Samsung Galaxy View is available for purchase in the US

Consumers in the US looking for a device that is not a tablet and not a TV either can purchase the Galaxy View in the country. The “movable display” (yeah, we will be using quotes for Samsung’s new product category for the forseeable future) can be bought from various stores, including Best Buy, Amazon and B&H, and directly from Samsung’s website as well. Best Buy and Amazon have the device in stock at the moment, and Best Buy will also give you one if you walk into its brick and mortar stores.

As for the price, the Galaxy View will cost you $599 for the Wi-Fi model. You can’t buy the cellular model yet, but if you really want an 18.4-inch tablet with access to mobile networks, there’s no telling how long you will have to wait. Check out the source link if you wish to order the Galaxy View, and also check out our hands-on experience with the humongous tablet before you hit that buy button.

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Samsung giving way free stuff worth $350 and $50 in cash to sell more handsets

We recently covered promotions from Sprint and T-Mobile that offer a $100 value to customers but Samsung’s new promotion hits the ball out of the park. The company is offering free stuff worth $350 and even $50 in cash if you purchase the Galaxy S6, the Galaxy S6 edge, the Galaxy S6 edge+ or the Galaxy Note 5 before November 22. There are two Holiday Gift Bundles that customers can choose from, each bundle has its own name and collection of accessories.

The Swarovski Holiday Bundle gets you Samsung’s own fast charge-enabled portable battery pack, a wireless charger and a crystal phone cover from Swarovski. In the Level On Holiday Bundle you get the same power back and wireless charger but instead of the crystal phone cover you get a pair of Samsung Level On headphones. Those who want the $50 cash rebate on top of these accessories worth $350 all they need to do is activate Samsung Pay on their device and register one of their compatible cards for a $50 rebate after making an online claim via the Samsung Promotions website. This offer is limited to residents of the United States.

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Samsung releases Family Square gallery app for Galaxy View

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy View just a short time ago, and we already have an app for it called the Family Square, which is more of a gallery app. It’s currently available on the Google Play Store and it allows you to post photos on a virtual wall. The charm of Family Square is the Galaxy View‘s enormous 18.4-inch display. It’s almost exactly like a wall, and the app works by connecting different devices around the house on a local network, offering them permission to post to the wall.

Right now it’s unknown which Samsung devices are compatible with the Family Square app, but it looks like it’s a work in progress. We might see the app getting compatible with more phones in the future. It also looks like Samsung is trying to push more apps onto the Galaxy View, for instance a custom CNN News app that was released for the device, and it is quite awesome. Check out the Family Square app below and tell us if your device is compatible with it.

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Samsung Pay could get support for making payments between smartphones

Samsung Pay has only been around for a couple of months now but its adoption is rapidly growing in South Korea and the United States, this payments service has not yet been expanded to other markets, expansion to Europe and China is expected before the end of this year. Currently the service is good for making purchases via credit or debit cards as well as for using loyalty and store cards, Samsung has confirmed that support for gift cards is coming soon, but in the future the service may allow people to make payments from one smartphone to the other by simply using Samsung Pay.

A module will be required to enable this functionality that will allow people to exchange money between smartphones and pay with cards through the NFC chip installed in compatible smartphones. When the module is installed the handset can essentially be used as a mobile credit card payment terminal and it won’t use the value-added network (VAN) because it will be directly linked to card companies. Not only will this reduce credit card fees but also the monthly rental, communication and maintenance fees that merchants usually have to pay for conventional card terminals.

The module has been developed by a U.S. startup Hankook NFC and it is in discussions with Samsung to bring this technology to Samsung Pay thus allowing people to transfer money between smartphones. Since the handset will be a mobile payment terminal with the module it will also enable small merchants and temporary businesses like kiosks to accept card payments because no private lines or card payment devices will be required and credit card companies will be able to directly authorize the payments. It is unclear if Samsung will decide to expand the features of Samsung Pay by leaning on this module but the possibility very much exists, and it certainly won’t be too bad if it really does.

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Samsung’s best handsets are available for $100 off on T-Mobile

The holiday season approaches as millions anxiously wait to purchase new and exciting things in deals that only come around once a year. Anticipation for Black Friday and Cyber Monday is growing in the United States, some retailers have already started running sales events before the two big shopping days of November and now T-Mobile follows suit as well. Its new promotion asks “Why wait for Cyber Monday” when you can get $100 off on some of Samsung’s best smartphones.

Under T-Mobile’s “Super Smartphone Deal” customers can save $100 on a variety of handsets which includes iPhones, a couple of LG flagships and a range of Samsung smartphones. This is a limited time offer that’s available to new and existing customers who activate a new line of service, they’ll need to purchase a qualifying rate plan and the fine print also states that this promotion can not be stacked with other offers. Eligible Samsung smartphones include the Galaxy S6, the Galaxy S6 edge, the Galaxy S6 edge+, the Galaxy Note 4 and the Galaxy Note 5. Just click on “Apply Coupon” on the promotion page to add the $100 discount before checking out. This is an online-only promotion which can not be availed through T-Mobile brick and mortar stores in the United States.

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Activate a Samsung smartphone on Sprint this month and get a free year of Amazon Prime

A new promotion has been kicked off by the fourth largest mobile carrier in the United States possibly in hopes of boosting its subscriber base. All customers need to do is activate a qualifying Samsung smartphone on Sprint in November 2015 and they will be given a free year of Amazon Prime which itself is a $99 value. Aside from offering free two-day shipping Prime members can also access an enormous amount of content in Amazon’s video and music streaming services.

Qualifying smartphones include the Galaxy S6, the Galaxy S6 edge, the Galaxy S6 edge+ as well as the Galaxy Note 5, basically he company’s 2015 flagship lineup. This offer is available until November 30, Sprint customers who purchase their handset outright, get it on a two year contract, lease it or buy it on an installment plan are eligible to get a free year of Amazon Prime. Existing Sprint subscribers can also take advantage of this promotion on a renewed line.

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The Galaxy Note 5’s fast wireless charging leaves the Nexus 6P without excuse

Google’s Nexus 6P is out and about now and, as usual, customers note the best of the smartphone and the worst of it. The Nexus 6P is the best camera Google’s ever produced for a Nexus smartphone, the display is Samsung-made, Samsung-grade, and stunning. For some tech-savvy customers, however, Google’s decision to forego Qi wireless charging in the Nexus 6P (with Huawei) is a huge mistake for an Android flagship in 2015. If Google deems its Nexus 6P is an Android flagship (and Google does, as seen by the $499 minimum price tag of the 32GB model as opposed to the $379.99 starting price tag for the 16GB Nexus 5X), and wireless charging is one of the “next big thing” trends in the smartphone space, then Google should pack the best of current technology into the device.

I think Google does that with USB Type-C being an adopted trend for high-end devices, along with stellar camera performance, among other things. Yet and still, there is no wireless charging onboard, which looks to outperform USB Type-C charging in just a few years. The absence of wireless charging warrants a response from Google. Google gives a three-pronged response to the lack of wireless charging, a response that deserves examination.

First, Google claims that its decision to leave wireless charging out of the Nexus 6P had something to do with USB micro B versus USB Type-C charging: “We added Qi wireless charging starting with the N4 because plugging in USB micro B was such a hassle! With this year’s Nexii, we support USB Type-C which has a reversible connector so there’s no more guessing.” It’s true that USB micro B charging doesn’t involve reversible cables, but if reversible cables are a benefit for USB Type-C, it isn’t that much of a step up from micro USB charging. After all, why worry about reversible cables when you can resort to wireless charging and need not connect your smartphone to a wall outlet from the start?

Next, Google says that another benefit of USB Type-C in the place of wireless charging is that the device charges quickly: “It charges incredibly swiftly: 1% to 100% in 97 mins on the 6P for example.” If 97 minutes is incredibly swift for a 3,450mAh battery, however, then the Nexus 6P isn’t all that special; Samsung’s own Galaxy S6 Active charges in 97 minutes, and its battery size is 3,500mAh, just 50mAh larger than the 3,450mAh Nexus 6P battery. Additionally, the Galaxy Note 5’s 3,000mAh battery charges in 81 minutes, and the Note 5’s fast wireless charging will let you charge your device in 120 minutes max, just 20 minutes slower than USB Type-C charging with the Nexus 6P.

The Galaxy S6 Active only has micro USB charging (not USB Type-C), and it still charges as fast as the Nexus 6P does with a slightly bigger battery. If the Nexus 6P is showcasing the benefits of USB Type-C, then USB Type-C needs some revision. Samsung’s fast charging capabilities, even with USB 2.0, still match those of Google’s Nexus 6P under USB Type-C, so the benefit isn’t as apparent as Google would make it seem.

The last reason for USB Type-C implementation in the Nexus 6P pertains to thinness and size: “Meanwhile, wireless charging adds z (thickness).” Unfortunately, this line of argumentation doesn’t put the Nexus 6P in a better light, seeing that the the Nexus 6P is slightly thinner than the Note 5 (the Note 5: 153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6mm; Nexus 6P: 159.4 x 77.8 x 7.3mm) and still features in-built wireless charging. The Nexus 6P weighs 178 grams, while the Galaxy Note 5 weighs 171 grams, and yet, Samsung’s lighter device still implemented wireless charging. The Galaxy S6 Active weighs only 149.969 grams (5.29 ounces) according to AT&T, which is still 28 or so grams lighter than the Nexus 6P; it too, has in-built wireless charging. Google’s reasoning would be validated here if there were significant size differences between the Nexus 6P and the Galaxy Note 5, but the majority of the dimension differences here lie in Samsung’s favor.

While this is Google’s three-pronged response to the Nexus 6P’s lack of wireless charging, there is one other significant response to the issue at hand: Google included wireless charging in the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, and Nexus 6, as the company said in its above statement. What explains Google’s decision to not include it this year? Sure, the Nexus 6P’s 3,450mAh battery is the largest the search engine giant has ever placed in a smartphone; if Google were arguing battery size here, I would understand though still disagree. But, to not include it for reasons of USB Type-C and thinness? Google may have its own reasons within the company for holding back wireless charging in the Nexus 6P, but the ones it’s given to customers don’t add up.

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