Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 Oreo beta: How stable is it?

Well, it’s stable enough for a beta, but it’s not perfect as a daily driver. You weren’t expecting a different answer, were you? Beta software is never without its quirks, and as we have noticed in the day or so that we have been using the Oreo beta on a Galaxy S8, there’s some work left to be done. A lot of our readers have asked how the beta works, and those who like a short answer could do without reading further.

So what’s the problem with the Oreo beta?

The bugs we have faced on the Oreo beta aren’t too significant, except for the phone randomly freezing now and then. The freezing issues don’t need a restart to be fixed, but they are part of the early Oreo experience, even on a Galaxy S8 that was factory reset before the beta was installed. There’s also an odd bug that may or may not affect folks who are using the beta. Sometimes, if we go into the system settings from inside an app and then press the back button, the phone just drops us back into the settings menu.

This can also happen when we, for example, are in WhatsApp and open the keyboard’s settings. Again, it’s an odd bug, but it’s there. One issue that’s more easily noticeable is with rendering. As you can see in the screenshot of the Always On Display settings, the interface can be messed up in some places. Maybe it’s to do with the resolution settings that Samsung offers on its flagships or just a regular issue that crops up on test versions of newer versions of Android; we’re not sure. However, we guess it will be an easy fix.

It’s not all bad, though. Our Galaxy S8 is now running faster and smoother than it was on Nougat. It remains to be seen if the phone will slow down after a few months of usage, but right now, it’s a joy to use the phone as far as general performance is concerned. Well, at least until it freezes, which is when we’re reminded there’s some ways to go before the stable version of Android 8.0 Oreo rolls out to users.

Before that happens, there will be a few updates to the beta, which will fix current issues and no doubt introduce new ones. As we said before, it’s only been a day since we have had access to the data, so it’s likely we haven’t discovered all the problems in the first beta. We’ll keep looking, and in addition to updates on its stability, we’ll keep reporting on all the new features and changes that Oreo introduces.

Have you managed to enroll in the Android 8.0 Oreo beta? If yes, what has your experience been like? Any major bugs or issues affecting your Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+? Let us know by leaving a comment!

The post Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 Oreo beta: How stable is it? appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2hBUBi8
via IFTTT

SamMobile Daily Recap: November 3, 2017 — Galaxy S6, Gear 360 (2018) 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

Latest Bixby update completely kills the Bixby key if it is disabled

Camera

Patent allegedly surfaces for next-generation Gear 360

Firmware News

Verizon-branded Galaxy S6 now receiving October security update

General

Here are the winners of our Galaxy Note 8 and Gear Sport giveaways

Phones

Galaxy Note 8 sales cross one million units in South Korea

Samsung was the smartphone market leader in Q3 2017

Polls

[Poll] Hey Samsung, how about a currency converter in your calculator app?

TV

Samsung starts selling the 43-inch Frame TV

The post SamMobile Daily Recap: November 3, 2017 — Galaxy S6, Gear 360 (2018) and more! appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2ishRz2
via IFTTT

Here are the winners of our Galaxy Note 8 and Gear Sport giveaways

The SamMobile premium giveaway winners have been selected for the last two months. What was the prize and who won? We gave away a Galaxy Note 8 and a Gear Sport for the last two months, and the usernames of the lucky winners are listed below. Please don’t forget to check your email if you’re one of the winners; contact us through our contact page if you haven’t received an email.

For the month of November, we shall be giving away a Gear Sport smartwatch once again, so make sure you sign up for our premium memberships to be able to take part in the giveaway and get a host of other benefits! You enter the giveaway automatically if you’re a premium member, so there’s no need to manual entry.

Device	Winner
Galaxy Note 8	Mja00a
Gear Sport	joan2109

The post Here are the winners of our Galaxy Note 8 and Gear Sport giveaways appeared first on SamMobile.

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

[Poll] Hey Samsung, how about a currency converter in your calculator app?

Like everyone else, I was excited for the Android 8.0 Oreo beta, which Samsung finally made available after what seemed like an endless wait. There’s a lot of new stuff on Oreo and I like how it is shaping up even with the first beta, but I have to say I’m disappointed to see that one feature still hasn’t made its way to Samsung’s software. As the title of this article has already revealed, I’m talking about a currency converter.

A calculator app without currency conversion in this day and age? Not cool

It would be extremely handy if Samsung could implement a currency converter in the calculator app, for when you go on a foreign holiday or even when you’re just generally trying to see how much a particular currency would translate to into another one. Samsung’s calculator app already does length, temperature, mass, and even data conversion, and throwing currency into the mix would make the calculator more useful. Yes, the currency rates won’t be up-to-date unless Samsung can pull data off the internet, but again, a basic currency converter wouldn’t go amiss.

What do you think? Do you think currency conversion should be a part of the calculator app? Let us know by voting in the poll below and leaving a comment to get a discussion going!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The post [Poll] Hey Samsung, how about a currency converter in your calculator app? appeared first on SamMobile.

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

Verizon-branded Galaxy S6 now receiving October security update

Verizon has started rolling out a new update for its carrier-branded variant of the Galaxy S6 in the United States. Part of Samsung’s routine Security Maintenance Release (SMR), the upgrade bundles 215 patches for vulnerabilities in the open-source Android operating system and six for the firm’s own modified software.

Related: Samsung details contents of October security patch

This news comes a week after Samsung released a similar update for the factory unlocked model of the Galaxy S6 in Asia, Europe, North America and South America, and a little less than a month since it arrived on the Galaxy A5 (2016) and Galaxy A5 (2017). It also recently reached the Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S8.

How do I check to see if the update is ready for my Galaxy S6?

To check to see if the release is ready for your Galaxy S6, open Settings, select Software Update, then tap Download Updates Manually. If you don’t, however, feel like taking heading down that route, you can wait until you receive an alert instructing you to install the OTA. It could take a little longer to arrive, though.

Model	SM-G925V
Model name	Galaxy S6 edge
Country	Select country USA (Verizon)  (VZW)
Version	Android 7.0
Changelist	11738507
Build date	Fri, 15 Sep 2017 06:36:37 +0000
Security Patch Level	2017-08-01
Product code	VZW
PDA	G925VVRS4DQI1
CSC	G925VVZW4DQI1

The post Verizon-branded Galaxy S6 now receiving October security update appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2hAa7eG
via IFTTT

Galaxy Note 8 sales cross one million units in South Korea

The Galaxy Note 8 has been very well received in Samsung’s home country of South Korea. According to a new report, the combined Galaxy Note 8 sales in South Korea have crossed one million units. That’s only a little over a month after the device was released in the country.

It was reported two weeks ago that Galaxy Note 8 sales in South Korea were maintaining the momentum seen after the launch. Samsung was selling around 20,000 units of the handset every single day in its home country.

Galaxy Note 8 Sales In South Korea

Samsung started selling the Galaxy Note 8 in South Korea on September 21. It sold more than 800,000 units of the device through pre-orders alone. The pre-order numbers were double than those seen for the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7. Samsung received some 380,000 pre-orders for last year’s flagship phablet.

Samsung has also announced that it’s launching the Maple Gold color option for the Galaxy Note 8 in South Korea. This is apparently in response to Apple’s plans to start local sales of the iPhone 8 later this week.

The handset is currently available in Midnight Black, Orchid Gray and Deep Sea Blue colors in South Korea. The Maple Gold Galaxy Note 8 will be available with 64GB of storage in the country for 1.09 million won or $979.

The post Galaxy Note 8 sales cross one million units in South Korea appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2iq0vCJ
via IFTTT

Patent apparently surfaces for next-generation Gear 360

Samsung is working on a new variant of its coveted 360-degree camera, the Gear 360, according to a filing spotted on the Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service’s online database. The upcoming unit, which has been dubbed the Gear 360 (2018), is expected to hit the shelves in 2018.

We don’t have any solid details about the Gear 360 (2018). However, a sketch included in the documentation reveals that it sports a similar design to the Gear 360 (2017), though the so-called legs have been made shorter to make it fit better in the hand—and the overall appearance has been tidied up.

Forbes believes that the Gear 360 (2018) will also record video at a better resolution than its predecessor, because let’s face it: the Gear 360 is a fantastic piece of kit, but until it’s capable of shooting in 360-degree content in 4K UHD, it’ll be missing from every major film-maker’s kit list.

Not everything is as it seems

We should note, however, that this patent application actually predates last year’s Gear 360 (2017), but that doesn’t mean it’s a throwaway; Samsung regularly reserves the rights to designs long before it intends to use them. Just remember: nothing is set in stone, even though it may certainly seem that way.

The post Patent apparently surfaces for next-generation Gear 360 appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2gYl5JW
via IFTTT

Samsung was the smartphone market leader in Q3 2017

This is a familiar headline. Merely three months after we reported that Samsung remained the global smartphone leader in Q2 2017, the latest data from Strategy Analytics shows that Samsung retained its top position in Q3 2017 as well.

The data shows that global smartphone shipments increased 5 percent annually to reach 393 million units in the third quarter of this year. Samsung accounted for 21 percent of the global smartphone market, retaining its first position.

Samsung Leads The Pack

Strategy Analytics Q2 2017 report pegged Samsung’s global smartphone shipments for that quarter at 79.5 million. The latest report claims that Samsung shipped 83.4 million smartphones in the July-September 2017 period.

The company thus registered an 11 percent surge in smartphone shipments. This happens to be Samsung’s fastest growth rate for nearly four years with the company’s A, J and S series handsets performing particularly well in India, Latin America and elsewhere.

The upward trajectory is expected to continue as strong demand exists for the Galaxy Note 8. Samsung is in a good position to compete in the lucrative holiday season this year with a robust lineup of flagship devices that includes the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+.

Apple remains in second place behind Samsung. It shipped 46.7 million smartphones this past quarter, accounting for 11.9 percent of the global smartphone market.

The post Samsung was the smartphone market leader in Q3 2017 appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2iUU3rb
via IFTTT

Latest Bixby update completely kills the Bixby key if it is disabled

Samsung is rolling out a new update for Bixby for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 today. The company had implemented an option to disable the Bixby key from firing up Bixby Home nearly two months ago, putting an end to the misery faced by many users. Samsung is making things even more permanent with the latest update: The Bixby button will no longer even wake up the device when pressed.

Some of you may not have noticed, but even after disabling the Bixby button, it did respond to a press and wake up the device. To be more precise, it was acting like the power button, resulting in the screen turning on accidentally at times. With the latest update, that’s no longer the case, and the Bixby button is not going to respond in any way for those who disable it from the Bixby settings.

We’re not sure what else has changed, but Samsung has also updated the Bixby service that analyses saved contacts when a call command is issued to Bixby, so we’re hoping it will now be able to call up people whose names might be spelt a little differently. To grab these Bixby updates, open Galaxy Apps on your Galaxy S8, S8+, or Note 8, tap the three-dot button on the top right, tap My apps, followed by Update, and then the Update all button.

Have you disabled the Bixby key, or are you using Bixby enough to warrant the existence of the dedicated Bixby button?

The post Latest Bixby update completely kills the Bixby key if it is disabled appeared first on SamMobile.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2z9Zk2m
via IFTTT

Samsung starts selling the 43-inch Frame TV

When Samsung first unveiled The Frame TV at the Consumer Electronics Show 2017, it said that the TV would be available in 55-inch and 65-inch models. Samsung released The Frame TV globally several months ago and has received a good response from customers.

In order to make it more affordable for a lot of customers, Samsung announced in August that it would release a 43-inch version of The Frame TV. The 43-inch Frame TV is now available for purchase.

Samsung Frame TV

Samsung has designed this product to make it look more like a photo frame than a TV. The idea is to make it blend into the background and display artwork.

The company has really been pushing the art angle with this product. It has been holding launch events for The Frame TV at a museum or art gallery in different markets.

It’s a UHD TV with frame options ranging from Walnut, Oak and White. The TV also has an Art Mode that displays exclusive works of art like paintings. Customers get 100 pieces of preloaded artwork and they can buy more from Samsung’s Art Store.

Samsung’s 43-inch Frame TV is now available for purchase in the United States from various retailers. The company is selling this TV for $1,300.

The post Samsung starts selling the 43-inch Frame TV appeared first on SamMobile.

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