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SamMobile Daily Recap: June 23, 2017 — Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8 Active 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’s new $300 million US factory may be announced next week Camera Samsung may soon announce an outdoor surveillance camera Deals Daily Deal: Pick up a pair of Samsung’s Gear Icon X wireless earphones for 20% off IoT Tizen 4.0 first milestone release breaks new ground for the Internet of Things Phones Galaxy S8 Active specs surface yet again Tips & Tricks Galaxy S8 Tip: Get faster iris scanning with one simple change TV Samsung launches its QLED TVs in Brazil, reveals pricing and special offers

Galaxy Note 8 will cost more than $1,000 when it launches in September

Samsung will launch the much-anticipated Galaxy Note 8  in September, according to  VentureBeat.  The handset is expected to carry an eye-watering price tag of €999 ($1,120), earning it the title of the firm’s most expensive smartphone to date. With regards to specifications, the Galaxy Note 8 is rumored to pack a 6.3-inch edge-to-edge Infinity Display (18.5:9 aspect ratio), an Exynos 8895/Snapdragon 835 CPU, 6GB of RAM and a 3,300mAh non-removable battery. The South Korean company is hoping to differentiate the Galaxy Note 8 from the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ by shipping it with an S Pen and a dual-camera module, with each lens sporting a 12-megapixel sensor and independent optical image stabilization. Unfortunately, all signs point towards Samsung positioning the fingerprint reader on the rear of the device to the right of the flash and heart rate sensor, though it’s reportedly left quite a lot of space between the components. As far as software goes, the Galaxy Note 8 will ship

Daily Deal: Pick up a pair of Samsung’s Gear Icon X wireless earphones for 20% off

You can currently pick up a pair of Samsung’s Gear Icon X wireless earphones for $159.99 (20% off), which, as we’re sure you’d agree, is a fantastic price to pay for a set of earbuds that feature real-time voice feedback for workout progress and 4GB of integrated storage. Samsung Gear Icon X Review:   Not ready for prime time yet To take advantage of the promotion, press the  Buy Now  button below. It would probably be wise to hurry though, as it shouldn’t be around for too long. If you miss out on this particular offer, don’t worry. Be sure to check back on Monday for another great deal.

Galaxy S8 Tip: Get faster iris scanning with one simple change

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The Galaxy S8 is the only Samsung flagship on the market right now that has an iris scanner. The feature is great for controlling access to the device and also for services like Samsung Pass where the user can rely on iris scanning to authenticate their credentials . You first have to configure your iris data which is stored in a secure enclave on the device itself and never synced to Samsung’s servers. One the feature is turned on you can rely on it to control access to your Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+. The way this feature works is that you first have to turn the screen on when you pick up your device and then swipe up on the screen for the iris scanner to start scanning. It literally takes less than a second from there for the scanner to do its thing. It’s possible for you to get faster iris scanning with just one simple change. It eliminates the need to swipe up on the screen when it’s turned on. The iris scanner starts scanning as soon as the screen is turned on. Step 1: On you

Samsung may soon announce an outdoor surveillance camera

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It appears that Samsung has a new outdoor surveillance camera in the pipeline that it’s going to announce soon. The camera has surfaced online via a page on Best Buy’s website. It’s actually a listing for this product and also serves as a clear indication that this product is going to be launched in the very near future even though Samsung hasn’t said anything about it so far. The Best Buy page for this device shows that the product is going to be called SmartCam Indoor/Outdoor 1080p Wi-Fi Network Surveillance Camera. It’s currently listed as “coming soon” on Best Buy. Samsung hasn’t confirmed anything about this product as far. The camera’s features include the ability to capture high-resolution video footage in up to 1080p resolution. It has 10x zoom magnification, infrared night vision, motion detection technology, Wi-Fi support and Wide Dynamic Range technology that compensates for backlit conditions. The entire system can be accessed remotely so users will be able to personaliz

Tizen 4.0 first milestone release breaks new ground for the Internet of Things

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The first milestone of Tizen 4.0 was released a couple of weeks ago and it marked a turning point for the platform. Samsung points out that Tizen is the “most successful Linux-based embedded OS in the world.” Tizen 4.0 was developed to invigorate the app ecosystem by making the development experience easier and to build a robust device ecosystem so that any device manufacturer can create their own Internet of Things product. To break new ground for the Internet of Things, Samsung closely worked with partners to improve the IoT-readiness, updatability and configurability of Tizen 4.0. As a result of these efforts, Tizen has been restructured significantly. The previous version of Tizen only supported defined devices like TVs and smartphones. Samsung has configured Tizen 4.0 to support various devices without needing OEMs to build new projects and infrastructure for each type of device. What this means is that device vendors can now configure and prototype an operating system for th

THIS IS QLED TV, Part 4: Burn-In Free QLED TVs, the Solution for Video Game Enthusiasts

Everything You’ve Wanted to Know About the Galaxy S8’s Audio Features

The New Family Hub is the Heart of the Connected Home

Samsung’s new $300 million US factory may be announced next week

It was first reported earlier this year that Samsung was thinking about setting up an appliance factory in the United States after the 2016 election elevated Donald Trump to the country’s highest office. The president has vowed to amend the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) so that the United States can charge hefty tax on products that are manufactured in Mexico for sale in the US. Samsung appliances sold in the US are currently manufactured at the company’s plant in Mexico so you can see why it may want to move production. A recent report suggested that Samsung’s new appliance factory in the United States was going to cost $300 million and that it was going to be based in South Carolina . According to a new report, a formal announcement about this could be made as early as next week. The Wall Street Journal reports that Samsung will be moving into a factory that will soon be vacated by Caterpillar. The factory is located in Newberry, South Carolina. The company reported

Galaxy S8 Active specs surface yet again

Samsung is due to release an “Active” variant of the Galaxy S8 in the near future. The handset was recently referenced on Samsung’s own website which is a big indication that it’s coming soon. The company may not have confirmed anything about this handset so far but it’s not like the Galaxy S8 Active’s specs haven’t been making the rounds. The Galaxy S8 Active has been spotted at a popular benchmarking website where it has revealed its specifications yet again. The latest listing reiterates that the Galaxy S8 Active will feature an Exynos 8895 processor with 4GB of RAM. Previous Active handsets have had larger batteries so that remains a possibility for the Galaxy S8 Active as well. It’s also believed that the Galaxy S8 Active is going to have a 5.8-inch AMOLED display that’s not curved. Samsung will opt for this panel in the interest of durability as the handset is reportedly going to be compliant with the MIL-STD-810G standard. Other than that, expect all of the specs to be sim

Samsung launches its QLED TVs in Brazil, reveals pricing and special offers

After launching new QLED TVs in Europe, India, Mexico, the US and some other markets, Samsung has launched them in Brazil. The company announced the pricing for its new QLED TVs for the Brazilian market on 20 June. These TVs not only offer great picture quality, but they also have great designs while doing so. Samsung is also planning to start various marketing projects to promote the new TVs. “ QLED TVs represent the pinnacle of Samsung technology today. The advanced search and relentless attention to detail allowed it the company to gather the best image quality, design and user experience in a single product, ” said Gustavo Assunção, Vice President of the Consumer Electronics Division of Samsung Brazil.  The company said that various local business are already making inquiries on the release date of the new TVs. Samsung is offering a 10-year warranty against burn-in damages for its new TVs. Brazil is a huge market in the Latin American region, and it takes up 40 percent of share

SamMobile Daily Recap: June 22, 2017 — Galaxy J5 (2017), 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 we put live today. Business Samsung starts mass producing new Exynos-branded IoT solution Deals Daily Deal: Save 22% on an OtterBox Symmetry Clear Series case for the Galaxy S8+ Firmware News First Galaxy J5 (2017) firmware update brings June security patch Galaxy S5 Neo Nougat update possibly being tested June security patch now arriving on the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge Phones Carphone Warehouse now accepting pre-orders for the Coral Blue Galaxy S8 Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) hands-on Samsung launches Galaxy Folder 2 flip phone in South Korea

Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017) now receiving June security patch in India

Samsung has started rolling out this month’s security update , which transports 96 fixes for Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) in the Android operating system and 23 patches for Galaxy-branded smartphones, for the Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017) in India. For those who haven’t been following SamMobile  closely over the course of the past few days, the June Security Maintenance Release (SMR) arrived on the Galaxy J5 (2017) , Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge  earlier today, and started  making its way to the Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ at the start of the week. If you own a Galaxy A5 (2017) or Galaxy A7 (2017) , are feeling impatient and want to check to see if the upgrade is ready for your handset, open up  Settings , tap  Software Update , then hit  Download Updates Manually . You shouldn’t need to follow these steps though, as you’ll receive an alert when the OTA is available.

Samsung Gear 360: Sharing

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Live in the moment… and invite your friends to join you. Share the whole experience in real time with Samsung Gear 360. From: Samsung Mobile

Samsung launches Galaxy Folder 2 flip phone in South Korea

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There aren’t a lot of manufacturers out there that are still making flip phones but Samsung is doing its part to keep the trend alive by launching a new device every now and then. The company launched the Galaxy Folder 2 ten months back and the handset has only been available in China since then. Samsung today announced that the Galaxy Folder 2 will now be available in South Korea. The Galaxy Folder 2 is basically a mid-range Android handset in a clamshell form factor. It features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor coupled with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage. It has a 3.8-inch TFT LCD display with WVGA resolution aside from an 8-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front camera. Both cameras have f/1.9 aperture. There’s also a 1950mAh battery onboard. Measuring in at 122 x 60.2 x 15.4mm, this 160g flip phone is powered by Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. Samsung is going to offer its LTE and 3G variants to customers in South Korea. Samsung is going to sell the Galaxy Folder 2 flip ph

Daily Deal: Save 22% on an OtterBox Symmetry Clear Series case for the Galaxy S8+

While stock lasts, you can pick up an OtterBox Symmetry Clear Series case for the Galaxy S8+ for just $39.21 (22% off). There’s a caveat, though: the promotion is only available in the United States. Here are some of its best selling points: Ultra-slim: sleek profile follows your phone’s precision lines Unlimited style: take your pick from an array of color and style options Screen bumper: raised, beveled edge helps protect touchscreen Like the sound of the Symmetry case for the Galaxy S8 and want to bag yourself one? Press the Buy Now button below. It’s worth noting that inventory is limited, so you’ll probably want to act fast.

Galaxy S5 Neo Nougat update possibly being tested

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Samsung launched a new variant of the Galaxy S5 over two years ago called the Galaxy S5 Neo . It had a different processor and support for LTE-A. The Galaxy S5 Neo featured a 5.1-inch 1920×1020 pixel resolution display with a 1.6GHz octa-core Exynos 7580 processor. The handset featured 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, a 2,800mAh battery and a 16-megapixel rear camera. The company doesn’t appear to have ceased firmware development for this device as just three months ago, a new firmware update was released for the Galaxy S5 Neo which brought the March security patch for this handset, even though countless more recent handsets hadn’t even received the February patch by then. The Galaxy S5 Neo (SM-G903) has now been spotted on GFXBench. The benchmark listing for the device tested reveals that it was running Android 7.0 Nougat. This strongly indicates that Samsung may be testing the Nougat update for this device. However, it’s unclear if and when the company is planning to release it.

Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) hands-on

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The recent launch of the revamped Galaxy J (2017) series marks a significant event in the development of Samsung’s hardware design. Though some markets already saw the launch of similarly built devices late last year (check our Galaxy J7 Prime review , for example) most Western buyers will only get their hands on Samsung’s new premium Galaxy J lineup in the coming weeks. I’ve got my hands on the first device of the series to be launched, the Galaxy J5 (2017), and will now share a few quick first impressions. Galaxy J5 (2017) hands-on: Build quality After many years of repeated ridicule over its cheap choice of materials, it is safe to say the Galaxy J5 (2017) proves Samsung has learned from the past. While it is easy to see progress in expensive flagship devices like the Galaxy S8 , the arrival of a full metal body in the much more affordable Galaxy J series is perhaps an even more significant landmark. After all, Samsung expects to sell one hundred million of these units  this yea

First Galaxy J5 (2017) firmware update brings June security patch

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Samsung recently launched its revamped Galaxy J series . The Galaxy J5 (2017) is directly available in the Netherlands today and the release coincides with the rollout of the first firmware update for this handset. The update that’s rolling out now brings the June security patch for the Galaxy J5 (2017). The Galaxy J5 (2017) has a nice metal body, it’s powered by a 1.6GHz processor coupled with 2GB RAM and 16GB of storage. It also has a 3,000mAh battery, a 5.2-inch HD Super AMOLED display as well as a 13-megapixel front and back camera. Samsung is actually rolling out this firmware version J530FXXU1AQF5 in several countries across Europe where the handset has been released. It’s a minor update in that it weighs in at just 23MB and don’t bring any new features, but then again, the Galaxy J5 (2017) is already running Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. It’s a good sign that the company is quick to release the latest security patch for this handset. Samsung is committed to rolling ou