Latest Verizon update for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge adds a new service that installs bloatware

Verizon confirmed a couple of days ago that it’s releasing a new over-the-air update for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge. The minor update was supposed to bring tweaks and improvements for the two flagship smartphones aside from the latest security patches. The changelog didn’t mention this but the update also adds a new service called DT Ignite that enables the carrier to quietly install bloatware on users’ handsets.

DT Ignite has made the news in the past as well. In December 2014, many T-Mobile and Verizon customers discovered that deleted carrier bloatware apps would reinstall as the service has been designed to download carrier apps once a device has been activated, reset, updated or has even been put through a factory reset. Many Verizon users would not like the fact that their carrier can quietly install bloatware on their phones even if the app installs don’t count against the mobile data cap. Fortunately, it’s quite easy to disable DT Ignite, users have to locate the service in the app list and disable it from there. They may have to enable the Show system apps option under the More option to see DT Ignite in the list.

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Samsung’s next Tizen smartphone could have a 4-inch display

The Samsung Z1 was the company’s first commercial Tizen smartphone and it performed quite nicely in the market. Samsung followed up with the Z3 in under one year and we recently reported exclusively that Samsung is working on a slightly upgraded version of the Z1, and that an entirely new handset is being developed as well. The new handset is the Samsung Z2 bearing model number SM-Z200F.

Samsung is already working on the handset’s firmware, the phone is being made for the Indian market and even though not much is known about its specifications we do know that it’s going to support 4G LTE. An import tracker shows that the SM-Z200F units being tested by Samsung have a 4-inch display which seems quite plausible as Samsung hasn’t really started making Tizen smartphones with massive displays. The Samsung Z2 could arrive at some point this year, it may be launched in other developing markets after it’s introduced in India.

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Import listing hints at 5.5-inch display for the Galaxy A4

We reported recently that the Galaxy A lineup could soon be expanded with a new model as Indian import database Zauba revealed that a handset with model number SM-A430 was imported into India for testing. The listing offered no details about the device itself so it’s unclear at this point in time whether it will have high-end or mid-range specs. However, it appears that this handset will come with a 5.5-inch display.

A new listing has been spotted on the import tracker and it mentions that the SM-A430 has a 5.5-inch display. The pixel resolution is not mentioned but one would expect it to at least be a Full HD display. We’re still waiting to hear more about the specifications of this handset, there aren’t a lot of details available about the Galaxy A4 at this point in time, but we’ll get them soon enough. It’s unclear when and in which markets Samsung is looking to launch the Galaxy A4 first.

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Samsung takes fourth place in foundry market

In the latest foundry rankings compiled by market research firm IC Insights and Gartner, Samsung has taken the fourth position with American and Taiwanese companies occupying the top three positions. The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co or TSMC retained its first place on the list with US-based Globalfoundries coming in second place. Taiwan’s UMC is in third place.

The data shows that TSMC’s sales reached $19.9 billion as it accounted for 54.3 percent of the market, almost 5.8 times higher than Samsung’s total sales which came in at $3.4 billion and gave it a market share of just 5.3 percent. TSMC is a specialist foundry without its own design, the company also produces a significant amount of processors for Apple while Samsung only does that for its main rival on a consignment basis. Samsung’s position in the global foundry market could improve in the future as it brings in more clients, being the sole manufacturer of Qualcomm’s latest flagship processor will certainly reflect positively on its balance sheets.

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Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) now available from AT&T

After Verizon launched the Galaxy J3 (2016) on its networks earlier today, AT&T has wasted no time in announcing the device as well. The smartphone can now be snatched up for $169.99 while the Verizon model is available for just under $110. Last month, the pricing and availability of the AT&T Galaxy J3 were confirmed by a source.

The handset can be purchased via AT&T Next, with monthly installments of $5.67/ month for a period of 30 months which roughly translates to $170.1, excluding taxes and other charges. For those unaware, this is Samsung’s latest budget-ranged offering and sports a very appealing hardware specs sheet along with Android 6.0 Marshmallow to handle the software side of things.

The Galaxy J3 comes with a 5-inch 720p Super AMOLED display, Samsung’s 1.3 GHz quad-core Exynos 3475 SoC, 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage (expandable), a 5-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front camera, Android 6.0 Marshmallow and a 2,600 mAh battery. The Galaxy J3 is also available from Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile in the U.S.

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Samsung accelerating partnerships to take leadership in VR market

Samsung is heavily invested in virtual reality and from the looks of it the company doesn’t really want to waste any time in establishing its leadership in the VR market. It’s accelerating partnerships with leading companies across the globe for this purpose, companies that are also interested in VR and are thus working with Samsung on this relatively new technology for consumers.

Samsung has inked partnerships with Facebook and Everland. It established a Gear VR Adventure room at Everland in Yongin on April 24. The 4D simulator room had 20 seats in which visitors could experience T Express and Horror Maze, two of the most popular rides at Everland, using images captured with Samsung’s Gear 360 Camera. The partnership with Facebook was announced earlier this year at the Mobile World Congress, Facebook-owned Oculus has worked with Samsung to develop the Gear VR headset, and Samsung provided several thousand Gear VR units to developers who attended Facebook’s F8 conference.

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Galaxy C5 pictures leaked yet again

If you haven’t had enough of looking at the Galaxy C5 then you’re going to like the fact that pictures of this upcoming mid-range device from Samsung have been leaked yet again. The first batch was leaked about a week ago and confirmed that the Galaxy C5 does come with a metal body, and the second batch arrived the very next day.

These latest leaked pictures of the Galaxy C5 show off the device in all its glory. It’s a Samsung smartphone through and through with several design elements that attest to this at just a glance. Underneath the metal body, there will be a Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor with 4GB RAM, a 5.2-inch Full HD display and Android 6.0.1. Given the pace of these leaks, it appears that a formal announcement may not be that far off, Samsung is going to launch the Galaxy C5 in China initially.

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