Samsung rolls out security update for the Galaxy A3 in Europe

Following a successful rollout for the Galaxy A8 earlier today, Samsung is now pushing out an over-the-air (OTA) update for both the unlocked and Vodafone-branded variants of the Galaxy A3 located in Europe. Unfortunately, the upgrade, which carries the firmware version XXU1BPC2, doesn’t bring Marshmallow to the handset, but it does bundle a truckload of stability enhancements, including all of the patches baked into March’s Security Maintenance Release (SMR).

If you own a Galaxy A3, reside in Europe and would like to see if the upgrade is ready for your phone, simply head into Settings, followed by About Device, locate and select Software Update, then hit the Update Now button. Alternatively, you can wait until you receive a push notification prompting you to download and install the update from Samsung’s servers, but you’ll only receive this prompt if you have at least 50% of battery and are connected to a Wi-Fi network.

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The Gear S2, like Samsung, is evolving and changing, company says

The Gear S2 has become the darling of the smartphone world, though the device is not without its critics. Samsung said in a recent interview that the Gear S2 is evolving and changing to meet the ever-growing needs of its consumers, becoming more attuned to customer needs over time.

The latest interview with Samsung User Experience Design Team VP Yoojin Hong tackles some deep questions about the Gear S2: everything from why Samsung chose a circular shape, to its Rotary UX design and rotating bezel, to the company’s own changes in order to best meet its customer desires. Finally, Samsung points out something that’s worth paying attention to: the Korean giant has the manpower and resources to craft every component of its devices, making a range of products as well as designing the hardware and software of the Gear S2 to give Samsung users a unique experience. The Gear S2′s rotating bezel and Rotary UX are two reasons we’d recommend the smartwatch over its predecessor.

Samsung has emerged in its position as the top Android OEM today by evolving and changing, with the company making improvements to Touchwiz by streamlining its software, eliminating its plastic build quality, and giving users more of a contemporary design in its Galaxy S6 series and Note 5. This year, the company improved upon nearly every area in which customers criticized Samsung’s 2015 devices to produce the finest devices the Android world has ever seen. As for the user experience with its latest smartwatch, Samsung has been steadily increasing the number of apps for its Tizen platform, providing replacement straps for Gear S2 customers, and giving non-Classic Gear S2 owners the ability to mix and match other 20mm wristbands with their wrist wearable. Finally, as a public sign of commitment to Samsung’s ability to evolve and change, the Korean giant has said that it is making strides to become more like a trendy startup rather than a traditionally boring corporation.

You can find out more by checking out the source link below.

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Samsung Galaxy A8 (SM-A800F) gets April security update

The April security update has been rolling out to various Samsung devices in the last week or so, and it has now arrived on the Galaxy A8 (model SM-A800F), the last of Samsung’s metallic Galaxy A devices. The update comes with firmware version A800FXXU1APD1, but we’re not aware of anything else that might be included. It’s still Android 5.1.1 as well, though the A8 should be getting Marshmallow at some point in the future.

You should be able to grab the update from the Settings » About device » Software update menu, and also via Samsung Smart Switch on a computer. Got the update already? Let us know if you notice any changes or new features on your Galaxy A8 with the latest software.

Thanks, Sai Harish!

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Samsung is offering 20% off select gift cards as part of its Mother’s Day promotion

If you’re planning on picking up either a Whole Foods, Gap, Southwest Airlines, Overstock, Spa Finder Wellness 365, TGI Fridays or 1 800 Flowers gift card this Mother’s Day and happen to own either a Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge or Galaxy Note 5, then Samsung has a unmissable deal for you, but you’ll have to be registered for Samsung Pay in order to take advantage of it.

From now up until May 8, all customers — both new and old — who sign into Samsung Pay on their handset and use the service to purchase one of the aforementioned gift cards will be entitled to a 20% discount, which is a pretty neat saving when you take into account that the vouchers themselves are available in $15, $25, $50, $100, $200 and even $500 denominations.

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Samsung Pay is the most used mobile payment app in South Korea

A local app ranker in South Korea says that Samsung Pay was the most used mobile payment app which supports online and offline usage. Samsung’s mobile payment service has more than 2.59 million users in the company’s native market, it has also been expanded to the United States, China and will soon go live in Singapore as well.

The ranking comes courtesy of WiseApp, a local app ranker that surveyed Android smartphone owners for the month of March, the survey didn’t include iOS devices due to their low usage in the country. Samsung Pay is the most used mobile payment app in South Korea followed by Shinhan’s app card with 1.5 million users and Hyundai Card with 1.23 million users. Samsung Pay’s lead is only going to grow as the service is updated with new features in the future. The company is already working on expanding the service to multiple markets in 2016.

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Glympse will launch a standalone application or the Gear S2 later this year

Real-time location sharing platform Glympse has revealed that it plans to bring its incredibly popular service to the Gear S2 smartwatch later this year by way of a standalone application, which will be available to download exclusively via the Samsung Gear Store.

Glympse for the Gear S2 will not only permit users to share their location with friends and family by tapping a button on their wrist, but will also enable them to request a contact’s location without having to pull out their smartphone.

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Gear VR brings Portugal closer to UEFA Euro 2016

The Portuguese are passionate about many things and football is just one of them. This is true not only for those who reside inside Portugal but those who live and work abroad as it’s a medium for them to remain connected to their country. Samsung Portugal and the Football Portuguese Federation teamed up to take four Portuguese nationals into the pitch during a friendly match of the country’s national team ahead of the UEFA European Football Championship 2016. Despite their different locations all of them were able to be in the stadium thanks to the Gear VR.

Samsung once again used sports to showcase its virtual reality technology. This experience for the four Portuguese nationals was made possible by the Gear VR. The moment the national team’s players went out on the pitch the four participants also stepped out in the grass, and they got a better view of the action than any of the thousands of fans that were present at the stadium. Samsung is an official sponsor of the Portuguese Football Federation and by powering this special event the company says that it has proved that “impossible is not an option when technology is involved.”

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