Marshmallow for the Galaxy Note 5 has quite a few issues

Soon after announcing the global rollout of Marshmallow for the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge Samsung released the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow update for the Galaxy Note 5. The update was initially made available to users in Cambodia (SM-N920C) through Samsung Smart Switch but from the looks of it the update isn’t without a few issues.

Many of our readers have pointed out that the battery is draining way too fast after the update is installed. Battery drain appears to be an issue that most people who updated to Marshmallow are facing. Others are facing issues with the Gear VR as it’s no longer working with the handset after it has been updated. Minor bugs have also been reported. It appears that Samsung still needs time to polish this update so that users no longer face these issues, it hasn’t halted the rollout yet so perhaps it might address these issues in an incremental update later. If you’ve been thinking about flashing this firmware on your Galaxy Note 5 you might want to hold off on that for now.

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How to watch Galaxy Unpacked 2016 live stream online

The day that many of us had been waiting for is finally here. In just a few hours Samsung is going to formally unveil the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge, who knows what other announcements it has got in store for us, and it may even start taking pre-orders for the handsets starting today. We’ll be on the ground in Barcelona to bring you all of the latest developments and if you’d like to watch the proceedings for yourself, here’s how to watch Galaxy Unpacked 2016 live stream online.

Like it has done in the past, Samsung is going to live stream today’s event so that those who can’t personally be in Barcelona can follow the event in real-time. Galaxy Unpacked 2016 will be live streamed via YouTube, to save you the aggravation of having to search the web for it, we’ve embedded the live stream down below. This is also the first Unpacked event that will be streamed live in 360 degrees, if you’re interested in that then here are the instructions to watch today’s event with a unique twist.

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Samsung Connect Auto is an affordable connected car solution

Samsung today announced the launch of its first affordable connected car solution called Samsung Connect Auto. The company has created an ecosystem of services and products to enable a safe, eco-friendly and more fun driving experience with different features for both customers and enterprises.

Samsung Connect Auto plugs directly into the OBD-II found under the steering wheel of every car manufactured since the ’90s. The dongle uses real-time alerts to aid users to improve their driving behavior, offer tips on how to increase fuel efficiency while even offering a Wi-Fi connection to keep passengers connected on the go. The connected car solution is secured using Samsung Knox.

The dongle will run on AT&T’s cellular network in the United States initially, it’s powered by Tizen OS and developers can leverage the SDK to provide more services for this solution. The company encourages safe driving behavior by using geo-fencing and driver rating algorithms. In the event of an accident, Samsung Connect Auto will automatically notify the driver’s contacts and accident concierge services will be provided. A “Find My Car” app will enable users to locate their car in real-time using GPS and LTE. It also helps keep passengers connected on the go since it provides a powerful LTE Wi-Fi hotspot that enables multi-user internet access. To offer tips on how to increase fuel efficiency Connect Auto uses multiple proprietary algorithms to analyze miles traveled, time on the road and price per gallon.

A “virtual mechanic” will automatically check the car’s status from the on-board diagnostic port to provide recommendations on maintenance and repair services offered by a specialized network. Samsung is also working with partner companies to develop a new ecosystem of carriers, insurance companies, roadside assistance operators, and maintenance networks. Samsung Connect Auto is going to be initially released in the United States in the second quarter of 2016. AT&T will be the first wireless provider of this solution in the country.

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Galaxy S7 edge retail box leaks

Over the past few days, we have seen many leaked images and renders of the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge so we pretty much already have a good idea of what Samsung’s next flagship looks like. The Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge will be formally unveiled in a couple of hours from now but the leaks are still rolling in. Check out this retail box of the Galaxy S7 edge that has been leaked online today.

The box is different from the one used for the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge, it’s not white, and has a flap that lifts up from the right side to reveal the contents. Font placement is pretty much the same with the storage capacity and handset color mentioned at the top right corner. The back of the box confirms specifications, we already know that the Galaxy S7 edge will feature a 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display, a 64-bit octa-core processor, 12-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front camera, IP68 water and dust resistance rating as well as built-in wireless charging.

Samsung is expected to start taking pre-orders for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge after the announcement today with shipments likely to begin by March 11 in launch markets.

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[Poll] Do you care for water resistance on your smartphone?

With the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge expected to be water resistant (well,the feature was pretty much confirmed by Samsung itself), we thought it would be a great time to ask you, our readers, whether water resistance is an important feature on a smartphone for you. For many, there rarely are instances where they need to use their device when it’s raining or somewhere underwater, and it’s not often a smartphone takes a dive/drops into the liquid element.

But when the rare occasion does present itself, water resistance can be great to have on your phone so that it doesn’t stop working or start acting up because of a few splashes of water. Most of us here at SamMobile are fine with a device without water resistance, but we aren’t going to complain if the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge are certified for protection against one of the elements.

What about you? Let us know through the poll below, and leave a comment with your thoughts!

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

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Samsung teams up with SEAT and SAP to develop future projects for connected cars

Samsung appears to be very interested in cars of the future particularly since it’s looking for new business avenues to sustain growth. The company has already created a team that is primarily tasked with working on autonomous or self-driving technologies and it has even started working with BMW to develop brains for cars of the future. Samsung is now coming together with SEAT and SAP to develop future projects for connected cars.

At Mobile World Congress 2016 the three companies will showcase concepts with cutting-edge technologies developed by pooling their expertise and innovation. The concepts include the ability to pay without leaving the car, authorizing the use of a digital key and an overall safe and seamless user experience. “Samsung’s partnership with SEAT and SAP signals our commitment to developing innovative solutions for the next level of the connected car,” said Injong Rhee, Executive Vice-President and Head of R&D, Software and Services at Samsung.

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Despite the leaks, I’m still very excited about the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge

No matter how hard companies try, leaks always manage to put the kibosh on any form of secrecy they might want to maintain around their upcoming devices. Some manufacturers find their flagships leak more than others before launch, and Samsung has always been among the top when it comes to keeping a lid on what information goes out through the rumor mill. It’s something the company has failed miserably at this time, and we pretty much know everything about the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

Many point out that these leaks simply ruin the surprise that the official announcement event can offer, and it’s certainly true that tomorrow’s Unpacked event will merely be repeating what is already known for the most part. Despite all that, I’m still extremely excited about the event, and there’s a simple reason.

I just want to see Samsung officially confirm everything the S7 and S7 edge are expected to offer.

While there were issues, the 2015 lineup of Samsung devices was near-perfect, especially the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 edge+ (read our reviews here and here). The only thing that really disappointed me was the small batteries the company had used. Both the Note 5 and S6 edge+ had great battery life despite the not-so-large batteries, but it was clear Samsung could have made things better by either maintaining the larger batteries from last year or putting in even bigger ones (instead of focusing everything on thin and sleek designs).

The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, with their rumored 3,000 mAh and 3,6000 mAh batteries, are sure to be awesome at battery endurance, something that has been cited in a couple of leaks. Wireless charging is set to be on-board as well in addition to regular fast charging. Of course, there’s also the fact that the microSD slot is coming back, and both the S7 and S7 edge are expected to be water-resistant as well.

So what happens when you add big batteries, expandable storage, water-resistance, and maybe something like a pressure-sensitive display to devices that were already close to perfection? Well, perfection is what you get, and the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge could be the epitome of what a complete smartphone can be. After the Galaxy Note 5, that’s saying a lot, and it will be great to see Samsung announcing each of the rumored features one by one when the Unpacked event kicks off.

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