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2w0TaQi
via IFTTT

How to setup Bixby on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+

You might have heard by now that Samsung finally launched Bixby worldwide today. The company’s voice assistant can now be used by Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ owners in more than 200 countries across the globe. Let’s walk you through the setup procedure for Bixby on the Galaxy S8.

Even though Samsung made the official announcement this morning, Bixby is gradually rolling out so it may not be live for everyone yet. However, we’ve received reports from multiple countries where it’s up and running now.

Keep pressing the Bixby button on your handset to check if it’s live for you now. You may have to update the Bixby apps from Galaxy Apps if you haven’t already. Don’t forget to sign into your Samsung Account before you do that.

Bixby will greet you with a welcome screen when it goes live on your device. The screen will come up when you press the Bixby key. Bixby’s voice will guide you through the entire setup process.

Step 1: Select a language. Bixby Voice only supports English (US) and South Korean right now.

Step 2: Follow the instructions provided by Bixby Voice as it walks you through the different ways that you can interact with the assistant.

Step 3: Help Bixby learn your voice by giving it samples of your voice. You just have to speak a couple of sentences at a constant speed loudly and clearly to help it learn your voice.

Step 4: Setup your voice password. This helps Bixby unlock your phone when you give it a command on the lock screen. Bear in mind that voice password is less secure than other screen unlock methods.

Step 5: Teach Bixby your pronunciation style by speaking five generic sentences.

That’s it! The entire process takes a few minutes and you’re done before you know it.

The post How to setup Bixby on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2wlnfN4
via IFTTT

Daily Deal: Save 34% on a 64GB EVO+ microSD card

For a limited time only, you can pick up a 64GB EVO+ microSD card for $27.85 (34% off), which is a fantastic price to pay for a chip that not only offers super snappy transfer speeds, but is also waterproof and resistant to extreme temperatures.

If you want to take advantage of this promotion, tap the Buy Now button. Be warned, though — Amazon only has a limited amount of inventory available for this specific deal (like usual) and it’s available worldwide, so it’ll probably go fast.

The post Daily Deal: Save 34% on a 64GB EVO+ microSD card appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2w0Tajg
via IFTTT

August security update now arriving on the Galaxy S6 in the Netherlands

Samsung has started distributing this month’s security maintenance update for the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6 edge+ in the Netherlands. The upgrade—G920FXXU5EQH6, G925FXXU5EQH6 and G928FXXS3CQH1—bundles patches for 50 vulnerabilities in the Android OS and 12 in the firm’s software.

Related: Samsung details the August security patch

Checking to see if the update is ready for your handset couldn’t be easier; open up Settings, select Software Update, then tap Download Updates Manually. Alternatively, you can always wait until you receive an alert prompting you to download and install the OTA; however, that could take a little longer to arrive.

Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge Review: Samsung’s weapons to reign the Android kingdom

Typically after an upgrade starts making the rounds in the Netherlands, it makes its way to Germany, followed by a slew of other regions in Europe, including France and the United Kingdom. There’s no telling how long it will take though, but you should find some peace in knowing that it’s on the way.

The post August security update now arriving on the Galaxy S6 in the Netherlands appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2wl7d67
via IFTTT

Samsung Pay hits $8.76 billion in transaction volume in South Korea

It has been two years since Samsung launched its mobile payment service. Samsung Pay was first launched in its home country of South Korea in August 2015. The service processed 2 trillion won or $1.7 billion worth of transactions in its first year.

Samsung has now revealed that Samsung Pay has processed an accumulated transaction volume of 10 trillion won or $8.76 billion in South Korea. This goes to show that Samsung’s mobile payment service continues to see significant growth in the country.

Samsung also revealed that of the $8.76 billion in transactions that were processed by Samsung Pay, over 30 percent were made via online platforms.

Samsung Pay is unique compared to some of the other mobile payment services available today. It has support for both NFC and MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission). The MST technology enables the service to work with conventional card readers.

This means that merchants don’t have to spend money to acquire costly NFC terminals if they want to start accepting Samsung Pay. They can accept Samsung Pay with the credit and debit card readers that they already have in their stores.

The company has gradually been rolling out its mobile payment service in more countries across the globe. Over the past year, Samsung Pay has been launched in markets like Spain, India, Australia, Singapore and more.

The post Samsung Pay hits $8.76 billion in transaction volume in South Korea appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2wjgw6r
via IFTTT

256GB Galaxy Note 8 surfaces yet again

Countless reports have claimed that Samsung is going to offer the Galaxy Note 8 with 256GB of internal storage. Some have suggested that this particular model will only be offered in select markets. The 256GB Galaxy Note 8 has surfaced online yet again, this time in what appears to be marketing material for pre-order customers in South Korea.

The leaked poster details the incentives that pre-order customers in South Korea will get if they put money down for the new handset. Those who opt for the Galaxy Note 8 with 256GB storage will be able to choose between an AKG Bluetooth speaker or a Nemonic printer.

The 64GB model, which will be widely available to customers across the globe, will also be sold in South Korea. Customers who pre-order that model will receive a coupon of 100,000 won or $90 which can they use to purchase a Gear VR, a 5,100mAh fast charge portable battery back or a LED Cover for the Galaxy Note 8.

Samsung’s pre-order incentives for the Galaxy Note 8 are going to vary by market so in some countries customers might walk away with a 256GB microSD card. The company is going to officially unveil the Galaxy Note 8 tomorrow so all of this will be cleared up soon enough.

The post 256GB Galaxy Note 8 surfaces yet again appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2vZ25Ss
via IFTTT

Samsung will make its HDR10+ technology open source this year

Samsung has said that it’s going to make its High Dynamic Range technology open source for industry players this year. It’s going to provide its HDR10+ technology for free to other companies so that it’s not only used in premium TVs but also online video content players and gaming services.

The company solely developed its HDR10+ technology and currently distributes it through its Quantum dot and UHD TVs that were launched earlier this year. Samsung’s HDR10+ technology is the evolution of the HDR 10 technology that was launched back in 2010 and subsequently certified by the global UHD Alliance.

“Although it is our proprietary technology, we decided to provide it as an open source with an aim to lead competition for standardization of TV technologies,” says an executive of the visual display division at Samsung.

HDR10+ enables the representation of images with more than 10 different levels of contrast range in a single scene. This increases the depth of dark colors and provides an improved viewing experience.

The company inked a partnership with Amazon earlier this year. The online retail giant’s Amazon Video service is going to offer HDR10+ videos later this year. Samsung has said that it’s going to announce a new partnership with more content providers at IFA 2017 next month.

The post Samsung will make its HDR10+ technology open source this year appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2wjygyF
via IFTTT

New Notebook 9 with S Pen will be launched next month

Samsung launched a convertible laptop earlier this year called the Notebook 9 Pro with S Pen. It’s similar to last year’s Notebook 9 Spin but features an S Pen which is stored in a dedicated slot under the keyboard. The notebook was powered by Intel’s 7th Generation Core processors with 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD.

Samsung has now said that it’s going to roll out an updated version of its Notebook 9 laptop next month. The new notebook is also going to feature the S Pen and it will be powered by Intel’s latest 8th Generation Core processors that the company announced a couple of days back.

The new processors will enable Samsung’s upcoming notebook to provide a 40 percent improvement in performance compared to its predecessor that was running Intel’s 7th Generation chips. Intel’s new processors have been designed with enhanced support for 4K UHD and virtual reality content.

The new Notebook 9 is also going to have a 360-degree hinge like the existing notebooks in this series. It’s going to have a touchscreen display as well as Samsung’s Air Command software for drawing, editing documents and taking notes.

Samsung hasn’t confirmed the precise launch date for the new Notebook 9 as yet. No pricing information has been made public so we’ll probably have to wait until September to find out these details.

The post New Notebook 9 with S Pen will be launched next month appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2vZ0igi
via IFTTT

Samsung shows off the Galaxy S8’s camera features in new videos

Samsung has recently been releasing short videos to refresh our memories about some of the best features of the Galaxy S8. This is an effort on the company’s part to maintain the sales momentum that its 2017 flagships have shown so far this year.

It recently released a few videos that highlighted just how durable this handset is. The short videos were funny in their own way while also focusing on the dust and water-resistant capabilities of the Galaxy S8.

The videos that it has released today showcase the Galaxy S8’s camera features. The first video highlights Bixby Vision, the artificial intelligence-powered feature that provides relevant information about products through the camera app.

Then there’s the Food Mode. This has been present in Samsung’s native camera app for quite some time now. It’s a photography mode that’s developed specifically for making your food photos look fantastic.

The last video is about the Galaxy S8’s Fast Auto Focus functionality. Users just need to frame their subject in order to capture the photo fast. It enables the handset to capture crisp photos instantly.

Samsung wants to make sure that the Galaxy S8 continues its performance in the market even after the Galaxy Note 8 is released. Reminding people about its features is a good way to get more customers to pick up its 2017 flagship.

The post Samsung shows off the Galaxy S8’s camera features in new videos appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2vZqmaQ
via IFTTT

[Update] Samsung launches Bixby Voice in over 200 countries across the globe

The day that many had been waiting for is finally here. We reported about this possibility yesterday that Samsung could soon announce the global launch of Bixby Voice. Samsung has officially confirmed today that Bixby Voice is now available to users in more than 200 countries and territories across the globe.

Millions of Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ owners can now experience Samsung’s new virtual assistant which was previously only available for users in South Korea and the United States.

Some of the markets where Bixby Voice is being rolled out today include the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and South Africa.

Samsung started rolling out updates for Bixby services last week to users worldwide. That was a big indication that the company was going to launch Bixby Voice for all users in the near future.

There’s no support for any new languages so Bixby Voice can only be used in U.S. English and Korean at this point in time. Samsung promises to expand Bixby’s voice capabilities to more countries, languages, devices, features and third-party applications in the future.

It’s not surprising that Samsung has announced Bixby Voice’s global launch today. The company will unveil the Galaxy Note 8 tomorrow and now the new flagship will offer Bixby Voice to all users from day one.

Update: It appears that Samsung is yet to flip the server-side switch as many are reporting that Bixby Voice hasn’t gone live yet. It may be a few hours before the company does that.

The post [Update] Samsung launches Bixby Voice in over 200 countries across the globe appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2wjtkd2
via IFTTT