Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ starts getting the Marshmallow update!

Today marks the day all four of the 2015 Galaxy flagships have gotten the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow update in some region or the other. Following the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge and the Galaxy Note 5, the Galaxy S6 edge+ has started getting Marshmallow. Unsurprisingly, it’s rolling out in South Korea before any other market; it’s out on the SK Telecom network and should be making its way to other major carriers in the country.

The firmware version is G928SKSU2BPAG, and the update is available over the air as a 1GB+ download and through Samsung’s Smart Switch desktop app (in addition to our very own firmware database). Expect the same changes and features as Marshmallow on the S6, S6 edge and Note 5, including Doze, better app permission control, Google Now on Tap, newer Samsung browser, and visual touches to the interface. Check out our picture gallery of Marshmallow on the original Galaxy S6 duo to know more.

Firmware Details:

Model	SM-G928S
Model name	Galaxy S6 edge+
Country	Korea (SK Telecom)
Version	Android 6.0.1
Changelist	110166628
Build date	Sun, 31 Jan 2016 03:12:17 +0000
Product code	SKC
PDA	G928SKSU2BPAG
CSC	G928SSKC2BPAG

Thanks, Arief!

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Canada gets the Exynos 8890-powered Galaxy S7

As expected, Samsung is going to sell two variants of the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge depending upon the market, one powered by its Exynos 8890 processor and the other by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 which it happens to be mass producing. Naturally there has been some confusion about what markets get which variant. There’s clarity for customers in Canada as Samsung has confirmed that they will be getting the Exynos 8890-powered version of the new flagships.

Samsung is likely to ship the Exynos-powered variants in most markets across the globe but in the US, it will push the Snapdragon 820-powered variants. It’s not going to treat Canada and the United States as one big North American market. Samsung Canada has confirmed that customers in the country will get the Exynos 8890-powered Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. Pre-orders for the new handsets are now open and they will be released on March 11th

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Facebook orders 8000 Gear VR headsets from Samsung

Facebook has made it pretty clear that it wants to be a major player in the VR arena. It acquired Oculus for precisely this purpose and the company will soon release its own virtual reality headset. Oculus also has a relationship with Samsung and has helped it out with the Gear VR. Facebook is going to take this partnership further as CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at the Galaxy S7 event and to give a boost to the distribution of VR technology it has reportedly ordered 8000 Gear VR headsets from Samsung.

The company is said to have placed an order for 8000 Gear VR units to Samsung North America. It’s expected to send out 3000 units to developers and 5000 to employees, this means that the core of Facebook’s VR service will be developed based on the Gear VR. “We will further develop VR in concert with Samsung Electronics,” Zuckerberg said at Galaxy Unpacked 2016, and this certainly seems like a step in the right direction.

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DisplayMate crowns the Galaxy S7 display to be the best in the business

Just a few days after the Galaxy Note 5 was released last year, DisplayMate was quick to mention that it featured the best mobile display that was tested on a smartphone. Samsung’s next major flagship release came about six months later (or two days ago) in the form of the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge. Well, this year’s Samsung flagship has yet again won DisplayMate’s praise, claiming that the display on the Galaxy S7 “matches and even exceeds the performance of the Galaxy Note5.”

While the display was pretty much the same in most areas, the Galaxy S7 display outshone the previous best in terms of outdoor visibility, with a contrast set for heavy ambient light. The screen returned a brightness of 855 nits, which in DisplayMate’s words is “the highest that we have ever measured for a smartphone.”

The display experts also had a lot of praise for the smartphone’s auto-brightness abilities, mentioning that the Galaxy S7 is “the first to do Automatic Brightness correctly.”

The curved display sibling also received some praise, with DisplayMate claiming it to be pretty much the same as the Galaxy S7. Understandably, the performance cannot be on par given that it has to account for the curved edges and the larger display, which in turn means the display has more pixels to crunch.

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You can now pre-order the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge in the US

Following Samsung’s unveiling of the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge two days ago at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the flagship smartphones are now available to pre-order in the United States from four of the region’s largest carriers with fantastic deals attached to entice you to sign up.

Although AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon will all start taking pre-orders today, shipments won’t leave their warehouses until the official launch date of Friday, March 11. It’s also worth noting that if you’re considering picking up either the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge, but can’t decide which one, you’ll be able to head down to the above-mentioned operators bricks-and-mortar stores on Friday, February 26 to put them through their paces.

A comprehensive list of the four networks pricing and promotions for the handsets can be seen below:

AT&T

• Galaxy S7: Starts at $23.17/month on a Next 24 tariff or $649 outright on a prepaid plan.
• Galaxy S7 edge: Starts at $26.50/month on a Next 24 tariff or $794 outright on a prepaid plan.

Qualifying customers will receive a complimentary Gear VR headset and a Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 on a two-year data contract with their purchase. However, they will still have to pay the monthly contract fee.

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Sprint

• Galaxy S7: Starts at $25.99/month on a 2-year lease or can be purchased outright for $649.99.
• Galaxy S7 edge: Starts at $30.50/month on a 2-year lease or can be purchased outright for $749.99.

All customers will receive a free Gear VR and will be able to purchase a second Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge for half its retail price.

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T-Mobile

• Galaxy S7: Starts at $27.92/month on a 2-year contract or can be bought in-full for $669.99.
• Galaxy S7 edge: Starts at $32.50/month on a 2-year contract or can be bought outright for $779.99.

All new adopters of the service who purchase either device will also be eligible for a free Gear VR, and will receive a redeemable code for a year’s Netflix subscription.

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Verizon

• Galaxy S7: Starts at $28.00/month on a 2-year tariff or is up for grabs for the one-time fee of $672 on a pre-paid plan.
• Galaxy S7 edge: Starts at $33.00/month on a 2-year tariff or can be yours for the one-time fee of $792 on a pre-paid plan.

All customers will receive a free Gear VR and will be eligible for $100 off their bill.

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Just in case you need a refresher on their specifications, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge are Samsung’s most advanced smartphones to date. They both pack a Snapdragon 820/Exynos 8890 Octa CPU (region dependent), 4GB of RAM, 32/64GB of expandable flash memory, an extremely powerful 12MP Dual Pixel rear-facing camera with a 1/2.6-inch sensor size, a 5MP selfie shooter and a high-speed biometric scanner. However, they are dissimilar in terms of screen size and battery capacity. The former unit packs a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED Always-On display and a 3,000mAh battery, whilst the latter packs a 5.7-inch identical panel and a 3,600mAh cell.

 

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Samsung Galaxy S6 edge and Gear S2 win technology awards at the MWC 2016

The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge is no doubt one of the most innovative smartphones of 2015, thanks to its dual-edged display and the wide array of features offered by Samsung. Recognizing its potential and impact on the industry, GSMA has honored the device with the “Best Smartphone 2015″ award at the MWC 2016 in Barcelona. Samsung’s Galaxy S6 won an award recently for using sustainable materials on the flagship, making it the only device to be awarded by the Sustainable Materials Management or SMM in the U.S.

Samsung’s most recent wearable, the Gear S2 bagged the “Best Connected Consumer Electronic Device” award in the Best Mobile Handsets & Devices category. The smartwatch is easily one of the best we’ve seen in the market so far with its circular display and rotating UI.

“We are honored to be recognized for our industry-leading technology,” said DJ Koh, President of Mobile Communications at Samsung Electronics. “At Samsung we remain committed to providing mobile devices that are inspired by consumers and always underpinned by a focus on progress and innovation.”

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Korean Galaxy S7 and S7 edge to come without front SAMSUNG branding

The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge feature a similar design to the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, a design that many Samsung fans love (with a few tweaks, of course), but it appears as though not all Galaxy S7 models will see Samsung’s front name branding return to the latest-generation “Galaxies.”

Samsung Korea has the device available without the front “SAMSUNG” branding, though the back branding remains. This doesn’t seem to be just the case with Samsung Korea, however: Samsung China shows the front name branding removed from its Galaxy S7 and S7 edge devices as well, signaling that the issue here (if there is one – this is still debatable) doesn’t just stop with Korea. Interestingly enough, there is a page at the Samsung Korea site that shows the front branding on the Galaxy S7 but not the Galaxy S7 edge. Japanese Galaxy S6 and S6 edge users saw the company’s front branding absent from their new devices last year.

Galaxy S7, S7 edge Samsung Korea

Galaxy S7, S7 edge via Samsung China

There are a number of reasons as to why this could be the case. For one, Samsung could decide to remove the front name branding in order to make the device more simplified and elegant, or the front name branding could be removed so as to prevent some from refusing to purchase the device who may find the front branding offensive. Of course, the name “Samsung” would eventually crop up later, so this doesn’t seem to be all there is to the story. Another reason behind the front brand name removal may have something to do with the redundancy of having “Samsung” on the same smartphone twice.

China and Korea could see “SAMSUNG” removed from the front of its Galaxy S7 and S7 edge smartphones to cater to its consumer surveys and research. After all, the Korean giant did announce yesterday at Galaxy Unpacked 2016 that it brought back the microSD card slot because it listened to customers. Perhaps the brand removal on the front of its devices follows in the same path. Samsung has been known to tinker with its front name branding occasionally, so the company may have removed it altogether until it decides on the new cosmetic look. Only time will tell.

What do you think? Do you think this is just simple forgetfulness on the branding, or is there more to the story? Depending on where you live, do you think you’d appreciate having the front “SAMSUNG” branding removed from your Galaxy S7 and S7 edge? Do you think the branding is redundant, or is this irrelevant to you? Let us know in the comments.

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