الغريب

الأربعاء، 22 فبراير 2017

Samsung Exynos 8895 chipset with 10nm FinFET process technology is now official

Samsung has finally revealed the name of its new Exynos chipset: Exynos 8895. The company claims that its new smartphone chipset offers up to 27% higher performance while consuming 40% lower power, thanks to 10nm FinFET process technology with an improved 3D transistor structure. The chipset also comes embedded with a new modem for faster download and upload speeds as well as a more powerful GPU for improved 4K and VR content. Samsung has announced that the Exynos 8895 is currently in mass production.

The Exynos 8895 features an octa-core 64-bit CPU, a Mali-G71 MP20 GPU, and a 5CA LTE modem. The CPU cores in the chipset are arranged in two clusters: a quad-core custom CPU (high-performance second generation cores designed by Samsung) and a quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU. Samsung claims that its new second-generation custom CPU cores improved performance and power efficiency. The Exynos 8895 is a heterogeneous system architecture (HSA), thanks to Samsung Coherent Interconnect (SCA), which means that all its CPU cores can be active at the same time and share the workload depending on the situation. The chipset is also optimized for better performance for artificial intelligence and deep learning tasks.

The Exynos 9 series 8895 features the Mali-G71 MP20 GPU designed by ARM and a multi-format codec (MFC), so it can offer improved performance in 3D graphics, 4K UHD VR, and gaming with decreased latency. The new GPU supports up to 4K screen resolution, and the advanced MFC offers 4K 120fps video recording as well as playback. The company claims that its new video processing technology delivers a realistic and immersive VR experience at 4K resolution.The Exynos 8895 is compatible with LPDDR4x RAM along with support for eMMC 5.1, UFS 2.1, and SD 3.0 storage solutions. It also brings support for up to 28-megapixel front and rear-facing cameras. Samsung is also offering support for a 28MP+16MP dual-camera setup.

In addition to being built on the most advanced 10nm FinFET process technology, the new Exynos 9 Series 8895 incorporates Samsung’s cutting-edge technologies including a 2nd generation custom CPU, gigabit LTE modem, and more. With industry leading technologies like VPU, the Exynos 8895 will drive the innovation of next generation smartphones, VR headsets, and automotive infotainment system.

- Ben Hur, Vice President of System LSI marketing at Samsung Electronics

The new Exynos 8895 chipset from Samsung is claimed to be the first processor of its kind to get an embedded Gigabit LTE model that supports five carrier aggregation (5CA) for a fast and stable download speeds of up to 1Gbps (Cat. 16). The modem supports up to 150Mbps (Cat. 13) upload speed with two carrier aggregation (2CA). The chipset also integrates GPS, GLONASS, and BeiDou positioning and navigation systems. There’s a separate processing unit dedicated to mobile payments that use iris and fingerprint authentication. The embedded Vision Processing Unit (VPU) that can recognize and analyze items or movements for improved video tracking, panoramic image processing, and machine vision technology.

The Exynos 8895 chipset will most probably debut with the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus. This year, the chipset will compete with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835, Apple’s A10 Fusion, Huawei’s HiSilicon Kirin 960 and MediaTek Helio X30 for performance supremacy.

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SamMobile Daily Recap: February 22, 2017 — Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus pictured together, Gear VR controller and more!

We publish a ton of stories on a daily basis. Unfortunately, most of the news breaks during our European hours of operation, which makes it difficult for our readers in the US (and other regions) to keep up with every post. But, we think we’ve come up with the perfect solution — a daily recap.

In the list below, you’ll find the stories that went live today. We understand that you’re not going to be interested in all of them, so we’ve split them into their respective categories. If you want to see the latest Galaxy Tab S3 news, simply locate the Tablets subheading.

Business

Samsung Q1 2017 operating profit expected to jump 40 percent

Deals

Daily Deal: Treat yourself to a SmartThings Hub for 20% off

Samsung Carnival offers discounts on smartphones and tablets via Amazon India

Firmware News

Sprint starts rolling out Nougat for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge

Opinion

A refurbished Galaxy Note 7 with a measly 3,200 mAh battery makes no sense

Phones

Galaxy A5 (2017) will reportedly cost $500 in Canada

Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus seen together with soft Home button

Press image of the Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) leaks

Samsung confirms refurbished Galaxy Note 7 will not be sold in India

What to expect from Samsung at MWC 2017

Tablets

Here’s an image of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 with a keyboard attachment

Virtual Reality

Gear VR controller receives Bluetooth certification

Wallpapers

Wallpaper Wednesday: Material

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Wallpaper Wednesday: Material

Welcome to the latest edition of Wallpaper Wednesday. This week we’re focusing our attention on six Material Design-inspired backgrounds. All of the images are available in a suitable resolution for the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge and just about any other smartphone (or even tablet) on the market.

If any of the following images float your boat and you want to download and set one as your wallpaper, simply tap on a photo to maximise it, then click and hold to save it. Once the picture is stored locally, open up Settings, locate and select Wallpaper, then just tap the image to set it as your background.

Alternatively, you can download a ZIP file containing all of this week’s backdrops by hitting the Download button at the very bottom of this post.

Division

Glowing Owl

Mountain Top

Spots

Sunset

The Hermes

Download

Note: We’ve tried our best to identify the creators of all of the wallpapers featured in this week’s column. However, the images appear to lack copyright information, artist signatures or any real trace of origin. If you created a wallpaper we’ve posted and would like credit, or would rather we remove the image, kindly contact us.

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Battle of the wristbands: why you should pick the Gear S3 Frontier over the LG Watch Sport

Cellular data is becoming one of the newest iterations of smartwatch advancement, though companies such as Samsung have been offering at least 3G cellular data with its smartwatches since the Gear S back in 2014 (three years ago).

Google and LG partnered together on the newly-announced LG Watch Sport, one of the first Android Wear smartwatches to feature Google Assistant out of the box as well as Google’s long-promised Android Wear 2.0 update, to bring 4G cellular data in hopes of leading the way on Google’s own wearables platform. Huawei appears interested in bringing 4G cellular data to its own Android Wear-powered Watch 2 and female watch lines (Watch Jewel, Watch Elegant), this year, rumors state.

So, it appears as though cellular data, something that Samsung has been doing since the Gear S in 2014 and the Gear S2 in 2015 (that has better call quality than a certain smartphone with a self-named AI) and LG followed soon after with the Watch Urbane LTE, is making its way to more and more smartwatches in the future. This will give smartwatches some standalone capabilities that users have longed for in previous versions. Only the LG Watch Sport has cellular connectivity, so those who are interested in getting a 4G-connected smartwatch and want something as a Gear S3 alternative are stuck with the LG Watch Sport as their only alternative for now.

When it comes to the Gear S3 though, few smartwatches stand up to it. There’s Samsung Pay and MST, which allows Gear S3 users to pay with their wrist at traditional card readers (the best the LG Watch Sport can do is NFC, which is still no match for Samsung Pay). There’s the rotating bezel, which has become the most intuitive way to interact with small smartwatch displays. Google and LG implemented a digital crown on its new Android Wear smartwatches (both the Watch Sport and Watch Style), but those who have used the rotating bezel to navigate Samsung’s Gear S3 can attest to its superiority over alternative navigation methods on the market.

The Gear S3 has exceptional battery life, anywhere from 2-4 days on a single charge, a feat that Android Wear smartwatches still have yet to accomplish. And though analysts and tech media continue to berate Samsung that Tizen “doesn’t have enough apps,” average consumers don’t mind the reduction in apps and find the totality of the Gear S3 experience a more compelling buy than an experience that seems uniform across the board (bland, some say) with slightly differentiated hardware by various OEMs.

The Watch Sport costs $349, the same as the starting price for Samsung’s Gear S3 Frontier, so price won’t be the deciding factor between these two robust smartwatches. The Watch Sport, in addition to 4G cellular connectivity, also has Google Assistant, which the Gear S3 Frontier does not, and Google is hoping that the AI that first appeared on its Pixel-branded smartphones last Fall will entice you to pick up its most expensive wearable.

The Watch Sport does have water and dust resistance, making it a head-on rival to Samsung’s Gear S3 Frontier. But, if the rotating bezel, MST mobile payments, battery life, and design alone aren’t enough to influence you in the direction of the Gear S3, perhaps the Gear S3 Frontier’s wristband interchangeability will.

The LG Watch Sport is crafted with water and dust resistance and comes with screws that fix the wristband in place. The reason behind this design choice has to do with the fact that the LTE, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, and other antennas are housed within the wristband. Thus, to remove the wristband is to essentially break the device and render it unusable.

The Gear S3 Frontier, the water-and-dust-resistant challenger to the LG Watch Sport, does have compatibility with 22mm wristbands, despite the lot of parts that have been placed into the smartwatch. In a strange move, though, LG and Google did make the $249 LG Watch Style wristband-changeable, though why they would give greater customization to the more inexpensive smartwatch instead of their top wearable is beyond me.

Sure, interchangeable wristbands are not everything when it comes to the smartwatch experience, but these are wearables after all. In 2017, high-end smartwatches should have interchangeable wristbands by default, considering that most consumers prefer the option to swap wristbands regardless of which smartwatch model or brand appeals to them.

In the battle between these two smartwatches, then, we see Samsung win again. To add to the compelling package that the Gear S3 Frontier already presents is the ability to swap wristbands and customize the look to one that appeals to you but may change throughout the day or from one occasion to another.

Some will choose the LG Watch Sport (or Watch Style) anyway because they feel compelled by Android Wear, but, in the face of Samsung’s latest smartwatch lineup, the apps argument is insufficient. To gain a large app selection and lose battery life efficiency, MST, the rotating bezel, and design is not a gamble I’m willing to make.

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Daily Deal: Treat yourself to a SmartThings Hub for 20% off

While stock lasts, you can pick up a second-generation SmartThings Hub for $79.99 (20% off). For those unaware, the Hub is at the centre of the IoT household. It wirelessly connects to a host of different products, including speakers, locks and thermostats, and lets you automate how they work.

Like the sound of the SmartThings Hub and want to take advantage of this promotion? Simply hit the Buy Now button below. Unfortunately, Amazon only has a limited amount of inventory available for this specific deal, and once it’s gone, it’s gone — so if you’re interested, it would probably be better to act sooner rather than later.

Buy Now

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Samsung Pay launch in India teased yet again

Samsung started teasing Samsung Pay for India several weeks ago. Recent firmware updates for some of the compatible devices like the Galaxy Note 5 include the Samsung Pay app which is a big indication that the official launch is not that far off. A recent report claimed that American Express will be Samsung Pay’s launch partner in India and that the company will explore partnerships with Visa and MasterCard as well.

The Galaxy Note 5 Samsung Pay app is now displaying a tutorial of sorts to users in India which confirms that “soon you’ll have safe and simple mobile payments available virtually anywhere.” It highlights the fact that Samsung Pay can be used at almost all retail locations and that paying is as easy as pulling out the phone, swiping up on the screen to launch, holding the phone close to the payment terminal and then authorizing the payment using the fingerprint sensor. “Samsung Pay is Almost Here,” the app says, users will receive a notification on their phone automatically when Samsung Pay becomes available in the country.

We did report exclusively a couple of months back that Samsung Pay will be launched in India in the first half of 2017 and the launch appears to be on track right now.

Thanks, Jayanti!

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Nine premium themes from designer Hiten Soni go free for a limited time

Nine premium themes from popular theme designer Hiten Soni went free today. We’ve listed all those themes along with screenshots below. Most of them are dark themes, so they would conserve even more battery on your Galaxy smartphone if it has a Super AMOLED display.

I found [Soni] Blak UI, [Soni] Bora UI, [Soni] Cherry, and [Soni] Rise UI theme packs to be quite good looking. Please note that these premium themes would remain free for a limited period, so make sure to download the ones that you like as early as possible.

[Soni] Atomic UI