This might be the reason why the Galaxy S8 display doesn’t feature an integrated fingerprint sensor

It was rumored around five months ago that the Galaxy S8 was going to be the first smartphone with optical fingerprint recognition. This would mean that the handset’s display was going to feature an integrated fingerprint sensor. Samsung was already expected to ditch the physical home button so it had to put the sensor somewhere and integrating it with the display felt like the natural choice.

However, we now know that the Galaxy S8′s fingerprint sensor has actually been relocated to the back alongside the rear sensor. It’s a bit unorthodox as we’ve seen in leaked images and videos of the Galaxy S8 but there’s no going back from this now. A new report out of Korea explains the reason why the Galaxy S8 doesn’t have optical fingerprint recognition.

The optical fingerprint recognition technology is still nascent and the report claims that Samsung and its fingerprint sensor supplier Synaptics were running out of time. Even though Samsung poured resources into Synaptics’ nascent technology last year, “the results were frustrating.”

The company had to make a decision as it had to start mass production of the Galaxy S8. It made a last minute decision to relocate the fingerprint sensor to the back. Samsung reportedly tried its best to have an embedded fingerprint sensor in the Galaxy S8′s display but Synaptics was unable to develop the technology on time.

It’s pertinent to mention here that none of this has been confirmed by Samsung or Synaptics so take it with a grain of salt.

Samsung is likely to market the iris scanning and facial recognition features of the Galaxy S8 more to steal the spotlight from the fingerprint sensor. It remains to be seen when this technology will be fully developed so that it might be integrated into future Samsung flagships.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2nldirG
via IFTTT

AT&T releases February security patch for the Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S5 Active

AT&T is now sending out a new firmware update for the Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S5 Active on its network. This isn’t a major update so users shouldn’t expect much in the way of new features.

It’s actually rolling out the February security patch for these handsets now even though that’s no longer the latest security maintenance release from Google and Samsung. However, the March security update has only been released for a handful of devices so far.

Firmware version N910AUCS2EPK4, N920AUCS4CQB2 and G870AUCS2DPK5 is now being rolled out by AT&T for the Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S5 Active respectively. All of these updates weigh under 200MB since they just feature the security patch and a couple of odd improvements and tweaks.

The updates should have gone live by now across most regions so users just have to check and see if they got a notification on their handsets informing them that an over-the-air firmware update is available for their handset.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2nvAYZV
via IFTTT

What’s new with Android 7.0 on the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge [4K Video]

Samsung finally started rolling out the Android 7.0 Nougat update for the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge last week. Vodafone was one of the first carriers in Europe to release it in a handful of markets and those firmware files and now available for download via our firmware section as well.

You might have already seen the photos of Nougat running on a Galaxy S6 edge but if you really want to understand what’s new with Android 7.0 on the 2016 flagship, check out our video coverage of some of the new features included in this update. The video has been shot in glorious 4K resolution so it’s not only informative but a treat to watch as well.

How has your experience been so far with Android 7.0 Nougat on the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge? We’d love to know so share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Make sure that you’ve subscribed to our YouTube channel. We post videos daily so there’s always great new content to catch up on.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2mAWtsR
via IFTTT

Samsung releases Galaxy S8 TV ad early, likely a result of impressive LG G6 sales figures

With sales of the LG G6 off to a smooth start, Samsung has aired an advert for the Galaxy S8 on TV in South Korea three weeks ahead of its official unveiling. Typically, the firm releases similar promotional material one-to-two weeks ahead of a flagship release.

“Samsung’s rare move to release a TV ad for the Galaxy this early appears to (be an attempt to) keep LG from dominating the nation’s premium smartphone market before the S8 rollout,” said an anonymous industry analyst in a statement issued to The Korea Herald.

Originally, Samsung was planning to take the wraps off the Galaxy S8 (and Galaxy S8 Plus) during its event at MWC 2017, but amid the Galaxy Note 7 debacle, the firm decided that it would be best to delay the handset while it carries out more extensive test. It’ll now break cover in New York City on March 29.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2mZyk1X
via IFTTT

Galaxy S8 Plus 3,500mAh battery possibly leaked

As we mentioned in our what to expect from the Galaxy S8 article, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus might feature a 3,000mAh and 3,500mAh battery respectively. We’ve now spotted a leaked image of what appears to be the 3,500mAh battery of the Galaxy S8 Plus. If it’s the real deal it does confirm several things about the new flagship.

First off, it confirms rumors that the larger variant is going to have a 3,500mAh battery. That would be a concern for many who might think that it may not be enough. The markings on the battery itself reveal that the cell was made in Korea and assembled in Vietnam by Samsung SDI.

What it doesn’t reveal is who actually made the cell. Samsung has reportedly been working to diversify its battery cell supply chain for the Galaxy S8 following the disaster it suffered due to the Galaxy Note 7. It’s believed to be sourcing batteries from Samsung SDI, LG Chem, and Japan’s Murata Manufacturing Works.

Do you think a 3,500mAh battery will be enough for a 6.2-inch handset with flagship specifications or would you prefer if it had a bigger battery? Let us know in the comments below.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2mZuvKa
via IFTTT

Galaxy S8 certified by China’s product quality testing agency

Less than a week after it was spotted at the FCC, Samsung’s much-anticipated Galaxy S8 has received its China Compulsory Certification (CCC) — which, alongside TENAA, is one of the final port of calls a handset makes before it hits the shelves in the region — bearing the model number SM-G9500.

For those in need of a refresher, the Galaxy S8 is expected to pack a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440 x 2960 pixels, a Snapdragon 835 octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM, a 12MP rear-facing camera, an 8MP selfie snapper and a 3,000mAh battery.

It’ll be unveiled in New York City on March 29.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2mCzQ9f
via IFTTT

Samsung’s Galaxy S8 teaser was the most-watched corporate brand video last week

During its event at Mobile World Congress on February 26, Samsung released a (very minimal) teaser trailer for the Galaxy S8 — and it’s since blown up, amassing a total of 26.6 million views around the world last week alone; making it the most-watched corporate brand viral video from March 6 to March 12.

Read more: Here’s what to expect from the Samsung Galaxy S8

For comparison, LG took to its YouTube channel last week to share a video highlighting the large display and ergonomic design of its recently-announced flagship G6, though it only ranked fifth in the corporate brand viral video rankings, with a total view count of 1.3 million views for the same 7-day period.

from SamMobile http://ift.tt/2mhRj3o
via IFTTT