Samsung Rewards is really what’s driving Samsung Pay growth in the US

The Samsung Rewards program was launched in the United States in November last year. Samsung launched the rewards program ahead of the holiday shopping season. It’s been a year since the program was launched and Samsung Rewards has proven to be a success. It’s actually what has been driving growth for Samsung Pay in the United States.

Samsung Rewards is a loyalty program that rewards users for how often they use Samsung Pay at checkout. It’s similar to a points-based credit card rewards program. Users earn reward points every time they make a purchase using Samsung Pay.

The program has since been integrated into Bixby, Samsung Health and Samsung Internet. It allows users to earn points by completing tasks in Bixby, tracking health and browsing the web. Samsung Rewards now works with Samsung Shop as well. It will be supported on Samsung.com in the coming days as well.

Samsung Rewards

The latest insights reveal that Samsung Rewards sees 25 percent growth every month. More than one million new users joined the rewards program in the US this past week alone.

While growth for other mobile payment services has been stagnant in the country, Samsung Pay continues to gain ground. The rewards program has contributed to 49 percent of Samsung Pay’s growth since Samsung Rewards was launched.

Samsung GM Nana Murugesan said that the program has helped provide a “significant increase” in the adoption of the company’s mobile payments service.

The rewards program encourages repeat purchases. Samsung Pay sees 1.3 monthly transactions per card on average compared to 0.6 for Apple Pay and 0.7 for Android Pay.

It also helps that Samsung Pay supports MST. It’s the technology that enables conventional card readers to accept mobile payments via Samsung Pay.

To celebrate the first birthday of Samsung Rewards, the company is hosting an instant-win opportunity for users. The promotion runs through December 31 and will hand out prizes to one million winners.

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Tizen 3.0 now rolling out to the Gear S3 with Value Pack update

Samsung is releasing a major update for the Gear S3 today. Called the Value Pack update, it brings Tizen 3.0 to the Gear S3 Classic and Gear S3 Frontier and, as a result, a slew of new features and enhancements. With this update, the Gear S3 is running pretty much the same software as the Gear Sport, with new features and improvements that make the watch “more versatile than ever.”

Gear S3 Value Pack update is a big one

In fact, there’s so much here that we’re unsure where to start. We have already written about the highlight features of Tizen 3.0 for Samsung’s smartwatches, but those aren’t the only ones added by the Value Pack update. The Gear S3 can now be used to control the Gear VR and a TV connected to the same phone as the watch to display heart rate and other tracking information on the big screen (which should be useful for those who exercise at home); controlling supported IoT devices is also possible through the new Samsung Connect app.

The update introduces a new widget for quicker access to different workouts, along with a similar widget for quick access to up to four apps. Oh, and just like on phones, the quick toggles screen can be accessed with a swipe up or down from any screen instead of needing one to go to the home screen. There’s support for Bixby Reminder so Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 owners can get reminders on their Gear S3, and users can now create both contacts and events from the watch itself.

The update also makes the bezel ring more intuitive, with different actions now attached to the speed at which the bezel is rotated. A quick rotation when viewing watch faces will, for example, zoom the screen out to fit in more watch faces on the screen. Other features include new quick replies for messages, the ability to sort apps in the order in which they were most recently used, and setting a music track saved on the watch as a ringtone. Even the SOS feature has been improved, with SOS requests now including altitude information for easier tracking in case of an emergency.

All in all, this is a major update, and it should be available for everyone via the Samsung Gear phone app (inside the About gear menu under the settings tab). It’s a 258 MB download and takes up to 10 minutes to install, so make sure your Gear S3 is sufficiently charged before starting. See anything new or different after the update? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

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New Samsung Chromebook with a detachable keyboard possibly spotted

Samsung launched the Chromebook Pro/Plus at CES 2017. The company hasn’t said as yet if it’s going to launch a new one soon. However, it appears that a new Samsung Chromebook has been spotted in the Chromium Repository. Details are slim but they do suggest that it might be one with a detachable keyboard.

If this is true, then the new Samsung Chromebook is going to be a 2-in-1 device that runs Chrome OS and is also capable of running Android apps.

New Samsung Chromebook

Chrome Unboxed discovered some changes in the Chromium Repository recently which suggested that a new Chromebook with the codename “Nautilus” is being developed. The changes suggested that this is a device with a detachable keyboard. The manufacturer wasn’t clear because the device could only be linked to a small BIOS firmware vendor called American Megatrends.

That changed recently when new commits were made to the repository by someone called Jongpil Jung. This individual has his Samsung email address linked to the repository. His name also came up during the development process of the Chromebook Pro/Plus.

So no further details are available about this new Samsung Chromebook at this point in time. The repository has revealed that it’s going to be powered by a Kaby Lake processor from Intel.

Given that the Chromebook appears to be in the early stages of development, we might not see it being unveiled at CES 2018 come January.

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SM-W2018 hands-on video leaked, launch due December 1

It’s no secret that Samsung has a new flagship flip phone in the pipeline. The SM-W2018 is the successor to last year’s SM-W2017. Countless images of the handset have already been leaked online. There’s a leaked SM-W2018 hands-on video making the rounds online now. It certainly won’t be surprising when Samsung officially unveils this handset.

It won’t be long until Samsung does that. Samsung China has revealed that the SM-W2018 flip phone is going to be unveiled on December 1.

SM-W2018 hands-on video

We compared leaked images of the SM-W2018 with its predecessor recently. Our observation is that the new handset exhibits finesse. Samsung has polished the design of its flagship flip phone and added respectable specifications.

The leaked SM-W2018 hands-on video also shows that the metal and glass build of this handset looks really nice. The industrial look and feel that Samsung was apparently shooting for has turned out very nicely indeed.

As far as the specs go, it’s going to feature a Snapdragon 835 processor with 6GB RAM. There will be 64GB of internal storage and a 2,300mAh battery. It features a 12-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front camera. The handset also features two 4.2-inch Full HD displays.

Samsung is going to unveil the SM-W2018 in China on December 1. No word on the price as yet. Reports suggest it might cost around $2,000.

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Samsung wants to become a big data company

Samsung is the leading provider of data storage products in the world. Young Sohn, Samsung’s chief strategy officer, revealed at the Samsung CEO Summit last month that about 70 percent of the world’s data is produced and stored on Samsung’s products. “Data is the new oil,” he said, pointing out that this presents a significant opportunity for the company to grow further.

It seems like Samsung wants to become a big data company as well. This can prove crucial for its long-term growth as it seeks a future beyond mobile and semiconductor products.

Samsung’s future as a big data company

Big data companies deal in storing significant amounts of data, capturing data, analysis, sharing, search, transfer, visualization and more. That’s not something you would associate with Samsung off the top of your head.

However, most of Samsung’s recent acquisitions have revolved around data. Companies like Harman, LoopPay, Viv Labs and SmartThings all own important technologies to create and analyze data through platforms like mobile payment, smart home and vehicle communication systems.

Samsung’s new data business will be related to its existing memory chip business. “Samsung’s specialty is storage devices, and in the future, connecting those data storage systems will be the key,” said a company official.

The company’s ultimate goal is to provide solutions for storing and managing data with a focus on space and power efficiency.

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Samsung reportedly orders 3D components for Galaxy S9 facial recognition

It has previously been reported that the Galaxy S9 facial recognition will be improved with a 3D sensor-equipped front camera. According to a new report, Samsung has already placed significant orders for 3D components that will power the improved facial recognition system. The new system is expected to be more accurate, fast and safer than the one on the Galaxy S8.

A report out of South Korea suggests that even though Samsung will opt for 3D hardware, it’s going to stick with 2D software for facial recognition. Perhaps Samsung wants to keep iris recognition onboard as it’s believed to be even safer.

Galaxy S9 facial recognition

The 3D sensor-equipped front camera might be useful for augmented and virtual reality experiences. It may also be used to power innovative new features like animated emojis.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Samsung makes the shift to 3D sensors. One could expect the company to improve the facial recognition technology in the new flagship. With Apple capturing the market’s attention with the TrueDepth system in the iPhone X, it’s only a matter of time before Samsung responds.

The Galaxy S9 is also expected to feature a dual camera at the back. Given that the Galaxy Note 8 already has one, it’s safe to say that the upcoming flagship will have it as well.

Samsung is likely going to unveil the Galaxy S9 early next year.

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T-Mobile releases November security update for the Galaxy Note 8

T-Mobile has released a maintenance update for its carrier-branded variant of the Galaxy Note 8. The upgrade transports all of the patches included in last month and this month’s security release, as well as a fix for an IMR roaming bug.

Here’s the full changelog:

• October Security Maintenance Release (SMR) — Patches for 215 patches for vulnerabilities in the open-source Android operating system and six for Samsung’s own modified software.
• November Security Maintenance Release (SMR) — Patches for 61 vulnerabilities in the open-source Android operating system and six for Samsung’s modified software, as well as a fix for the KRACK Wi-Fi exploit.
• IMS roaming bug fix.
• Various bug fixes and software stability improvements.

How do I check to see if the update is ready for my Galaxy Note 8?

To check to see if the OTA is ready for your Galaxy Note 8, open Settings, select Software Update, then tap Download Updates Manually. Alternatively, you can always wait until you receive an alert prompting you to install the upgrade.

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