Samsung’s new Odyssey+ WMR headset receives 3C certification

Microsoft added a Mixed Reality platform to the Windows 10 as part of the Fall Creators Update released in October last year. Responding to Microsoft’s mainstream push into AR and VR, many PC OEMs launched Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) headsets towards the end of last year. Samsung also joined the party with its Odyssey headset and motion controllers.

Though not a major PC maker, Samsung’s WMR headset was the best of the available lot last year and received praise from many reviewers. Unfortunately, the Windows Mixed Reality platform hasn’t really taken off and all the MR headsets, including Samsung’s Odyssey, remained mostly a niche offering in the market. Nevertheless, Samsung seems to be interested in giving the platform another try by launching a successor to the last year’s Odyssey headset.

Samsung Odyssey+ inches closer to launch

The new model was first spotted last month on the FCC website, where the Odyssey+ name and specifications were revealed. The same headset has now received 3C certification (Chinese approval) as well, indicating an imminent launch. It carries the model number XE800ZBA, which lines up as a successor to the last year’s XE800ZAA model.

The 3C certification doesn’t reveal any other significant information about the headset, but that shouldn’t be an issue as the FCC filing disclosed almost everything about the new device. The FCC documents showed that the Odyssey+ would be mostly similar to the previous version, barring few minor design changes to make it more comfortable to wear. The only significant change in the spec sheet seems to be the mentioning of AMOLED+SFS as the display type.

We don’t know when Samsung is planning to launch the new WMR headset, but it would be a safe bet to say the company will probably target the holiday quarter. Microsoft has an event scheduled for October 2 where the company might offer some information about its latest Windows Mixed Reality efforts and new partner devices.

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Recap: What we discussed in our YouTube live stream this week

We just concluded this week’s YouTube live stream. These live streams give us a great opportunity to interact with you, our loyal readers, live and discuss all of the latest Samsung-related news.

We had a full agenda in this live stream as well. The new Galaxy A7 was the star of the show. It’s Samsung’s first smartphone with three rear cameras and we had it with us in the live stream. We also talked about Samsung’s bold new marketing stunt involving a community in the Netherlands that’s called Apple.

Other Samsung news that was discussed included the possibility of the Galaxy J series being discontinued, the big camera update released today for the Galaxy Note 9 and the free Samsung smartphone covers that our premium members can claim. General discussion on the state of Android was on the agenda as well.

The live stream is embedded below so do check it out. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel as well for more videos.

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Samsung gave the Galaxy S9 for free to an Apple community

Apple is Samsung’s main competitor in the premium smartphone segment. The Cupertino company, however, enjoys a much loyal fanbase when compared to Samsung, or for that matter any other brand on the planet. This makes Samsung go to great extent to convince Apple fans users to switch to its products through various marketing campaigns.

The Korean company has often mocked devoted Apple fans with its ads, but the company has taken a slightly different approach for its new marketing campaign in the Netherlands. A team from Samsung went to a village named Appel, which literally means Apple (the fruit) in Dutch, in the Gelderland province and handed over free Galaxy S9 smartphones to 50 of the village’s 312 inhabitants.

Galaxy S9 takes over Appel

Samsung took help from an 18-year old Apple fan in the village named Manouk to carry out the campaign. You can watch the video below to see how people reacted after receiving a brand-new Galaxy S9.

“With our innovative products and services, we have been off the beaten track for years to make everyday life more fun and easy. With this marketing campaign we do exactly the same. We are off the beaten track to get our message across. Our goal is to introduce as many people as possible to the possibilities of the Samsung Galaxy S9,” said (translated) Gerben van Walt Meijer, Marketing Manager, Samsung Mobiles, Netherland.

It’s a bold marketing stunt that Samsung has employed, seizing on the similarity between the names of this village and its biggest rival. It has helped the company get the message across about the Galaxy S9 which it would rather have customers buying over the new iPhones.

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Galaxy Note 9 camera improvements arrive in new update

Samsung is rolling out a new firmware update which brings improvements for the Galaxy Note 9 camera. The handset has one of the best cameras you can find on a flagship smartphone today but there’s always room for improvement on the software front. Those who found the camera software a bit lacking in terms of further enhancing the imaging experience will be happy with this update.

The company has started rolling out this update in Germany. It’s obviously going to take a while before this firmware update for the Galaxy Note 9 becomes available in other markets across the globe.

Galaxy Note 9 camera improvements

The company has focused on software features to enhance the Galaxy Note 9’s imaging chops from the get-go. The Galaxy Note 9 is Samsung’s first smartphone with Scene Optimizer. This artificial intelligence-based feature can study the subject and scene before matching them to 20 presents automatically. The presets include landscapes, food, portrait, animals and more. Flaw Detection is another feature that informs users with a pop-up notification if they take a blurry photo or if someone in the photo blinked.

Samsung is rolling out firmware version N960FXXU2ARI9 for the Galaxy Note 9. The update weighs in at around 302MB. The changelog mentions that the camera picture quality has been improved with this update. It also improves the brightness of faces in backlit conditions. Day/Night HDR control accuracy, low light brightness and SNR or Signal Noise Ratio has been improved too.

This firmware update for the Galaxy Note 9 is now rolling out over-the-air. It brings substantial improvements for the camera which device owners will certainly appreciate. It’s good to see that Samsung is working diligently to ensure that its camera remains competitive. That too in a market which has no shortage of handsets with powerful camera hardware and software.

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Galaxy Watch Golf Edition launched with Smart Caddie app

Samsung today announced the launch of the Galaxy Watch Golf Edition. This variant of its new smartwatch comes with the Smart Caddie app. If you have ever played golf you know just how important a caddy is on the course. They know the geographical features well and are a good resource on courses that you’re not familiar with.

There are plenty of watches available on the market that are geared towards golfers. Samsung is joining the list with the Galaxy Watch Golf Edition. The only difference between this variant and the regular Galaxy Watch are the software features otherwise it’s the same smartwatch.

Galaxy Watch Golf Edition

This isn’t the first time that Samsung is launching a variant of its smartwatch for golfers. The company also launched the Gear S3 Golf Edition last year. It also had the Smart Caddie app which has information about 60,000 golf courses across the globe.

The app is present on the Galaxy Watch Golf Edition as well. Developed in collaboration with Golfzon Deca, it offers other features such as Shot Tracking and record keeping. It’s even possible to get information on the height of the green from the app.

Since the Galaxy Watch has a bigger battery than its predecessor, its battery life is good enough for three rounds of golf, or 54 holes. The Galaxy Watch Golf Edition is now available in South Korea. The 46mm and 42mm models are priced at 409,700 won (US$367) and 389,900 won ($351) respectively. No word as yet on when it will be available outside South Korea.

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