Exclusive: Galaxy A6 coming to Sprint in the United States

Samsung is yet to confirm a US release for the Galaxy A6 even though it has been almost a month since it officially announced the Galaxy A6 and Galaxy A6+. There was a rumor recently which suggested that AT&T would carry the Galaxy A6 in the United States and while evidence has yet to surface to support that claim, we can now exclusively confirm that Sprint will launch the Galaxy A6 in the United States.

Galaxy A6 coming to the United States

The Galaxy A6 is a proper mid-range smartphone and Samsung has made it an enticing option for customers by adding features like the Infinity Display. It features a 5.6-inch 720×1480 pixel resolution flat Infinity Display with 18.5:9 aspect ratio.

The device has a solid feel to it while the smooth curves make it more comfortable to grip the device. The fingerprint sensor is located below the 16-megapixel f/1.7 camera at the back while the front has a 16-megapixel camera with an adjustable LED flash. The handset is powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core processor with up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Configurations vary by market.

Samsung has also brought over some features from its premium handsets. The Galaxy A6 offers Face Recognition, Dolby Atmos optimized audio and Samsung Pay. Bixby Vision, Home and Reminder are onboard as well. All of this is backed up with a 3,000mAh battery and Android 8.0 Oreo.

When the Galaxy A6 was officially announced, Samsung said that the handset would be released in select markets across Europe, Asia and Latin America. It didn’t say anything about North America at that time.

We can confirm that the Galaxy A6 will be coming to Sprint in the United States as firmware is already available for the handset, version A600PVPU0ARF1 to be precise. Sprint is yet to reveal, though, when it’s going to start selling this handset but it’s only a matter of time now before the Galaxy A6 becomes available Stateside.

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[Poll] What’s your opinion of the Galaxy Note 9 seen in the leaked renders?

So the Galaxy Note 9 became less of a secret a few hours ago, thanks to a major leak that brought along high-resolution renders of the phone. These renders have been created based on CAD information obtained by a factory source, so they aren’t expected to be 100 percent accurate. They do, however, make us wonder what you, our readers, think of the design seen in the renders.

Galaxy Note 9 might not be too different from the Note 8

The Note 9 might be 0.2 mm thicker than the Galaxy Note 8, and according to the renders, it’s mainly the design of the dual rear cameras that is getting visibly tweaked for the next Note flagship (well, along with a smaller bottom bezel at the front). However, it’s possible those circles surrounding the camera sensors won’t be as conspicuous on the retail unit and the rear camera design would be exactly like the Note 8’s, unless Samsung wants consumers to more clearly see Dual Aperture at work.

These renders also tell us that the Note 9’s rear cameras won’t be placed vertically like they are on the Galaxy S9+. To us, that would be something of a letdown, as it means the fingerprint sensor may not be as easy to access as it is on the S9+. Some of you may prefer it that way, though, which is why we thought we should have a poll to see what people think.

You know what you have to do. Select the appropriate option in the poll, then take to the comments to voice your thoughts in detail.

What's your opinion of the Galaxy Note 9 seen in the leaked renders?

• Should have been more different than the Note 8
• Shut up and take my money!
• I'd rather not comment on unofficial renders
• Why is that fingerprint reader located so high?
• Still waiting for removable batteries to come back to Note lineup
• If it ain't broke, don't fix it

Results

• Should have been more different than the Note 8 33%, 4 votes
  4 votes 33%

  4 votes - 33% of all votes
• Shut up and take my money! 25%, 3 votes
  3 votes 25%

  3 votes - 25% of all votes
• I'd rather not comment on unofficial renders 25%, 3 votes
  3 votes 25%

  3 votes - 25% of all votes
• Why is that fingerprint reader located so high? 8%, 1 vote
  1 vote 8%

  1 vote - 8% of all votes
• Still waiting for removable batteries to come back to Note lineup 8%, 1 vote
  1 vote 8%

  1 vote - 8% of all votes
• If it ain't broke, don't fix it 0%, 0 votes
  0 votes

  0 votes - 0% of all votes

Total Votes: 12

7 June 2018

×

You or your IP had already vote.

• Should have been more different than the Note 8
• Shut up and take my money!
• I'd rather not comment on unofficial renders
• Why is that fingerprint reader located so high?
• Still waiting for removable batteries to come back to Note lineup
• If it ain't broke, don't fix it

×

You or your IP had already vote.

Results

The post [Poll] What’s your opinion of the Galaxy Note 9 seen in the leaked renders? appeared first on SamMobile.

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Samsung officially confirms Galaxy A9 Star and Galaxy A9 Star Lite price

There’s nothing that Samsung could really surprise us with at the official launch event of the Galaxy A9 Star and Galaxy A9 Star Lite in China today considering the fact that they are two of the most leaked Samsung smartphones this year.

Virtually every detail about these two handsets had already been leaked prior to the official launch. Samsung did confirm the price of the Galaxy A9 Star and the Galaxy A9 Star Lite today at its event in China.

Galaxy A9 Star and Galaxy A9 Star Lite price in China

As expected, the Galaxy A9 Star features a 6.3-inch Infinity Super AMOLED FHD+ display, a 2.2GHz processor with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The handset also features a 3,700mAh battery. The handset is focused on providing an enhanced imaging experience and thus feature a 24-megapixel and 16-megapixel dual camera system at the back as well as a 16-megapixel selfie camera.

This also appears to be the first non-flagship smartphone from Samsung to get the full Bixby experience. The Galaxy A9 Star features Bixby Voice, Vision, Reminder and Home. It has a dedicated Bixby button as well.

The Galaxy A9 Star is the real star of the show today, pun intended, because for all intents and purposes the Galaxy A9 Star Lite is most likely a rebadged version of the Galaxy A6+ for the Chinese market. Do check out our initial impressions of the Galaxy A6+ to get a sense of what the Galaxy A9 Star Lite brings to the table.

It’s pertinent to mention here that this is the first time in a few years that Samsung is launching A series handsets in China. It had previously switched to the C series for the country but with Samsung now promising to do more in order to improve its dismal market share in China, it’s no surprise to see that it’s bringing its premium mid-range devices to the country.

The Galaxy A9 Star and Galaxy A9 Star Lite are available for purchase from Samsung’s website in China for 2999 RMB ($470) and 1999 ($312) RMB respectively.

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Galaxy A6+ getting an update with May security patch for various European carriers

The Galaxy A6 and Galaxy A6+ were recently released in a number of European markets, and Samsung is already pushing out an update to at least the Galaxy A6+ in some markets. It’s an update for carrier variants of the device and sports the May 2018 security patch, but that’s certainly better than no update at all. T-Mobile seems to be rolling the update in most countries, including the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland. The update carries build number A605FNXXU1ARD7.

Galaxy A6+ update rolling out in Europe

We’re not sure what the update includes other than the security patch from May, but a few improvements to performance and stability are the usual suspects. It also remains to be seen if the same update will be released for the unlocked model and for the regular Galaxy A6. There’s always the possibility some markets will be directly bumped up to the next security patch, which would be the June patch in this case. The Galaxy A6 and A6+ are on a quarterly update schedule, so some users might have to wait a bit longer.

To see if the update is available on your Galaxy A6+, open the Settings app on your phone, tap Software update, then tap Download updates manually. You can also update using the firmware files from our database, although that will include a bigger download and the use of a PC.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy A6+ hands-on

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Verizon Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge Oreo update should be rolling out soon

Two months after getting everyone’s hopes up by accidentally saying it’s rolling out Oreo to the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, Verizon seems to finally be ready to release the Galaxy S7 Oreo update to its users. North American’s largest carrier has once again posted details of the Oreo update on its support pages for the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. One can be sure this isn’t another false alarm since Oreo for the S7 duo has been released in various markets in the last couple of weeks.

Verizon’s Galaxy S7 Oreo update is a go

The Galaxy S7 Oreo update for the Verizon variants includes the April 2018 security patch, same as the update for unlocked models in other countries. As far as new features and functionality is concerned, you get autofill support, picture-in-picture mode, app notification dots, App Pair (for launching two apps in Multi Window mode with a single tap), Dual Messenger, high contrast keyboards with new emojis and stickers, and more. You will also see the Night Clock feature disappear from your phone once you’ve updated to Oreo, but don’t let that disappoint you as Night Clock has now been made a part of Always On Display.

The rollout doesn’t seem to have started just yet, but that should change in the next couple of hours. Don’t forget that these updates are rolled out gradually, so you may have to wait a day or two before you can download the Oreo update on your Verizon Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge. As always, you can keep mashing the Download updates manually button in the Software update menu in the Settings app to force it to show up right away.

Got the update on your phone already? Tell us how you like Oreo down in the comments once you’ve had a chance to play with it.

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Oppo may launch phones with Samsung’s ‘Edge’ displays soon

In a market where popular features are cloned by competitors in a matter of months, Samsung’s curved OLED displays are somewhat of a rarity. Officially referred to as ‘Edge’ displays, these panels have become the signature feature of Samsung’s flagship smartphones in the last three years. Due to the cost and technical challenges involved in making these displays, the tech has so far remained exclusive to Galaxy flagships, barring a few niche devices from other brands.

If we are to believe a report from the Korean media outlet The Bell, Oppo may soon launch phones with Samsung’s ‘Edge’ displays. The company is reportedly procuring 6.42-inch flexible OLED panels from Samsung for one of its smartphones which may launch as early as July or August this year. The report states Samsung will start supplying the panels to Oppo by the end of this month.

An expensive affair

None of this tech comes cheap for Oppo. These flexible OLED displays apparently cost around $100 per panel, whereas the flat panels cost around $20 a unit. Given the cost and exclusivity associated with these displays, any Oppo phone sporting these panels in the near future will probably be a flagship device with a hefty price tag.

Samsung Display is the largest supplier of mobile OLED panels in the world. Both in quality and scale of supply, it is currently unmatched in the market. Its dominance in this space can be gauged from the fact that it is the sole supplier of the flexible OLED displays used in iPhone X. Considering all this, it is hardly surprising if Oppo goes with Samsung as reported.

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