Minggu, 30 April 2017

Galaxy S7 sales top 55 million units

According to a report by market research firm Strategic Analytics, the combined sales of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge have now crossed 55 million units at the end of the first quarter of this year. Samsung is said to have sold 7.2 million units of last year’s flagship in the January-March 2017 period.

Samsung relied on the Galaxy S7 considerably late last year when the Galaxy Note 7 literally went up in flames and it was left without a new flagship smartphone. Price adjustments and attractive promotions for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge kept Samsung competitive in the high-end segment of the mobile market.

The report also mentions that Samsung’s total smartphone shipments for the first quarter of this year came in at 92.8 million units and that it accounted for 23 percent of the global smartphone market.

The Galaxy S7 has done a lot for the company and now it’s time for the 2016 flagship to take a backseat and let the Galaxy S8 do its thing. Early signs are promising and it might very well outperform the Galaxy S7.

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Samsung gets approval to test its self-driving car on public roads

Samsung is interested in the self-driving car industry and over the past couple of years, we’ve seen the company intensify its efforts to establish a footing in this industry. The company modified a race track that it owns in South Korea to test its autonomous car. It will now be able to do that on public roads.

South Korea’s Land Ministry has given Samsung approval to test its self-driving car on public roads. The tests will help Samsung in developing high-tech sensors and computer modules aided by artificial intelligence that will enable cars to drive themselves even in challenging conditions.

This obviously doesn’t mean that Samsung is eventually going to sell you a car that can drive itself. Young Sohn, the president and chief strategy officer at Samsung, has previously confirmed that the company is not interested in building cars itself.

The efforts it’s making are focused on being a components and solutions provider for conventional car companies. Even the self-driving car it’s testing its technology on is a retrofitted Hyundai.

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Samsung Gear S3 officially down to $299.99 in US

The Samsung Gear S3 has received an official price cut in the United States. A quick look at the tech giant's official US website reveals that Bluetooth variants of both classic as well as frontier model are listed for $299.99, a $50 discount. The LTE variant of the Gear S3 frontier is also down $50 - the AT&T model is going for $299.99, while the T-Mobile model will set you back $349.99. Third-party retailers like Amazon also has the wearables listed at discounted rates. For more information, head to the Source links below. Source 1 2 3 | Via

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Bixby released for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ in South Korea

Samsung spent a lot of time talking about the Bixby voice interface at the Galaxy S8 event in March. It claimed that the feature enables users to do everything they can on the smartphone by using voice commands instead of tapping on the display.

However, it had to delay Bixby’s launch even though the new flagship was released on April 21. The Galaxy S8′s most talked-about feature was ironically not ready at launch. It’s ready now.

Samsung has released Bixby for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ in South Korea. At launch, the only features it offered were Bixby Vision, Reminder and Bixby Home. The voice command feature was not available. This particular feature has now been rolled out to users in South Korea.

This means that Bixby’s voice command feature should go live elsewhere in the near future as well. Samsung US has previously confirmed that Bixby will go live properly on the Galaxy S8 later this spring.

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First proper Galaxy Tab S3 update brings April security patch

It has been a few weeks since the Galaxy Tab S3 was released after it was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona back in February. Samsung has now released the first proper firmware update for this device which brings the April security patch.

Firmware version T820XXU1AQD6 is now being rolled out by Samsung for the Galaxy Tab S3 in Europe. Apart from the April security patch, this update also brings the usual slew of performance improvements and bug fixes. Since the tablet already runs on Android 7.0 Nougat, you won’t find much in the way of new features in this update.

Samsung is rolling out the update to both Wi-Fi and 4G LTE variants of the tablet. It should go live soon across Europe so those who haven’t received an over-the-air update notification yet should expect to do so in the near future.

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T-Mobile Galaxy S6 edge+ Nougat update release will take place this week

T-Mobile is the only major carrier in the United States that hasn’t released the Android 7.0 Nougat update for the Galaxy S6 edge+ yet. Rivals Sprint, AT&T and Verizon have all followed through with the update so it’s about time that Magenta released it as well.

T-Mobile’s @askdes has confirmed via Twitter that the carrier’s engineers have approved the Galaxy S6 edge+ Nougat update and that it’s going to be rolled out this week. The update will most certainly be released in phases so it will take a while before it goes live for everybody.

The Nougat update for the Galaxy S6 edge+ will bring all of the features that are part and parcel of Android 7.0 Nougat. For a more in-depth look into all of the features, don’t forget to check out our What’s New With Nougat series.

It shouldn’t take more than a couple of days for this update to start rolling out on T-Mobile. We’ll let you know when T-Mobile releases it.

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ZTE Axon 7 updated with Night Mode setting, support for 256GB microSD cards

ZTE has started pushing out a new update to its Axon 7 (A2017U) smartphone. The update brings the latest build, B25, that contains several changes, including new features, improvements, optimizations and bug-fixes. Specifically, the update enables "Night Mode" setting, and includes support for 256GB microSD cards. It also features some "Do Not Disturb"-related optimizations as well as device stability and security-related improvements. The update also allows users to disable some stock apps, and fixes various Wi-Fi Calling issues. There are also some performance improvements as well...

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Galaxy S8 Tip: Change screen density to fit more content on the display

Want that tall, narrow display on your Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ to be able to show more content on-screen than it does right now? Well, there’s a setting for that. You can change the screen density on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ (as well as other Samsung devices running Nougat) to increase (or decrease) the amount of content you see on the display at any given moment.

By increasing screen density, you can see more in webpages, without needing to scroll as much as you usually do. Check your Instagram feed a lot? Higher screen density means you can read those long texts below images in one go. Basically, you can take better advantage of the big display of your S8 and S8+, and everything looks sharper, too. Check the image below to see an example of how higher screen density helps.

s8-tip-screen-density

Alright, so how do you change the screen density on the Galaxy S8 or S8+? Here are the steps:

Step 1: First, you need to enable the developer options menu in the phone’s settings. To do this, go into Settings, then About phone, followed by Software information. Here, you have to tap seven times on the Build number text, which will make the developer options menu show up in the main settings screen. You will see a popup dialog telling you how many taps are left before the developer menu gets enabled.

Step 2: Go back to the main settings screen and into Developer options, which you will see at the bottom of the settings. Here, find the Minimum width setting under the Drawing section. By default, this will be set at 360 for the S8 and 411 for the S8+.

s8-tip-screen-density-2

Step 3: Now comes the part where you need to test a few values out before you settle on the screen density you want. A value under and around 500 works best; anything over that and you’ll see your icons spaced out too wide and the text rather small for comfortable reading. 460 is a good number to use on the S8, while 500 works great on the S8+. Again, what setting you use is up to you.


That’s it. Should you have any issues, do let us know in the comments. Don’t forget to check out our collection of Galaxy S8 and S8+ tips to see how you can get the best out of your new phone.

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Sony Xperia XZ Premium vs iPhone 7 Plus quick camera comparison

Earlier this week Sony had us over at an event promoting the pending launch of the Xperia XZ Premium - their flagship phone. We had already had a few hands-on sessions with the XZ Premium around the MWC 2017 back in March but now that Sony is getting ready to release the phone, we finally got a unit that we could play with as much as we wanted. The event's venue on the sunny Troia peninsula in Portugal offered us a great opportunity to walk around and take a few comparison shots with the XZ Premium and the iPhone 7 Plus, which we had around. Here they are, enjoy! Sony Xperia...

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Galaxy S8 Tip: Slide up or down the camera shutter button to zoom in or out

The Galaxy S8 and S8+ come with a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera that’s broadly similar to that of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. However, Samsung has done some work on the software side to things improve image quality (using Multi Frame Processing) and ease of use (through a newer camera UI).

The new camera app also comes with a handful of new features including fun stickers and Snapchat-esque filters. However, one feature that’s easy to miss is the ability to zoom in or out using the on-screen shutter button. You can hold the shutter button and drag it up or down to zoom in or out, respectively.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus - Camera Zoom

You can read more such Galaxy S8 tips and tricks here.

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PSA: Galaxy S8′s pressure sensitive home button is always active

Even though most Android smartphone makers moved on to on-screen navigation buttons, Samsung was reluctant in doing so because a physical home button was a part of its smartphone design philosophy for years. Now that the company has finally moved to on-screen buttons with the Galaxy S8 and S8+, it did so better than its competitors.

The on-screen home button on the Galaxy S8 and S8+ is pressure sensitive, and it’s always active. No matter what you’re doing on these smartphones, the home button is always active (unless the phones are switched off, of course). You can hard press the home button from any screen to go back to the home screen (or to wake up the phone if it’s locked).

Samsung certainly didn’t want to put off its long-time loyal users by switching to a run-of-the-mill on-screen button, and making it pressure sensitive that’s always active was a great way to make sure that Galaxy S8 users don’t miss the good old physical home button. Would other brands switch to pressure sensitive on-screen buttons as well?

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Galaxy S8 and S8+ get update in India with display color balance fix

The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are yet to go on sale in the Indian market, but Samsung is taking a preemptive measure and is already rolling out an update in the country for fixing the display’s red tint issue. The update is surprisingly large in size for one that only optimizes the display’s color tone, and one can only hope that there are performance enhancements and other improvements hidden in the update.

The red tint hasn’t completely gone away on our review units, but setting the display’s color balance to cool takes away the reddish hue (it’s still there compared to our S7 edge, but not as bad). The new firmware version is XXU1AQDG and the update is available over the air for both the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. This is the second update for the devices in India; the first became available right after we fired up our review units. You’ll see these updates available on your S8 or S8+ once you’ve set it up.

Also ReadSamsung starts rolling out update in Europe to fix the Galaxy S8′s display issue

s8-update-india-color

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PSA: Double tap the Galaxy S8′s AOD home button to wake up the phone

The Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ feature large Infinity Displays with curved corners and edges. Samsung had to ditch its traditional physical home buttons to bring us such a beautiful smartphone design. The company has now shifted to on-screen navigation buttons (the on-screen home button is also pressure sensitive).

There are multiple ways to wake up the Galaxy S8 and S8+ from sleep. You can use either the physical power/lock button or double tap the on-screen AOD home button to wake up the smartphone. Moreover, you can also jump to a notification directly from the AOD screen by double tapping on the app icon.

Note: This method to wake up the Galaxy S8′s display works only when the Always On Display mode is active.

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Counterclockwise: phone storage through the years

This time we decided to take you for a trip down memory lane - literally! We will recall some of the best phones throughout the years that allowed you to carry "massive" amounts of data - photos, videos, music and anything else. We start our story in 2005 since that's when phone storage started growing in earnest. So let us re-introduce you to the Nokia N91, which had room for as much as 8GB. That impressive number was achieved with miniaturized computer technology - a hard drive. Yep, spinning platters and moving read heads in something that was likely to be dropped on the pavement....

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Sabtu, 29 April 2017

Week 17 in review: Galaxy S8 still making headlines, iPhone 8 rumors intensify

The Galaxy S8 once again occupied the news in the past week. The main reason were some issues with red tint on the display and fast-charging troubles with old charging pads. We also heard more of the refurbished Galaxy Note7 that is allegedly coming out in June. In other news, a phone named "iPhone 8" appeared on Geekbench, but just two days later a rumor from Foxconn hinted that we might not see an anniversary iPhone at all. A KGI statement backed such info since the OLED iPhone supply might not be on schedule. We also heard Huawei is once again the leader on the Chinese smartphone...

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Weekly poll results: Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ loved equally

Last week we asked you if you prefer the Samsung Galaxy S8 or the bigger Galaxy S8+ and the opinions seem very evenly split - the S8 won with 52% to 48%, a very narrow margin indeed. The primary difference between these two is the size (and, well, price). Sure, the plus model has a bigger battery, but that brings only a minor bump in endurance (our testing showed 84h for the S8 and 88h for the S8+). Normally, the smaller phone outsells the bigger one and we wondered if this will be even more true this year seeing how the Galaxy S8 already has a bigger screen than its predecessor...

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Top 10 trending phones of week 17

Fifth week in a row the Galaxy S8 stands tall at the top in our weekly interest chart. The other two handsets on the podium are unchanged over last week - Xiaomi Mi 6 follows second and the Galaxy J7 Prime stays in third. The Galaxy S8+ retains its fourth position as well, but the Redmi Note 4 surpassed the more affordable Redmi 4a to grab fifth. And then there's a surprise - Motorola Moto M jumps out of nothing in 7th - now this is a device we haven't seen in this chart since December. The well-known Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy S7 Edge go hand in hand at 8th and 9th after being...

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Weekly poll: are you getting the Sony Xperia XZ Premium?

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium will ship in about a month - at the end of May or the beginning of June. You'll have to part with €750 to get one - a price comparable with other 2017 flagships (but about €100 more than the XZs). And don't forget that you have incentives to pre-order. And you may want to grab the Bronze Pink color option. Well, will you? Pre-order, that is. You did vote it the best flagship of Sprint 2017 and when we asked you about the Xperia XZs, most Sony fans said they are holding out for the Premium. And why shouldn't they, the XZs only gets you the new camera, the XZ...

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HTC U 11 shows up on GeekBench, numbers are promising

HTC's next flagship, the U 11 (because why not) is due to be announced on May 16, and sure enough the phone has appeared on GeekBench. Or at least that's what HTC CBP is supposed to be. This HTC CBP device that was put to the test is powered by the Snapdragon 835 (a.k.a. MSM8998) and runs on Android 7.1.1 - those bits were pretty much settled on by past leaks. GeekBench now reveals that there would be 4GB of RAM on board. Specced this way, the CBP (or HTC U 11) scores 1912 points in the single-core test, and 6137 points with all 8 cores put to work. There's but a single phone...

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Sony publishes financial report for 2016 fiscal year, mobile division in the black

Sony Corporation has published its financial report for the 2016 fiscal year ending on March 31. Net income is listed at JPY 73.3 billion ($676 million) - practically halved year on year. However, Q4 figures are a marked success compared to last year's numbers for the same period - with a JPY 27.7 billion ($244 million) net income, Sony is now in the black, while in Q4 2015 the company reported a JPY 88.3 billion ($765 million) loss. The corporation's Mobile communications division reports a JPY 10.2 billion ($94 million) profit as opposed to a JPY 61.4 billion loss last year. A...

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New Asus ZenPad 10 update adds bundled notifications switch

The Asus Zenpad 10 (Z300M) from last year has started receiving a new update. Arriving as version 5.3.6, the update brings along several changes, including new Google security patch. Things that have been added include bundled notifications switch, Game Genie, and lock screen wallpaper slideshow. As for stuff that has been removed, the list includes several redundant app shortcuts, PC Suite, as well as some pre-loaded live wallpapers that aren't compatible with Android N. For the complete change-log, head to the Source link below. Source | Via

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Some Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ units are randomly restarting

Samsung's latest flagships - the Galaxy S8 and S8+ - might have broken many previous records, but the picture is not all rosy. The devices have had their share of problems as well. First it was the red-tint issue (for which the company recently issued an update), and now, it has come to light that the phones are randomly restarting for some. Since last week, several users have detailed their experience on the tech giant's US community page as well as the XDA forums. While some are blaming the microSD card, others are pointing fingers at the lock or Always-On Display screen. The...

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Update fixing Galaxy S8 red tint issue arrives in Europe

After its home country of South Korea, Samsung has started pushing out the fix for the Galaxy S8 red tint issue in Europe as well. Weighing in at 426MB, the update is hitting Galaxy S8 units in the UK, and S8+ units in Germany. Turkey is also getting the update - both S8 as well as S8+ are getting it in the country. The fix, as you might already know, comes in the form of a new Screen edge color balance option in the Screen mode menu, allowing you to adjust the full screen color balance as you see fit. Via

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Jumat, 28 April 2017

LG Watch Style now available in Canada

The Android Wear 2.0-powered LG Watch Style is now available in Canada. The smartwatch is listed on the Canadian Google Store for CAD 319 (around $235) - that's for the silver and titanium model, as for the Rose Gold variant, you'll have to shell out CAD 40 more. Sadly, the Watch Sport isn't yet available in Canada, and there's also no official information on when it will be launched in the country. Both watches are already available in the United States, where they went on sale in February. Via

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Details about a "mini" LG G6 stir some rumors

A report from TechnoBuffalo discusses some details about an unannounced, unheard of device that LG had been working on, one that would look like the company's flagship G6 device. The document obtained by TechnoBuffalo suggests that LG will be selling a miniature version of the LG G6. Since the LG G4, there has been some kind of "mini" version of every flagship before the G6; the G4c and the G5 Mini. The report mentions the device will look like the G6 and feature the same 18:9 aspect ratio display, but with a smaller 5.4-inch panel. What isn't clear is if this version of the G6...

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Galaxy S8 restart issue is a nuisance for users

Samsung has barely addressed the reddish display tint issue of the Galaxy S8 and we’re now hearing of a new issue that many Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ owners are facing. Apparently, some units are restarting on their own for no reason at all. Users who are facing this issue report that the handset restarts of its own volition several times a day.

Countless Galaxy S8 owners are expressing their displeasure over the matter on Samsung’s official community page for the US as well as the XDA Developers forums. Samsung has not officially acknowledged this as an issue yet.

Some have deduced that perhaps microSD cards are causing the handset to reboot several times a day on its own. A temporary fix being suggested involves removing the microSD card. Others are of the view that it has something to do with a bug in the lock or Always-On Display screen and possibly the power save feature as well.

There’s no clarity on the matter yet so it’s not known what’s causing this issue and when Samsung is going to come up with a fix. Hopefully, the company will have more information about this for us in the near future.

Having you faced a similar issue on your Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+? Let us know in the comments below.

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T-Mobile Galaxy S6 edge+ will get Nougat next week

Samsung's devices are nefarious for taking so long to update and the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ is no exception. The T-Mobile-branded variant of the device will be receiving an OTA next week that will update the phone to Android Nougat. The update brings efficiency enhancements, a revamped UI, and some aesthetic differences. SOFTWARE UPDATE: @TMobile Engineers have approved the #GalaxyS6EdgePlus Nougat build! Should start pushing early next week!👏 http://pic.twitter.com/GPEadUQ26j— Des 📱 (@askdes) April 28, 2017 T-Mobile's product manager, Des - known for doing his crazy...

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Oppo F3 Plus review: Double take

Getting noticed in a busy place like the smartphone market is no easy feat. Oppo's decision to go after the selfie-loving crowd is one that seems to be paying off so far. Granted, technological gems like VOOC fast charging have likely played a part too, but it's no accident that the Selfie Experts are the most popular Oppo phones in our database.

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Amazon's Alexa will soon speak more human-like by pausing for breath and whispering

Amazon has announced a number of new Speech Synthesis Markup Language (or SSML) features that are part of Amazon's tools for developers of Alexa-enabled apps or "Skills" as the company calls them. Developers can now program the pronunciation, intonation, timing, and emotion conveyed through this artificial dictation. Amazon Echo Dot: 2nd Gen In order to achieve these changes in Alexa's voice, five new tags have been added as part of the coding process for Alexa's skills: Whispering - which is an effect that can make anything Alexa says sound like a whisper. Expletive beeps -...

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Nokia 3, 5, 6, and 3310 (2017) to only be out in the UK in June

Remember Nokia? It's trying to make a comeback for itself in the mobile world, under the guidance of a new company - HMD Global. It announced some new devices at MWC in February, but only one of them is available at the moment, and only in one country - China. This may be a nod from HMD Global to Nokia's smartphone launches from yesteryear, which all featured multiple months passing in between the unveiling and the actual release. Whatever it is, the situation isn't set to improve. While in March we thought we'd finally see the Nokia 3, 5, 6, and 3310 (2017) in the UK in May, now it turns...

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Watchface Friday: Here’s our selection of this week’s best watchfaces

It’s Friday, so it’s time for another edition of Watchface Friday! For those unaware, every Friday, we highlight a selection of our favorite watchfaces for the Gear S3 classic and Gear S3 frontier. All of the offerings are available to download through the Galaxy Apps Store, so you can rest assured that you won’t have to search all over the Internet to find something we’ve listed.

Gear S3 classic

Mr. Time: Backlight

20170428_084354 20170428_084434 20170428_084411

Vakta SB01

20170428_085609 20170428_085551 (1) 20170428_085627 (1)

Gear S3 frontier

DQS006 Lime Sports Watch

20170428_084958 20170428_084930 20170428_085027

SMZ ‘Master’

20170428_084031 20170428_084005 20170428_083939 SamMobile http://ift.tt/2pGE02G

SamMobile Daily Recap: April 28, 2017 — Galaxy J3 Prime, Galaxy S8 and more!

We publish a decent amount 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 with every post. But, we think we’ve come up with an ideal solution — a daily recap.

So, without further ado, here’s what went live today:

Deals

Daily Deal: Save 36% on a Gear VR (2016)

Samsung is offering 50% discount on new Gear VR and Gear 360 (2017) if you purchase Galaxy S8

Firmware News

Samsung releases kernel sources for the Exynos-powered Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+

Samsung starts rolling out update in Europe to fix the Galaxy S8′s display issue

Opinion

Forgive us if we’ve been extra critical of the Galaxy S8 and S8+

Phones

Galaxy J3 Prime now available from T-Mobile

How great does this Galaxy S8 with a clear back look?

Samsung posts Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ video overview

Tips & Tricks

How to move all of your data from an iPhone to a Galaxy S8

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Samsung rolls out update in Germany to fix the Galaxy S8′s display issue

Samsung has started distributing an update in Germany for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ to patch a bug that resulted in some users noticing a “reddish tint” on their handset’s display. The upgrade itself weighs in at 426MB and appears to be identical to the release the firm rolled out in Korea yesterday, transporting a couple of new settings for the Adaptive Display screen mode, which lets users adjust the color balance of the panel and the appearance of white tones on the edges.

 

Model SM-G955F
Model name Galaxy S8+
Country Germany
Version Android 7
Changelist 11168760
Build date Tue, 25 Apr 2017 23:45:34 +0000
Security Patch Level 2017-04-01
Product code DBT
PDA G955FXXU1AQDG
CSC G955FOXM1AQDG

 

If you reside in Germany and own a Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+, you should be able to install the over-the-air update right away by heading into Settings, followed by Software Update, then tap the Download Updates Manually button. Alternatively, if it’s not ready for your device just yet (or you’re located in another country but want to try it out), you can grab a copy of the software package for the Galaxy S8+ from our comprehensive firmware database and manually flash it onto your device.

Screenshot_20170428-172421

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Samsung launches own Galaxy S8 and Gear VR video tutorials

Samsung has released a bunch of video tutorials for the Galaxy S8 duo and the new Gear VR. The clips detail basic controls and how to connect the VR headset along with key features of the new flagship smartphone. The playlist is completed with a two-minute overview of the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+. Samsung delivered 11 short clips,saving you hours of reading user manuals. Those reveal how the new features of its high-end smartphones work. There is a video about Secure Folder, about the Iris Scanner and the basic gestures. Here's the whole playlist, feel free to check it...

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Forgive us if we’ve been extra critical of the Galaxy S8 and S8+

It’s something I’ve meant to write about for a few days, and I finally got around to penning down my thoughts on why we here at SamMobile might be more skeptical and critical of the new Galaxy S8 and S8+, and of Samsung devices in general. Well, to be honest, the reason is simple: We’re a Samsung fan site, and spend a majority of our time with Samsung devices. Many Samsung fans likely upgrade to a new Galaxy phone every two years (or sooner, depending on how much they like to change their phones), but here at SamMobile, most of us use almost every new Samsung flagship before the next one comes out.

I started my journey with the Galaxy Note 3 and fell so much in love with the device that I decided I would only use Galaxy Note devices in the future. But that was until the Galaxy Note 4, which I felt was so poorly optimized that it put me off Samsung devices. People told us we were wrong and that there was nothing wrong with the performance on Samsung’s phones, but the company itself admitted it had fallen behind and made software optimization a priority with the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge.

I bought the S6 edge the day it became available here in India, and I followed it up with both the S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note 5 as my primary devices. Finally, it was the the Galaxy S7 edge last year, which I think was the most perfect Samsung device in terms of features, pricing, and the overall experience. The Galaxy Note 7 was even better, but I, unfortunately, couldn’t use it as its launch in India was cancelled before it could hit retail shelves. Last week, I placed an order for the Galaxy S8+.

Don’t Miss: Galaxy S8 and S8+ Review: Samsung brings us the future, but it’s not perfect yet

Like me, my colleagues here at SamMobile live in Samsung’s galaxy of smartphones, and that’s pretty much the reason why we have been so critical of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ ever since they were announced. Mind you, we’ve only spoken out against issues that other tech experts agree on. One is the subpar battery life of the 5.8-inch Galaxy S8, and the other is the awkward position of the fingerprint sensor.

Let’s face it: The poor battery life on the S8 means many will go for the S8+ (its larger screen will also attract consumers), and the fingerprint sensor’s placement is especially problematic on the larger model. The fingerprint sensor’s hard-to-reach nature becomes even more of an issue when you consider that the iris and facial scanner cannot always be accurate, and there is no way to make the phone fall back to either iris or facial recognition when one or the other fails.

But that’s a discussion for another article. For now, I’d just like to say that our criticism stems from the fact that we are more involved with Samsung devices than pretty much any other site out there. We thought Samsung could only go forward with its flagship devices after the Note 7, but it seems in the race to outsmart its competition with that Infinity Display, the Korean giant has ignored a few aspects that mar the otherwise excellent experience offered by the Galaxy S8 and S8+.

All I can say is that if our criticism of the S8 and S8+ have put you off, we here at SamMobile apologize. But as a fan site, we can’t help but point things out as they are, and hope Samsung takes some of the feedback and incorporates it into device development, just like it does with consumer feedback. We’re working on lots of content surrounding Samsung’s new flagships, and we’ll try to keep the negativity to a minimum.

No promises though: Being some of the most active and consistent users of Samsung devices, we stand to be a lot more disappointed with the missteps that the company takes with its smartphones. I know we fall way behind on positive content, so we’ll also try to be more energetic on that front going forward.

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Nokia 3310 arrives in Spain on May 15 for €59

The Nokia 3310 (2017) was expected to hit European shelves next month, but now we have a more specific date to look forward to - May 15. The date was posted by major European retailer Media Markt on its Spanish website along with a €59 price tag. After unveiling the Nokia 3310 at MWC back in February, the announced price of the 2G phone was €49. Later however, several rumors suggested that the final price might actually be higher and the listing by Media Markt confirmed the device will indeed go for 20% more. Previously retailers in Germany and Austria listed the launch date on...

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IDC: Samsung and Apple stagnate as smartphone market grows

IDC revealed its latest report on smartphone shipments in the first three months of 2017. The numbers show that Samsung and Apple shipments were flat year-over-year, but the two companies are still comfortably in the first two positions globally. However, they might soon feel some pressure as the three Chinese companies that complete the Top 5 grew significantly. Huawei went from 28.1 million smartphone sales in Q1 2016 to 34.2 million in the last three months and gained 1.5 percentage points to close in on Apple. Oppo increased its shipments the most - 29.8%, and gained the same...

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Vodafone UK now sells Galaxy S8 and S8+ without pre-booking

Samsung's duo the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ is now available on Vodafone UK without pre-booking. You can choose between Midnight Black or Orchid Gray. Тhe cheapest plan costs £40/month over two years and you'd need to shell out £150 for the Galaxy S8 itself. Samsung's flagship could also be bought with a new contract only for a tenner. You'd need to go for a plan worth at least £56 per month though. If you are want the larger Galaxy S8+ instead you'd need to shell out £4 extra per month. Vodafone also has offers for existing customers but in order to get them, you...

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Daily Deal: Save 36% on a Gear VR (2016)

Amazon has slashed the price of the 2016 variant of the Gear VR –so while stock lasts, you can pick one up for just $64 (36% off). This is the same model that was released alongside the Galaxy Note 7 last year, and features both a USB Type-C and microUSB; meaning it’s compatible with the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy Note 5.

If you want to take advantage of this deal, simply click the Buy Now button below. You’ll probably want to hurry though, as Amazon only has a limited amount of inventory available for this specific deal and once it’s gone, it’s gone. We should state, however, this isn’t International promotion, so you’ll only be able to snag yourself one for the discounted price if you reside in the United States.

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Nintendo announces 2DS XL for $150

Nintendo has dropped a new handheld console, the 2DS XL. The 2DS XL is big step up from the toast-shaped 2DS and is essentially the 3DS XL but without the 3D display. That's really all there is to be said about this. The 2DS XL includes the faster processor, C-stick and NFC reader for Amiibos from the 3DS XL but lacks the 3D display and has a more compact and lighter design. The 2DS XL will still be compatible with all the 3DS games, just that you can't play them in 3D. The 2DS XL is priced at $149.99 and will be available starting July 28 in the US and July 13 in...

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Samsung releases kernel sources for the Exynos-powered Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+

The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have made their way to a handful of markets across the globe. As Samsung continues to expand the availability of its new flagship smartphone, the company has done a commendable job by releasing kernel sources for the Exynos-powered Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+.

As more and more people get their hands on the new flagship, there will be many who want to customize their devices. Providing developers with kernel sources enables them to start working on custom kernels for the device. Custom kernels will give users significantly more control over their device and countless modification options.

You can visit Open Source Release Center (OSRC) to download the kernel sources for the Exynos-powered Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. This is certainly going to benefit a lot of people as most markets are going to receive the Exynos variant. You should expect custom kernels for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ to start popping up in a couple of weeks.

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Nougat-powered Samsung Galaxy J3 Prime launched for $150

A new Samsung smartphone has been launched. Dubbed Galaxy J3 Prime, the phone is powered by Exynos 7570 SoC and sports a 5-inch HD display. RAM is 1.5GB, while internal memory is 16GB. The handset features a 5MP rear camera and a 2MP front shooter. It runs Android 7.0 Nougat, and packs in a 2,600mAh battery. The phone is available for purchase in the US through T-Mobile, which has it listed for $6.00 down and $6.00/month for 24 months (totaling $150) for postpaid customers. For prepaid customers it's also $150, but currently there's an instant discount of $75. In addition to...

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LG G6 on AT&T receiving a bug-fixing update

AT&T has started pushing out a new update to LG G6 units on its network. The update arrives as software version H87110c, and although an official changelog isn't yet available, it's said to be a minor one that focuses on bug fixes. As is usually the case with OTA roll outs, it may take sometime for the update to hit your device. You can manually check for the update by heading to your phone's Settings menu. Source | Via

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Meizu E2 sees over 3 million registrations in first 48 hours

The China-exclusive Meizu E2 was officially announced a couple of days ago, and it's currently up for registrations in the Asian country. And it has received over 3 million registrations so far. It's worth mentioning that the 3 million figure just represents the number of registrations for the sale, and does not mean that those many people actually pre-ordered the phone. The handset - which starts at around $190 - will be up for grabs tomorrow in a flash sale. It's unclear how many units will be available so if you are interested. Via

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Get a free LG Watch Style with G6 pre-orders

If you are in the US, and are planning to purchase the unlocked variant of the LG G6 flagship smartphone, here's a deal for you: retailer B&H Photo is offering a free LG Watch Style with each pre-order of the device. The Rose Gold color variant of the smartwatch is on offer, and it normally costs $279. You can now get the smartphone as well as the timepiece for $650. There's currently no word on when shipments will begin - the listing just says the unlocked model is "coming soon." Source | Via

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Samsung is offering 50% discount on new Gear VR and Gear 360 (2017) if you purchase Galaxy S8

Samsung usually offers incentives to those who preorder its flagship smartphones, including freebies or discounts. These incentives vary by market, and the company is being quite generous to its Galaxy S8 and S8+ customers in Malaysia. Apart from a free Limited Edition Starter Kit (Clear Cover, Screen Protector, Wireless Charging Stand, USB Type-C cable) and a 5,100 mAh Battery Pack, Samsung is also offering additional freebies during their 3-day roadshow for the Galaxy S8 and S8+.

Customers in the country can get a 50% discount on the new Gear VR with Controller and the Gear 360 (2017) if they purchase the Galaxy S8 (priced at RM 3,299) or S8+ (priced at RM 3,699) during Samsung’s roadshow in Malaysia. Interested customers can also trade in their existing smartphones for the Galaxy S8 or S8+ during the roadshow. For its ‘Trade Up’ program, the company has specified trade-in values for popular smartphone models (including other brands) in the table below.

Samsung will launch the DeX docking station, which turns the Galaxy S8 or S8+ into a PC-like desktop experience, in Malaysia sometime in June 2017 with a price tag of RM 459. The company’s roadshows are happening from 5-7 May 2017 between 10 AM to 10 PM at Sunway Pyramid, Queensbay Mall Penang and Sutera Mall in Johor Bahru in the country. The South Korean smartphone giant is also offering a free battery pack to those who purchase the smartphones from stores.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Malaysia Roadshow Offers

Samsung Galaxy S8 Malaysia Trade Up Program

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How to move all of your data from an iPhone to a Galaxy S8

If you’ve made the switch from an iPhone to a Galaxy S8, there’s a good chance you’re going to want to transfer all of your content from iOS to Android. The good news is: it’s possible. However, if you don’t have an adapter handy to connect the two devices, it’s going to take a little bit of time.

Here’s how you do it:

You will need

  • A Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+
  • An iPhone running iOS 9 or newer
  • A Lightning cable
  • A Mac/Windows computer with Samsung’s Smart Switch software installed
  • A USB-C cable

Preparation

Before we go any further, connect your iPhone to your computer and create a backup using iTunes. Instructions on how to do so can be found here. Once you’ve done that, open up Smart Switch and install any software updates that are available.

Let’s get started

Step 1: Ensure Smart Switch is running on your computer, then connect your Galaxy S8 using a USB-C cable.

Smart-Switch-1

Step 2: After Smart Switch recognises your handset (it may take a few minutes), hit the Restore button.

Smart-Switch-2

Step 3: Press Select a different backup.

Smart-Switch-3

Step 4: Change the source of the backup you want to restore from Samsung Device Data to iTunes Backup Data using the dropdown menu.

Smart-Switch-4

Step 5: Choose the data you want to restore and press Confirm.

Smart-Switch-5

Step 6: Press Restore Now.

Smart-Switch-6

Step 7: Wait for the restoration process to complete, hit Confirm, then disconnect your Galaxy S8.

Smart-Switch-7

Voilà!

You’re all done. If something doesn’t go quite according to plan, be sure let us know in the comments section below and we’ll do our very best to get you back on track. Otherwise, feel free to check out our other Galaxy S8 tips and tricks, and be on the lookout for more in the coming days.

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