Samsung named Asia’s best brand for six years in a row

Samsung announced earlier today that it was judged as Asia’s best brand for 2017 among 1,000 brands. The company has been bagging this award since the past six years. The list of Asia’s top 1,000 brands for 2017 was released by research agencies Campaign Asia-Pacific and Nelson, and more than 6,000 customers from 13 countries took part in the survey.

Campaign Asia-Pacific and Nelson said that Samsung achieved this win as it coped with the Galaxy Note 7 problem very well. The company was quite prompt and transparent in recalling the Galaxy Note 7. The successful launch of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ also contributed in winning this award. Apple, the US-based tech giant was placed second in this list, while Sony and Nestle bagged third and fourth positions, respectively.

The South Korean smartphone giant’s Galaxy brand was recently judged as the most valuable brand in Korea for seven years in a row. The company is prepping to unveil the successor to the Galaxy Note 7, the Galaxy Note 8 sometime in August. The phone will bring a dual rear-facing camera setup for the first time in a Samsung smartphone.

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You can now stream PC games on your Samsung smart TV using the Steam Link app

It was revealed nine months ago that Samsung was working with Steam to integrate the latter’s PC game streaming technology into its smart TVs. Now, a beta version of Valve’s Steam Link app is available through Samsung’s app store. It can be used to stream games from a PC on a local network. The app works on all 2016 and 2017 4K TVs from Samsung.

PCGamer’s Wes Fenlon tried some heavy gaming on a recent Samsung 4K smart TV using the Steam Link app, and found it to be pretty darn good for a beta version. Apparently, the app paired with a Steam Controller but was missing keystrokes, but the Xbox wireless controller worked pretty well. He tried simple games like Broforce (which didn’t work too well) as well as heavy games like Dark Souls 3 (which worked flawlessly).

If you wish to try out game streaming on your Samsung TV using Steam Link, you should hook up the TV as well as your gaming PC to your router using ethernet cables to avoid lag. After downloading the app from the app store on the TV, you have to sign in to your account, and it should be able to detect your PC on the local network. Since this is a beta version of the app, don’t expect it to work flawlessly.

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Samsung’s new Galaxy J5 Pro is just an updated version of the Galaxy J5 (2017)

It has only been a month since Samsung launched the new Galaxy J (2017) series and the company has already launched a slightly updated model of one of the new handsets. It has announced the Galaxy J5 Pro in Thailand today. The handset is essentially a Galaxy J5 (2017) with minor changes.

The Galaxy J5 (2017) has a metal body and a 1.6GHz processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. It also features a 5.2-inch HD Super AMOLED display, a 13-megapixel front and rear camera, Nougat and a 3,000mAh battery.

The Galaxy J5 Pro has the same specifications save for the RAM and internal storage. Instead of the 2GB and 16GB configuration of the Galaxy J5 (2017), the Galaxy J5 Pro features 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

Everything else remains the same. Customers get the same Exynos 7870 processor with Mali-T830 MP2 graphics processor, front-mounted fingerprint sensor and 3,000mAh battery.

Samsung is selling the handset in Thailand for 9,990 Baht which converts to just a hair under $300. The company hasn’t confirmed if it’s going to release the Galaxy J5 Pro elsewhere.

Even if it doesn’t, it’s not like this handset is a significant improvement over the Galaxy J5 (2017). Just buy that if you’re so inclined.

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Samsung’s ISOCELL Dual camera sensor can also measure depth

Samsung recently showcased four new sub-brands of ISOCELL camera sensors: ISOCELL Bright, ISOCELL Dual, ISOCELL Fast, and ISOCELL Slim. It is being speculated that the company will bring a dual-camera camera setup in the Galaxy Note 8. The company showcased a few features of the ISOCELL Dual camera sensor at MWC 2017 Shanghai. Now, a few new additional features have emerged from Samsung’s official documents.

A document that’s meant for showcasing Samsung’s upcoming technologies and plans to investors and shareholders mentions depth sensing, zooming, and enhanced low-light images. ISOCELL Dual sensors are said to be capable of these features, and we might see some of these features being used in the Galaxy Note 8. The phablet was earlier rumored to feature dual-13MP+12MP camera sensors with 3x zoom capabilities.

Samsung has been using both Sony and ISOCELL camera sensors in its high-end smartphones, but it remains to be seen if the South Korean smartphone giant will switch to exclusively using ISOCELL Dual sensors in the Galaxy Note 8. The smartphone is expected to be announced sometime in August and made available in September, earlier than the iPhone 7s and the iPhone 8.

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Galaxy Note 8 cases already available for pre-order, reveal design clues

It’s not uncommon for us to see cases and accessories for a new handset appear before the device itself has been unveiled. Online retailer Mobile Fun listed and started taking pre-orders for official Galaxy Note 7 accessories in July last year. Today, the retailer has made the official Galaxy Note 8 cases from Olixar available for pre-order.

It is widely believed that accessory manufacturers are often the first to get information about an upcoming handset’s design so that they can get their products ready in time for launch. Their product images are accompanied by somewhat accurate renders of the unreleased device which provide us with a good look at a device that’s not even official.

The Galaxy Note 8 renders included in Olixar’s product images suggest that the handset is going to have an Infinity Display that’s going to be slightly larger than the one found on the Galaxy S8. A big cutout at the back reveals the dual-camera system and the fingerprint sensor.

If this is accurate then it appears that the Galaxy Note 8 won’t come with an optical fingerprint sensor as well. It also merits mentioning here that the fingerprint sensor appears to have been distanced a bit from the camera by the heart rate sensor. This should address complaints of accidentally smudging the camera lens that’s inevitable on the Galaxy S8.

The colors of these cases suggest that the Galaxy Note 8 will be available in Black, Silver, Gold and Blue colors. The cases and additional accessories like the wireless charging case and 2-Piece Pop Cover are all available for pre-order from Mobile Fun.

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SamMobile Daily Recap: July 4, 2017 — Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8 and more!

We publish a lot of stories on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the majority of news breaks during our European hours of operation, which makes it difficult for our readers in the US (and other regions) to keep up. However, we think we’ve come up with a fantastic solution — a daily recap.

Here’s what went out today.

Business

Samsung plans to invest $18.6 billion to extend its lead in display panels and memory chips

Samsung starts mass production at its new chip plant in Pyeongtaek, South Korea

Deals

Daily Deal: Bag yourself a 5,200mAh Fast Charge Battery Pack for 15% off

Firmware News

June 2017 security patch starts rolling out to Galaxy S6 in Europe

T-Mobile Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge receive June security patch

General

Samsung’s Bixby smart speaker is reportedly in development

Opinion

5 things I like about the Galaxy S8+

Phones

Galaxy S8 Active, Tab A2 S, and Galaxy J7 Reloaded appear in Samsung’s official app changelog

Launch of Bixby Voice in the US delayed due to lack of enough big data

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Galaxy Note 8 glass protective cover surfaces online

An image has surfaced online allegedly showcasing the glass protective cover for the upcoming Galaxy Note 8. As expected, the handset looks like a lot like a Galaxy S8+ that’s been stretched diagonally — and we aren’t complaining.

Just like the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, the Galaxy Note 8 sports a near bezel-less design. However, recent reports claim that it’s a little thicker to house the S Pen and the much-anticipated dual-camera module.

The Galaxy Note 8 measures in at approximately 162.4 x 74.5 x 8.4mm, with the thickness jumping up to 9.5mm when you factor in the camera bump, but its weight is currently unknown.

Unfortunately, Samsung decided against installing an optical fingerprint reader on the Galaxy Note 8, so it’s embedded a traditional scanner alongside the camera, LED flash and heart rate monitor on the rear of the device.

Leaks and rumors suggest that the Galaxy Note 8 will sport a 6.3-inch edge-to-edge Infinity Display (18.5:9 aspect ratio), an Exynos 8895/Snapdragon 835 CPU, 6GB of RAM and at least a 3,300mAh battery.

That performance won’t come cheap, though. The Galaxy Note 8, which should be available in three colors — black, blue and gold — is expected to be Samsung’s most expensive smartphone to date, carrying an eye-watering price tag of $1,100.

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