Samsung launches Galaxy Tab A 7.0 in India

Samsung has announced the launch of the Galaxy Tab A 7.0 in India. It’s an affordable 4G voLTE-enabled tablet with low-end specifications. The tablet is priced at INR 9,500 (~$150) and will be available in two color options – White and Black.

Galaxy Tab A 7.0 launched in India

The tablet sports a 7.0” TFT screen with a resolution of 1280×800 pixels. It is powered by a 1.5 GHz Quad Core processor, 1.5GB RAM, and 8GB internal memory with an option to expand up to 200GB via a microSD slot.

For imaging needs, it comes with a 5-megapixel auto-focus camera on the back and a 2-megapixel camera on the front. It has a 4000mAH battery that Samsung claims will last up to 9 hours of video playback. The tablet is 8.7 mm thin and weighs 289 grams.

The Galaxy Tab A 7.0 comes with Kids Mode 4.0 which offers parental controls. Parents can set usage time limits and lock certain apps to make the tablet safer for kids’ use. The tablet is also pre-loaded with educational content designed for kids.

The Galaxy Tab A 7.0 will be available at retail stores starting today. As part of the launch promotions, Reliance Jio users who buy this device will get INR 2,000 (~$32) cashback in their JioMoney account. To be eligible for the cashback, buyers must recharge with a Jio Plan of INR 299 (~$5) for 24 months.

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Samsung’s new Notebook 7 Spin (2018) tries to be all things to all people

Samsung today announced the launch of a new notebook called the Notebook 7 Spin (2018). It tries to be all things to all people as it aims to please working professionals, students and the average PC user alike. The specs are what you’d expect from a mid-range machine but this doesn’t seem to be a device that you’d fall head over heels for.

“This device meets the needs of today’s digital lifestyle, combining work and play with a smart, seamless and personalized experience that connects users with their other devices,” said YoungGyoo Choi, SVP of Samsung’s PC Business Team. The Notebook 7 Spin (2018) features a 360-degree touchscreen display with support for an Active Pen that’s sold separately.

New Notebook 7 Spin 2018

The Notebook 7 Spin (2018) is powered by an 8th Generation Intel Core i5 processor with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. It has an unimpressive 13.3-inch FHD 360-degree rotating touchscreen display which can either be positioned in landscape mode for use as a traditional PC or in tablet mode.

There’s also a VGA camera, 43Wh battery, backlit keyboard and a fingerprint sensor. It features one USB Type-C port, 1 USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 port and an HDMI port.

Samsung is going to showcase the Notebook 7 Spin (2018) at the Consumer Electronics Show 2018 next week. It’s going to be released in select countries in the first quarter of this year. Samsung hasn’t confirmed the price as yet.

We’ll certainly be seeing much better notebooks with impressive specs at CES 2018 than the Notebook 7 Spin (2018). Samsung’s new notebook tries to be all things to all people but it may end up being unappealing to all types of users.

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Leaked Galaxy S8+ Android 8.0 Oreo build adds Dolby Atmos support

The Android 8.0 Oreo beta program for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ is going to end on January 15. This lines up nicely with reports that the Oreo update is going to be released for these handsets by the end of this month.

Amid reports that at least one Galaxy Note 8 unit has accidentally received the Oreo update, an Android 8.0 build for Galaxy S8+ has been leaked online which adds Dolby Atmos support to the handset.

Galaxy S8+ Dolby Atmos support

For all intents and purposes, this appears to be a stable build of Android 8.0 Oreo for the Snapdragon 835-powered variant of the Galaxy S8+. Some Reddit users have pointed out that devices running on this build are not being certified by the Google Play Store. What that means is that while this is an official non-beta build, it’s not the final one.

The build is said to be smoother than the last Oreo beta that was released a few days back. It also features the January 2018 security patch. The biggest change is the addition of a Dolby Atmos toggle in Settings.

The Dolby Atmos sound equalizer arrived on Android-powered smartphones a couple of years ago but it was initially limited to a few OEMs. It has always been possible to add it by rooting the device but not everyone does that.

Dolby Atmos can be used to tweak EQ settings and surround emulation when headphones are plugged in. There will be four presets to choose from – Auto, Movie, Music and Voice. The software is said to be buggy right now as switching between the presets makes no difference and once Dolby Atmos has been switched on it can’t be turned off.

This goes to show that this build isn’t final as yet since this feature requires some work. Nevertheless, it’s exciting that Samsung is adding this feature to Oreo for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. Who doesn’t like an improved audio experience?

Those who have the Snapdragon 835 variant of the Galaxy S8+ and are feeling a bit adventurous can sideload this build on their handset. They first have to Odin to BQL1 (December patch) if they’re not already on it before sideloading this leaked build.

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Galaxy Note 8 Oreo update randomly released

The Galaxy Note 8 isn’t going to be the first device from Samsung to receive the Android 8.0 Oreo update. Samsung has actually been running a beta program for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. Both devices are expected to get their Oreo update by the end of this month.

However, it appears that the Galaxy Note 8 Oreo update has been randomly released to at least one user with the Exynos-powered variant of the device. It’s unusual because the beta program was never expanded to the Galaxy Note 8.

Galaxy Note 8 Oreo update

Someone claiming to work for Samsung posted pictures of their Galaxy Note 8 model SM-N950F that randomly received the Oreo update. The Reddit user says this is a device “that customers can touch and use at will,” so they probably work at an experience center or in a retail location.

The screenshots show that this device has received firmware version N950FXXU2CRA1.DM. It appears to be an internal test build of Oreo for the Galaxy Note 8 as it’s certainly not a beta firmware. That much is evident from the firmware version.

The firmware is said to feature all of the improvements that are part parcel of Android 8.0 Oreo. It even includes the January 2018 security patch that Samsung detailed a couple of days ago.

The Reddit user says that they’ll be able to provide more information about this tomorrow after going back to work. It doesn’t appear to be a soak test because it’s not common for Samsung to release major firmware updates to a few people ahead of a public release just to test the waters.

Nevertheless, this reveals that Samsung has a pretty stable Oreo build for the Galaxy Note 8 and that’s good news. Galaxy Note 8 owners probably won’t have to wait for too long once the company starts rolling out this update for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+.

The beta program for these devices will end on January 15 so there’s a good chance that Oreo might be released before the end of this month.

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