T-Mobile’s faster LTE network only works on the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge currently

Over the past few years T-Mobile US has taken a number of steps to increase its competitiveness in the country’s LTE market. For this purpose, it rolled out 2 channel carrier aggregation back in 2014 and has since rolled out 3 channel carrier aggregation as well for even faster data speeds. These advanced network technologies are available to T-Mobile customers in more than 425 cities across the United States who experience typical download speeds of 7-40 Mbps.

T-Mobile announced yesterday that it was amping up its LTE network technology yet again to provide a 2x speed boost. The 4×4 MIMO technology basically doubles the number of data paths between a cell site and a compatible smartphone which results in double the speed. T-Mobile has rolled out 4×4 MIMO in 319 cities across the country and currently the only devices that support it are the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

The Galaxy Note 7 has support for 4×4 MIMO on T-Mobile as well. Those who own the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge on T-Mobile will receive a software update later this month which will enable them to take advantage of faster LTE speeds and T-Mobile will later roll out this update to more handsets.

The carrier has also launched 256 QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) technology which increases the number of bits delivered per transmission to provide even faster speeds. When combined with 4×4 MIMO it provides download speeds of up to 400 Mbps. This technology will be supported on every single T-Mobile cell site across the United States by the end of next month. Again, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge will be the first devices to get support for 256 QAM via a software update in October.

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Samsung to use colors to its advantage for reigniting Galaxy Note 7 sales momentum

Samsung has got a lot of bad press recently following its decision to recall the Galaxy Note 7 globally. The recall will likely have an impact on future sales of the Galaxy Note 7 as well because potential customers might lose confidence in the device. Samsung has taken steps to fix the battery cell issue that caused some Galaxy Note 7 handsets to explode and it’s going to provide replacement inventory by next week. A report out of Korea suggests that the company will now use the range of colors it offers the Galaxy Note 7 in to its advantage for reigniting sales momentum for its latest flagship.

The company is reportedly going to launch the Black Onyx Galaxy Note 7 in South Korea next month. There has been significant demand for this color already and Samsung is believed to have excluded it from the range of colors offered in Korea initially to have something fresh to present to the public when the new iPhone arrives. Samsung always has different color strategies for different markets. With the Galaxy Note 7, it’s holding off on the Gold Platinum for the United States, Silver Titanium for China and the beautiful Coral Blue for India.

Sales of the Galaxy Note 7 have been suspended globally following the recall announcement but Samsung is expected to resume sales in a couple of weeks. It remains to be seen when these color options will be launched in these lucrative markets but it’s too soon to say whether or not they will achieve the aim that Samsung is hoping for.

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The FAA may ban the Galaxy Note 7 from being taken on board public aircraft

It look like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is in the process of deciding whether to ban the Galaxy Note 7 from being taken on board aircraft following Samsung’s decision to recall the device after it found that a faulty battery was the reason for a few handsets exploding while on charge.

Obviously, the last thing you want is for your shiny new smartphone to catch fire while on board a contained airplane, which is the FAA is determining whether to take advantage of its right to restrict any battery-powered device that has been subject to a recall from being carried onto public flights.

It’s worth nothing that the FAA hasn’t come to a decision just yet as it’s still mulling over the details. However, I think it’s pretty safe to say that the handset poses a threat to flight safety. For this reason, I expect the Galaxy Note 7 to be added to the list of items prohibited on aircrafts in the very near future.

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Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime to be introduced in India soon, price leaks ahead of launch

Samsung introduced a beefed-up variant of the Galaxy J7 (2016) in Vietnam last week. The Galaxy J7 Prime offers higher memory, a better front-facing camera, a metal unibody, and a fingerprint scanner over the Galaxy J7 (2016). Now, the South Korean smartphone giant is prepping to launch the device in India.

According to the usually reliable Indian mobile phone retailer Manish Khatri, Samsung will soon launch the Galaxy J7 Prime in India with a MOP of INR 18,790 ($282). The device will be sold alongside the Galaxy J7 (2016) and the Galaxy J7. The Galaxy J7 Prime features a 5.5-inch 1080p display, a 13-megapixel primary camera with 1080p video recording, an 8-megapixel front-facing camera, and a 3,300 mAh battery.

It runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, and features dual-SIM card slot, LTE, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth, NFC, and a microUSB port. The Galaxy J7 Prime that is being sold in Vietnam comes with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, but Samsung has decided to limit the internal storage to just 16GB in the Indian variant for some reason. Why do you do this, Samsung?

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Samsung Galaxy Folder 2 leaked once again

This is becoming comical now. Almost every other day we’re seeing leaked pictures of the Galaxy Folder 2 and it’s the same story today. More images of the Galaxy Folder 2 have been leaked online today and these are some of the finest we’ve seen yet. They offer us a very good look at Samsung’s upcoming flip phone.

It’s expected that Samsung’s new flip phone will be powered by a 1.4Ghz Qualcomm processor hooked up to 2GB RAM and 8GB of expandable storage. Aside from its 8-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front camera, the handset is also going to feature a 3.8-inch display. The 2,000mAh battery and Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow will complete the package. Samsung releases flip phones in limited markets and all signs point to the likelihood that the Galaxy Folder 2 will only be launched in China. Despite all of these leaks Samsung still hasn’t confirmed when the Galaxy Folder 2 is going to be leaked. No word as yet on the price but given that its predecessor was priced below $300 that’s likely going to be the case this time around as well.

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The Sandy Gold Galaxy S7 Active is simply head-turning

I’ve spent the last few weeks with the Galaxy S7 Active, loving the battery life and ruggedness, not to mention the world-class cameras and gorgeous Super AMOLED display. While battery life is king in Samsung’s Active series, there is a new area in which Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Active is setting a new trend: that is, the head-turning form factor.

Samsung’s Galaxy S4 Active, S5 Active, and S6 Active have all been top-notch smartphones in their own right. With the exception of Samsung’s flirtation with LCD panels in the first-gen. Galaxy S4 Active, the Korean giant has gone with AMOLED panels (a wise decision). Battery life, with the exception of the S4 Active (the LCD panel is partially at fault here), has been stellar on the S5 Active and S6 Active. The Galaxy S7 Active doesn’t disappoint here, either.

While our review is almost ready for primetime, I can say that you can text on Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Skype, Google Hangouts, and other messaging apps, while surfing the Web and shooting photos, and still get well over 10 hours SOT on a single charge. I’ve also gotten as much as 2.5 days of battery life with over 8 hours SOT – so the battery life is still king in the Galaxy S7 Active. That’s yet another thing, along with the gorgeous AMOLED panel, that remains unchanged (thankfully).

What has changed in the Galaxy S7 Active, though, is that Samsung has introduced a new, Sandy Gold color with this year’s model that hasn’t existed on any other Active phone to date – and it is sexy.

I know, I know, when I tell you this you find it hard to believe. We’ve all been horrified by the “Desert Camo” (officially known as Sandy Gold) color of the device, and we’ve even said that the Camo Green is the better color option between the two. Well, I don’t know about my colleagues, but I definitely ate my words when my Sandy Gold Galaxy S7 Active arrived at my doorstep. The front panel of the device is highly reminiscent of the Gold Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, while the back of the device is of a much nicer design than that of the camo patterns of past and present Active models.

I was told when I purchased the device that “the Titanium Gray model looks much better,” but I disagree. The Sandy Gold Galaxy S7 Active is simply head-turning, stunning, elegant, vulnerable and strong, all at the same time. And, keep in mind that the Sandy Gold Galaxy S7 Active doesn’t have the camo print that exists on the Camo Green model. So, if you think that an attractive handset doesn’t have a “noisy” camo print design on its back (I’m in agreement here), then the Sandy Gold Galaxy S7 Active is the 2016 Active smartphone for you.  I highly suggest that if you’re buying the Galaxy S7 Active, get the gold one.

Samsung surprised us here with the look of this handset. Pictures don’t do it justice, but every Active smartphone has been perceived as being functional rather than both functional and fashionable. The common understanding (or perhaps, misunderstanding, I should interject) is that the Active smartphone series is designed for those who “don’t care about their smartphone’s design and looks.” C’mon, you know you’ve heard this statement before. Well, the Korean giant is looking to change this perception with the new Sandy Gold option.

Before you decide it’s too “gaudy” for your tastes, head on over to your local retail store and take a look at it. The ribbed design on the front panel that many have said looks like the soy ink box design the company formerly shipped products in once upon a time is overemphasized in photos and screenshots; you can’t properly evaluate how obnoxious or subtle the design is until you see it.

We’ll have our SamMobile Galaxy S7 Active review out by week’s end, but for now, it needs to be said: the Sandy Gold Galaxy S7 Active is sexy, sexy, sexy. It looks good, performs well, and brings the same quality cameras, display, and even has the same speaker placement of the Galaxy Note 5. Samsung is killing the function/fashion divide with the Galaxy S7 Active. Now, if they could only work on the AT&T carrier exclusivity…

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Samsung launches IMEI check in China and Hong Kong to replace faulty Galaxy Note 7 units

Samsung has issued a voluntary recall of all Galaxy Note 7 units that it has shipped since the handset was released. The company has said that it’s going to provide replacement inventory within two weeks. The recall is due to a battery cell issue identified in the Galaxy Note 7 and apparently Samsung SDI’s batteries are at fault. Samsung’s battery affiliate meets 70 percent of the battery cell demand for the Galaxy Note 7 whereas the remaining demand is met by China’s ATL.

The Galaxy Note 7 recall does not affect customers in China as the majority of units shipped to the People’s Republic and Hong Kong use ATL’s batteries. To be absolutely sure that there are no potentially faulty units in the hands of customers, Samsung has launched an online IMEI check tool through which users can determine if they need to get their unit replaced. The IMEI check tool is only meant for customers in China, Hong Kong and Macau, if you bought your unit from anywhere else it won’t be of any help to you.

Those who find that the IMEI number of their device is in the affected IMEI number range can then get in touch with Samsung’s authorized re-sellers and distributors to claim their free replacement of the Galaxy Note 7. Customers also have the option to claim a refund for whatever they spent on the Galaxy Note 7 if they are no longer confident about the device and don’t wish to use it anymore.

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