Karalux releases the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge in 24K gold

Karalux, the gold-plating specialist, has revealed that it’s now offering 24K gold variants of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. The handsets are anodized using the same process the firm previously adopted for Samsung’s former flagship smartphones, the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 edge+, but some of the steps have been slightly lengthened as the South Korean company has switched from A7000 to A6000 grade aluminium for its latest devices, which requires a more precise disassembly process.

Unfortunately, the gold-plated Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge don’t come cheap. A 24K Galaxy S7 will set you back an eye-watering $1705, while the 24K Galaxy S7 edge carries a price tag of $1930. You do, however, receive complimentary international shipping as standard.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/1Y7Si2T
via IFTTT

The Galaxy J3 will be available from AT&T next month, pricing confirmed

The Galaxy J3 (2016) is already available in the United States through Boost and Virgin Mobile but the handset is yet to be launched by a major carrier. Three weeks ago we reported that AT&T might launch the handset in the near future. AT&T has now confirmed that the Galaxy J3 (2016) will indeed be available to its customers, it’s going to start selling the handset next month and it has already confirmed how much it’s going to cost.

AT&T is going to offer the Galaxy J3 (2016) at $5.67 per month for 30 months on the AT&T Next 24 installment plan, the handset is only going to be available in white color. It features a 5-inch Super AMOLED display, 1.2GHz quad-core processor with 1.5GB RAM, 8-megapixel rear and 2-megapixel front camera as well as a 2,600mAh battery. The handset runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and also has 256-bit encryption enabled by default with Samsung KNOX support built-in to provide “defense grade” security at the hardware level. The Galaxy J3 (2016) will be available from AT&T starting May 6.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/1pTkL1f
via IFTTT

Samsung uploads 360-degree shark dive video to YouTube

This time last year, Samsung renovated its Experience Stores in Australia to showcase its latest innovation, the Gear VR, so passers by and potential customers could stroll into the buildings and take in a ‘shark diving tour’. Upon arrival consumers were handed a Virtual Reality (VR) headset, equipped with a Note 4 playing the marine exploration video.

Now Gear VR owners can partake in their own shark diving adventure from the comfort of their home as Samsung Australia has uploaded the same video to its official YouTube channel for the whole world to view. This short movie was created in partnership with surf film director Taylor Steel, and shows sharks in their own habitat from various angles.

The content is available to view in 4K and does not necessarily have to be watched on a Gear VR as the format YouTube employs for 360-degree video is universal to all devices and can be watched on just about any other VR unit — so if you have a Google Cardboard headset, you’re in luck. Just click link below to view a fully immersive shark dive.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/1qcsHvh
via IFTTT

AT&T launches the Galaxy Express Prime and Galaxy Express 3 for GoPhone customers

AT&T has introduced a couple of new handsets for its GoPhone customers. The Galaxy Express Prime is now available exclusively on GoPhone and can be purchased through AT&T retail stores and the carrier’s website, the Galaxy Express 3 is going to be available through the same channels from May 6.

The Galaxy Express Prime features a 5-inch Super AMOLED display as well as a 2600mAh battery. Software features like Easy Mode are included enabling users to customize the experience to their personal preference. Under the hood, there’s an Exynos 3475 processor with 1.5GB RAM, 5-megapixel rear, and 2-megapixel front camera as well as 16GB of expandable internal storage. What customers might like is that the Galaxy Express Prime comes with Android Marshmallow straight out of the box. The handset will be available for $129.99 in dark gray. The Galaxy Express 3 has a 2050mAh battery and a 4.5 inch Super AMOLED display, aside from a 5-megapixel rear camera. This smartphone will be available May 6 in white for $79.99.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/21YmhLN
via IFTTT

No Quick Charge 3.0 makes the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge a slow charger

The Galaxy S7 edge (and its flat sibling) packs the latest hardware inside a beautiful outer shell, and unlike the Galaxy S6 edge, also comes with a giant battery to make sure that hardware can be used without constantly worrying about reaching for the charger. Fast charging support is included as well, but unfortunately, the S7 edge can take an unusually long time to reach 100 percent charge.

Neither the Exynos nor the Snapdragon variant of the device comes with Quick Charge 3.0 support – the Snapdragon version can support the feature, but to keep things fair for consumers of either variant, Samsung hasn’t enabled Quick Charge 3.0 on its newest flagships. With a 3,600 mAh battery under the hood – which is big compared to even the 3,000 mAh batteries on the Note 5 and S6 edge+ – the lack of Quick Charge 3.0 means the charging times have slowed down considerably compared to Samsung’s yesteryear flagships.

The Note 5 can charge to full from 0 in 80 to 90 minutes, while the Galaxy S7 edge takes almost two hours – and sometimes more if you’re actively using the device – to reach full capacity when fast charging is enabled. Frankly, it feels very slow when you’re sitting around waiting for your S7 edge to charge, especially when you’re only topping it up from above 50 percent battery level, at which point fast/adaptive charging isn’t as fast as it is when your device is fully out of juice.

Yes, the large battery means the increased charging times are only natural, but I can’t help but feel like Quick Charge 3.0 support – and an equivalent for the Exynos variant – would have meant lower charging times despite the increase in battery life. That would have made the Galaxy S7 edge the ultimate powerhouse as far as endurance is concerned, but I guess we will have to wait till the Galaxy Note 6 or the Galaxy S8 before fast charging goes back to under the 100-minute mark.

P.S.: The Galaxy S7 edge is still an excellent smartphone, and the best you can get if you are looking for a flagship device. Read our review to find out more.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/1VihTqG
via IFTTT

Verizon rolls out Marshmallow OTA for the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge

Verizon Wireless has announced that it’s currently rolling out the long-awaited Marshmallow update to all its carrier-branded variants of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge located in the United States. In addition to bringing the latest build of the open source operating system to handsets, the upgrade also transports March’s security patch, together with a multitude of bug fixes, stability improvements and speed optimizations.

To see if the upgrade is ready for your device, head into Settings, followed by About Device, locate and select Software Update, then hit the Update Now button. Alternatively, you can wait until you receive a push notification prompting you to download and install the update from Verizon’s servers.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/1M64FvL
via IFTTT

Galaxy J7 (2016) will have a Snapdragon variant, too, Geekbench shows

We’ve been tracking the Galaxy J7 (2016) for some time, from the first time the device appeared in benchmark scoring, to confirmation of its Exynos 7870 processor, Bluetooth certification, and its manual that showcased the device’s metal frame, all the way up until the official announcement this week that matched previous rumors and leaks.

At one point, prior to the confirmation of the Exynos 7870 processor for the device, some evidence surfaced pointing to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 620 processor, but this was later debunked.

Or so it was believed.

Now, Geekbench is showing a Galaxy J7 (2016), with model number SM-J7109, bearing what is believed to be a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor. The processor shows a speed of 1.52Ghz and is from Qualcomm with a model number of MSM8962 – which indicates it is an update to the Snapdragon 615 processor. Interestingly enough, the device appears with 3GB of RAM in Geekbench, matching an earlier leak.

The Snapdragon processor here hints to the idea that the Galaxy J7 (2016) will likely see an entrance into other countries outside of China (which got the J7 this week). While the processor will change, interested buyers should know that you’re looking at the same specs as the Exynos variant: a 5.5-inch display with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080p, 16GB of storage with a microSD card slot for expandable storage, 3GB of RAM, 5MP front camera with LED flash, 13MP back camera, and a 3,300mAh battery, along with NFC and Samsung Pay support (with an embedded fingerprint sensor for that purpose).

What say you, Samsung faithful? Would you like to see the Galaxy J7 make it to countries outside of China?

 

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/1SpLcTv
via IFTTT