الاثنين، 16 أكتوبر 2017

SamMobile Firmware Update Magazine: October 16, 2017

Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly Firmware Magazine. You can think of it as your go-to resource to find out which of your Samsung devices has received a new update or if it’s going to receive a new firmware update in the near future.

To keep things interesting, we present the Firmware Magazine in new designs every week. It will always include the important details about firmware updates such as the firmware versions, device model numbers, Android OS versions and the country where said update is out already.

Keep in mind, however, that these firmware details are based on the firmware that are available in our database, and in some cases, the latest updates might not show in the same week as the full firmware files take additional time to make it to our database.

The purpose of this magazine is to bring all of that important information about firmware updates to you, the reader, in a manner that’s easy to comprehend—so even if you’re new to the world of firmware, you’ll have no trouble making sense of it all.

The post SamMobile Firmware Update Magazine: October 16, 2017 appeared first on SamMobile.



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Never lose your keys again with Samsung’s brand new Connect Tag

Samsung has today taken the wraps of Connect Tag, a simple way to keep track of loved ones and valuables. The Connect Tag, which is the world’s first consumer mobile product to use narrowband network technology, uses low-power networks to send GPS readings back to your smartphone—so if you happen to lose your keys, for example, you’ll be able to find them within a matter of seconds.

Best of all, the Connect Tag is integrated into the firm’s SmartThings ecosystem, working in unison with your smart home appliances. What this means is that it can adopt the role of an NFC chip; you can configure it to turn on/off the lights when you walk past them at predetermined times of the day or—and this one’s my personal favourite—set it to disable the air conditioning when you leave the room.

“Connect Tag features a compact size, measuring just 4.21 centimeters wide and 1.19 centimeters thick, as well as IP68 water and dustproof rating for durability,” says Samsung. “The battery can last for up to seven days on a single charge, minimizing the need to constantly swap out or plug in the device. Connect Tag comes with an exclusive ring that easily attaches to bags, collars or key rings.”

The technology will be showcased at the Samsung Developer Conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California on October 18 through October 19. It will be available to purchase starting in the firm’s home country, South Korea, before expanding to select countries, which likely include the United Kingdom and the United States, in the coming months.

The post Never lose your keys again with Samsung’s brand new Connect Tag appeared first on SamMobile.



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Samsung might rebuild its control tower to fill leadership vacuum

Samsung has dealt with the various operations of its business through a central organization for over 60 years. The central organization has had many titles. It was most recently known as the Future Strategy Office, it served as the conglomerate’s control tower and had significant authority over business decisions.

Samsung decided to dismantle the Future Strategy Office earlier this year as the company found itself embroiled in an influence-peddling scandal. However, with a growing leadership vacuum at the company, new reports indicate that Samsung might be thinking about bringing back the control tower.

Samsung’s Control Tower

Samsung executives were accused of bribing government officials to win support for a controversial merger. The investigation has led to the imprisonment of Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong. The company also decided to dismantle the Future Strategy Office as the authority head by it was also believed to be one of the reasons of collusion between the company and the government.

Lee Jae-yong has been sentenced to imprisonment for five years and even though he’s appealing the ruling, it may be a while before he comes out, and that’s assuming he wins the appeal. Prior to his imprisonment, Lee was playing a major role in the conglomerate’s management as he’s the successor to his father, Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee.

Samsung Electronics CEO Kwon Oh-hyun has been the de-facto head of the conglomerate since Lee Jae-yong was arrested and he has now confirmed that he will be stepping down in March 2018. This leaves a serious leadership vacuum at the world’s most profitable tech company.

According to a report out of South Korea, Samsung is likely to consider measures to stabilize its leadership structure and it might result in the revival of its time-tested control tower organization.

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Feast your eyes upon the Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018) in these renders

Reliable tipster OnLeaks has teamed up with MySmartPrice to release a set of renders and a 360-degree video of the upcoming Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018), based on official dimensions they’d obtained. During the rendering phase, however, OnLeaks forgot to insert the rear-camera flash, but there is, of course, one present on both handsets.

  • Galaxy A5 (2018) — 148.8 x 70.5 x 8.4mm
  • Galaxy A7 (2018) — 159.6 x 75.6 x 8.2mm

The Android 7.1.1 Nougat-powered Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018) will sport a Full HD+ Infinity Display à la Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+;  the former a 5.5-inch panel, the latter a slightly larger 6-inch screen. Both will feature a metal-and-glass design, complete with dual front-facing cameras for enhanced imaging, according to MySmartPrice.

The smartphones will ship with Bixby, but they don’t (appear to) feature a dedicated Bixby button.

Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018) should ship with an Exynos 7885 processor

Both the Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018) are also expected to come equipped with an Exynos 7885/Snapdragon 660 processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable internal storage, IP68 certification for dust and water resistance, and a slew of Samsung’s in-house software features, including Always-on Display (AoD), Secure Folder and Samsung Pay.

The post Feast your eyes upon the Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018) in these renders appeared first on SamMobile.



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Samsung’s Q3 2017 profits largely came from the components business

Samsung’s components business has been padding up the company’s bottom line for the past few quarters. The company recently reported its earnings guidance for the third quarter this year. According to market estimates, Samsung’s Q3 2017 profits have largely been contributed by its components business.

As per the company’s earnings guidance, it expects to post an operating profit of $12.9 billion on revenue of $55 billion. It would be the company’s second straight quarter in which it posts record profits. Samsung was the world’s most profitable tech company in the previous quarter.

Samsung’s Q3 2017 Profits

Market analysts predict that nearly $9.8 billion of the $12.9 billion operating profit has been contributed by the semiconductor and display business. This accounts for 76 percent of the company’s total operating profit for the quarter.

Samsung’s dependence on its component business for profits has been increased over the past few years. It helps that Samsung is a leading supplier of semiconductor components and display panels in the world. It has been actively investing in new projects to ensure its lead in these markets doesn’t erode.

However, increased dependence also exposes the company to risk. The prices of memory semiconductors are expected to decrease by 2019 as Samsung and its competitors bring new plants online. Chinese influence in the OLED panel sector is also expected to surge by then.

The fact remains that Samsung is bringing in record profits now because of the decisions it made a few years ago. It remains to be seen how the company will adapt once its components business comes under pressure.

The post Samsung’s Q3 2017 profits largely came from the components business appeared first on SamMobile.



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الأحد، 15 أكتوبر 2017

PSA: Android 8.0 Oreo is next for Galaxy devices on Android 7.0, not 7.1.2

Samsung has pushed the Nougat update to a lot of devices in its Galaxy lineup in recent months, and it’s fair to say that most of the devices that are expected to get Nougat already have the update, even if not in every market or region. As you may have noticed, Samsung is only bringing Android 7.0 to devices rather than 7.1.1/7.1.2, and for those that get the new Samsung Experience user interface, the company is bringing over version 8.1 as seen on the Galaxy S8. Version 8.5 is exclusive to the Galaxy Note 8 and other devices that launched this month, like the Galaxy Tab A, for the time being.

While Android 8.0 Oreo will be the next major update for Samsung devices (see which Galaxy phones and tablets are expected to be upgraded to Oreo in this regularly updated list), a lot of our readers seem to be holding out for the Android 7.1.1/7.1.2 update. We’re guessing that a majority of these readers are those who have moved to Samsung’s “galaxy” from a non-Samsung device, or just folks who aren’t aware of how the company goes about updating its devices when it comes to point Android version upgrades.

Well, we thought we would clear the air for anyone thinking their Nougat-powered Galaxy phone or tablet will be updated to Android 7.1.1 or 7.1.2: That isn’t going to happen, and 7.0 is likely to be the last version of Android for any Samsung device not slated to get Android 8.0 Oreo. The same goes for the new Samsung Experience UX. If it hasn’t come to your device with Nougat, it’s possible it will only arrive with Oreo, or not at all (though we’re hopeful on this front).

Yes, 7.0 is what your phone or tablet, if it has received an update to Nougat, will be stuck on for the rest of its life. That’s if it isn’t set to get Oreo, which is going to be the case for a slew of devices. But being stuck on 7.0 isn’t exactly a bad thing. Versions 7.1 and 7.1.1 of Nougat have features and changes mostly specific to Google’s Pixel and Nexus devices, and those targeting developers. Samsung has no doubt implemented most of the under-the-hood changes in 7.0 without changing the version number.

Android 7.1.2, meanwhile, is pretty much only for Google and Pixel devices, which is why even the Note 8 doesn’t come with 7.1.2. For some features, such as the ability to long-press on an app shortcut on the home screen and accessing quick functionality, you can take a look at third-party launchers such as Google Now Launcher and Nova Launcher.

If Samsung changes its mind and decides to bring Android 7.1.1 to existing phones, we won’t complain. But it doesn’t look likely at this point, and again, we just thought we would clear this up for anyone expecting to see their Galaxy phone or tablet jump from Android 7.0 to Android 7.1.1 or 7.1.2.

The post PSA: Android 8.0 Oreo is next for Galaxy devices on Android 7.0, not 7.1.2 appeared first on SamMobile.



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السبت، 14 أكتوبر 2017

October security patch hits the Galaxy A5 (2016) and A5 (2017)

The September security patch got lost in the hubbub of Samsung’s focus on patching the BlueBorne vulnerability on its smartphones. We saw a slew of updates for Samsung phones in September without the month’s security patch and had guessed early on that the company would directly bring us the October security patch, and that is what is happening now. Only, Samsung has decided to make the Galaxy A5 (2016) and Galaxy A5 (2017) the first recipients of the latest security patch.

October security patch hits the mid-range first

Owners of recent devices, especially flagship ones like the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8, aren’t going to like this, but Samsung has been moving to a “we don’t care if flagships get the newest updates first” philosophy in recent years, at least for minor updates. With that said, the October security patch should be hitting more devices in the coming days. As Samsung had detailed at the beginning of the month, the October patch brings fixes for 215 vulnerabilities discovered in Android and six exploits that are exclusive to Samsung’s software.

The update is currently rolling out in the Netherlands. To see if it is available on your A5 (2016) or A5 (2017), head into the phone’s settings, tap Software update, then hit the Download updates manually button. As usual, you can wait for the update to show up on its own. You can also download the relevant firmware from our database and manually flash it on your phone; the A5 (2016) firmware hasn’t gone live yet, but that should change in the very near future.

Have the update with the October security patch on another device? Let us know in the comments!

Firmware Details:

Model SM-A520F
Model name Galaxy A5
Country
Version Android 7.0
Changelist 11940524
Build date Wed, 27 Sep 2017 01:58:32 +0000
Security Patch Level 2017-10-01
Product code PHN
PDA A520FXXS2BQIJ
CSC A520FPHN2BQI3

 

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