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PSA: Some Galaxy S8 firmware might not have ‘quick launch camera’ option

Can’t launch the camera on your Galaxy S8 or S8+ by double-pressing the power button? You might not be alone. It seems that the quick launch camera option might not be present on some Galaxy S8 and S8+ units. We received review units of the two devices here in India last week, and realized that the feature is missing from both. We’re not sure if this was an issue out of the box or a result of the software update that we downloaded on the first day, but it’s certainly not available anywhere in the phones’ settings. The ability to launch the camera quickly with a double-press of the home button is one of the nicest features Samsung has introduced in its smartphones in the last couple of years, and with the S8 and S8+, the removal of the home button means users have to use the power button. It’s not a feature we would want missing, and here’s hoping Samsung will bring it back soon with a software update. Well, unless it’s deliberate, although we can’t think of a reason – legal or otherwi

Galaxy S8 Tip: Follow these steps to remove the dedicated app drawer for an iPhone-like experience

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The newly released Galaxy S8 and S8+ come with a newer user interface that the company now calls Samsung Experience 8.0. It offers plenty of customization options to users, including various layouts, icon grid settings, theme packs, icon packs, and more. The new app drawer can be accessed by swiping up or down on the home screen as the dedicated app drawer icon isn’t present in the pre-configured layout. However, if you want all your app icons on the home screen,  à la iPhone, you can do that as well. So, here’s how you can place all the app icons on the home screen and remove the dedicated app drawer on your Galaxy S8 and S8+: Step 1: Long press an empty space on your Galaxy S8 or S8+’s home screen and then click on Home Screen Settings. Step 2:  Now click on Home Screen Layout Step 3: Select the Home Screen Only option, and click Apply. Step 4: When a pop-up menu appears, click Apply. Voila! All your app and game icons will be placed on the home screen of your smartphon

Daily Deal: Save 55% on a second-generation Gear VR

If you own a Galaxy S6 , Galaxy S6 edge , Galaxy S7 , Galaxy S7 edge or Galaxy Note 5 and have been meaning to make an entrance into the virtual reality market for a while, you’ll be pleased to hear that you can now bag yourself a second-generation model of the Gear VR for just $44.99 (55% off). So what’s different between this particular variant and its successor, the Gear VR (2016). To be honest, not a great deal. Aside from being a little bit more comfortable and sporting some minor cosmetic changes, it’s pretty much the same, making the second-generation Gear VR a pretty solid offering. Like the sound of the second-generation Gear VR and want to pick one up for the reduced price? Hit the  Buy Now  button below. You’ll probably want to hurry though, as at the time of publication Amazon only has seven up for grabs, and they’ll likely be gone within the hour.

Samsung’s facial recognition tech not secure enough for mobile payments yet

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Samsung’s new flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ , feature up to five user authentication methods : face recognition, fingerprint, iris, PIN, and pattern. However, only two of them – fingerprint and iris recognition – are being used by Samsung for authenticating Samsung Pay transactions, and there’s a good reason for it. Facial recognition is not secure enough as per experts, and Samsung admits the fact. The South Korean smartphone giant says that facial recognition is only meant to be used as a quick way to unlock the smartphone and it has a lower security level compared to fingerprint and iris recognition methods, so it’s not secure enough for mobile payments yet. This technology first debuted on the Galaxy Nexus (made by Samsung) four years ago, and it was found that it can easily be fooled using an image of a photograph of the user. “ We do not need to use facial recognition for mobile financial transactions because there are already high-level biometric technologies

C-Lab’s FaceSense Introduces Biometric-based VR Navigation

Galaxy S8 Tip: Here’s how to hide apps or games in the app launcher

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The newly released Galaxy S8 and S8+ come with a newer interface which also includes a new, Google Pixel-like app drawer. Apart from allowing you open the app drawer by swiping up or down on the home screen, the new launcher also allows hiding apps. Of course, there’s an option to completely secure apps and files using the Secure Folder feature on both these smartphones (similar to the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge ), but if you want to hide apps or games for a short time, hiding apps is a good idea. So, here’s how you can hide apps or games in the Galaxy S8 or S8+’s app launcher: Step 1:  Open the app drawer by swiping up or down from the home screen. Select the options menu by touching the three dots icon situated on the top right corner of the screen. Step 2:  Select Settings. Step 3:  Select the Hide Apps option. Step 4:  You’ll now be shown the entire list of apps that are installed on your phone. Select all the apps or games that you want to hide, and hit Apply. V

64GB variant of the Samsung Galaxy On Nxt to be launched in India tonight

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After launching the mid-range Galaxy On Nxt in India exclusively through Flipkart six months ago , Samsung is now launching the 64GB variant of the device through the same retailer. The new variant will be available in Black and Gold, and will go on sale midnight today with a price tag of INR 16,900 (around $265). Customers ordering the Galaxy On Nxt 64GB ( SM-G610F ) using Axis Bank’s Buzz credit card would eligible for an additional 5% discount. This new variant of the Galaxy On Nxt features a 5.5-inch 1080p TFT display, a 13-megapixel primary camera with 1080p video recording, an 8-megapixel secondary camera, and a fingerprint sensor. It is equipped with an octa-core Exynos 7870 processor, 3GB RAM, 64GB internal storage, a microSD card slot, and runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It’s an LTE compatible device with a dual-SIM card slot, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, microUSB port, and a 3,300 mAh battery.

Galaxy S8 wireless charging issue being reported by some users

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It’s not uncommon for a new smartphone to face some teething problems. As Samsung puts the final touches on the update that’s going to address the Galaxy S8 display’s reddish tint issue , many Galaxy S8 owners are complaining about a new issue that has to do with the handset’s wireless charging function. Some Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ owners are complaining that they are unable to charge their device using Samsung’s Fast Charging pad. Some find that the company’s older charging pads are not working even though the devices are on the Qi standard and should work with these pads. A temporary fix that appears to be working for users involves using a non-Samsung Adaptive Fast Charger with the older pads which will enable them to charge the device at slower speeds. Others just get a notification on their device which says that wireless charging has been paused. An argument can be made that perhaps Samsung is preventing wireless Fast Charging from working on older pads as it wants to limit

Wemogee is a new communication app from Samsung for people with language disorders

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Samsung Wemogee was launched earlier this month by Samsung Electronics Italia. It’s the first emoji-based chat application that has been designed to allow people with language disorders like aphasia to more effectively communicate with their friends and family. Samsung mentions that there are more than three million people across the globe living with aphasia. It’s a disorder that causes the loss of language capabilities. Recent studies show that emojis can help people with language disorders communicate more effectively so the company’s Italian division decided to come up with this app. Samsung Wemogee has been developed in collaboration with a team of speech therapists. It functions as a kind of translator between text and emojis. The app has a library of more than 140 phrases that are related to basic needs and emotional expressions. The phrases are then translated into logical sequences of emojis and are divided into six main categories that include everyday life, eating and dri

Samsung said to be developing display wth four curved sides

The Infinity Display on the Galaxy S8 is impressive to say the least. Its sleek curves set it miles apart from the competition. According to a new report out of South Korea, Samsung is now working on a new kind of display panel which will have curves on all four sides, meaning that even the top and bottom edges would be curved. The report mentions that this display panel would allow for a screen-to-body ratio more than 98 percent so the front of the device will essentially be a big slab of glass. The handset would have no top or bottom bezels and would look unlike any other smartphone on the market right now. However, the report does caution that there are some difficulties in the lamination process that have to be eliminated first before we can see these displays in consumer devices. The current lamination process won’t allow the display’s four corners to register the user’s touch thus making them essentially useless. This challenge has to be addressed first before we can have sma

Samsung and KT to Launch NB-IoT Pilot Service for Friendly-Users

Samsung Electronics and KT today announced the pilot service launching of Narrow Band-Internet of Things (NB-IoT, CAT-NB1). The service launch is targeted at friendly-users in Seoul and its metropolitan areas over a two-month period, with the aim of extending diverse service models and coverage in near future.   The NB-IoT technology is designed to meet the demands for use cases that require low throughput and battery use owing to its main feature, the narrow bandwidth of 180KHz. With its low-power consumption and cost-effective device, NB-IoT is applicable to diverse service models for individual and industry automation, such as utility metering, smart factory, cargo tracking and location tracking of children and goods. KT will initiate its first NB-IoT pilot service with the location tracking service and further expand on its use cases to diverse business applications.   Samsung has deployed its latest NB-IoT technology to existing LTE radio base stations and rolled out its virtu

Samsung Opens ‘Samsung-AUT Tech Center’ in Iran in Partnership with the AmirKabir University of Technology

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  As part of a joint partnership between Samsung Electronics and the AmirKabir University of Technology (AUT) in Iran, the Samsung-AUT Tech Center was recently opened to support technology research and innovative projects, in addition to boosting education and employment prospects for students.   Operating under the Samsung Corporate Citizenship series of programs, the center’s primary focus is on mobile application development within the health, environment and energy, education, and employment sectors. As part of its efforts, the center will provide logistical and technical support, as well as facilitate the development, production, and introduction of innovative and useful applications.   At the center, young people will also receive support in the form of training, mentorship and equipment, with the aim that they use this support to create their own projects that will help them to become more employable in the future. In addition, with research and development another major a

Verizon releases Android 7.0 Nougat for the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge

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Ever since Samsung released Android 7.0 Nougat for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge, all eyes have been on carriers in the United States to follow through. Carriers tend to hold up updates for a few weeks as they make their own tweaks and often add some bloatware. The firmware has since been released for other Samsung devices as well. Today, we have some good news for Verizon customers. Big Red has now released Android 7.0 Nougat for the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge. It’s now rolling out software version G920VVRS4DQD1 and G925VVRS4DQD1 for the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge respectively. They’re quite chunky because of the simple fact that they are major Android version updates that bump up the core OS to Nougat, the latest iteration of Android from Google. If you’re unclear about What’s New with Nougat , the latest update brings a handful of new features such as a blue light filter, the ability to adjust screen resolution, simpler device maintenance, Video Enhancer and

Samsung confirms Galaxy S8 pre-orders outpaced Galaxy S7 by 30 percent

Samsung today confirmed that the Galaxy S8 is now its best smartphone launch ever as pre-orders for the new flagship outpaced pre-orders for the Galaxy S7 by 30 percent. It’s an amazing result for Samsung given that this is the first flagship smartphone it has launched since the disaster it suffered because of the Galaxy Note 7 last year. Samsung Electronics America president and chief operating officer Tim Baxter says that the company has recommitted itself to innovate with new products and services. He points out that the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are a result of that recommitment and that the market has responded by enabling an over 30 percent year-over-year growth in pre-orders versus record pre-orders for the Galaxy S7 last year. The reddish tint issue that some Galaxy S8 owners have been facing was addressed in today’s statement as well. Samsung has reconfirmed that it’s soon going to release a software update that going to take care of the issue once and for all.

Galaxy S8 Tip: How to change the order of the on-screen buttons

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The Galaxy S8 is Samsung’s first flagship smartphone to sport on-screen buttons. However, instead of opting for the stock Android arrangement (Back, Home and Recents), the company kept its traditional order —  Recents, Home and Back. Fortunately, as they aren’t physical buttons, you can switch the order of them. Here’s how: Head into  Settings . Hit Display . Select  Navigation Bar . Press  Button Layout . Choose  Back – Home – Recents . Pretty simple, right? If, for whatever reason, following the aforementioned steps doesn’t go quite according to plan, feel free to reach out to us in the comments section below (or over on Facebook and Twitter ) and we’ll do our best to get you back on track. Otherwise, be sure to check out our other Galaxy S8 tips and tricks .

Software update will solve Galaxy S8 display’s red tint issue

SamMobile Daily Recap: April 24, 2017 — Bixby Vision, Galaxy Note 5 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 went live today. Deals Daily Deal: Take 26% off a 32GB EVO Plus microSD card Firmware News Original and refurbished Galaxy Note 7 both receive Wi-Fi certification on Android 7.0 Nougat Rogers to start rolling out Nougat update for Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge next month T-Mobile Galaxy Note 5 Android 7.0 update coming soon General Sennheiser partners with Samsung to make smart headsets for Android devices Phones Bixby Vision is crippled on Verizon’s Galaxy S8 and S8+ Galaxy J3 (2017) specifications surface online Galaxy S8 iris scanner may soon be used for financial transactions Galaxy S8 reddish tint on screen not a ‘controversial issue’ Galaxy S8+ likely to account for

Daily Deal: Take 26% off a 32GB EVO Plus microSD card

Running low on storage on your smartphone? Well, you’ll probably be pleased to hear that Amazon has cut the price of the 32GB EVO Plus microSD card by 26 percent — so you can pick one up for a mere $16.99. That’s not a bad price to pay for a memory card that’s not only waterproof, but also resistant to heat and X-rays. If you like the sound of the 32GB EVO microSD card and want to bag yourself one, hit the Buy Now button below. As we say time and time again, you’ll need to be quick though, as Amazon only has a limited amount of inventory. Also, seeing as this promotion is available worldwide, stock will likely fly off the shelves. Happy buying!

Samsung Wemogee: A New Communication Tool for People with Language Disorders

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Samsung Electronics Italia earlier this month launched Samsung Wemogee, the first emoji-based chat application designed to enable people with aphasia and other language disorders to more effectively express their ideas and emotions with the people they love. Currently, there are more than three million people worldwide living with aphasia, a disorder that causes the loss of language capabilities. Aphasia is often the result of an injury to the parts of the brain that are responsible for speaking, reading, writing and understanding others.   Given the fact that language is the most important tool to communicate, aphasia can have negative effects on one’s social relationships and often takes a toll on one’s emotions.  But recent studies show that emojis, which are predicted to become a universal visual language of the future, can help people with language disorders like aphasia better express themselves.   Developed in collaboration with a team of speech therapists, Samsung Wemogee

Samsung is confident that the European TV market would improve in H2 2017

The European TV market declined in the first half of 2017, but Samsung is confident that its business would improve in the second half of the year. The South Korean TV giant sees potential for its QLED and Frame TVs, thanks to 4K resolution, better picture quality, and improved HDR capabilities. The company plans to target premium customers in the European market. The company also feels that the competition between the picture quality of OLED and QLED technologies is now obsolete as consumers not just want the picture quality but a better overall package. Michael Zoller, the head of Samsung’s TV business in Europe, said, “ We have no soccer championship this year, so the first half will be weaker than last year for the whole European market, but Samsung can be better in the second half, ” in an interview with The Korea Herald . He didn’t disclosing any numbers, but he was confident that Samsung could capture a majority of customers in Europe’s premium TV market (TVs priced above $1500

Original and refurbished Galaxy Note 7 both receive Wi-Fi certification on Android 7.0 Nougat

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Samsung discontinued the original Galaxy Note 7 last year and after months of rumors that it would launch a refurbished version, the company confirmed last month that the refurbished Galaxy Note 7 is going to be sold in select markets . Samsung is yet to confirm the markets where the refurbished Galaxy Note 7 will be offered, whether it’s going to be sold under a different moniker, if it’s going to have a smaller battery and how much it’s going to cost. The refurbished Galaxy Note 7 bears model number SM-N935S and it’s not at all surprising to see it receive its Wi-Fi certification on Android 7.0 Nougat. The letter “S” denotes that this variant is likely meant for South Korea. However, what’s interesting to note is that the original Galaxy Note 7 with model number SM-N930F has also received the same certification. Bear in mind that this is a discontinued device and it would obviously be a pointless exercise to prepare a major update for a handset that has been taken off of the

Samsung Named Most Admired Brand in Africa

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Samsung recently was named the most admired brand in Africa by Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands , an annual survey of the Top 100 brands in Africa, in recognition of the company’s wide variety of citizenship programmes across the continent.     In addition to clinching the top position on the 2016/17 Brand Africa 100 rankings, Samsung also grew its brand value by 13 percent, making it the top brand in eight different countries.     A Focus on Improving Education As a global corporate citizen, Samsung aims to create positive change for people in communities across the world and in Africa specifically, the company’s primary Citizenship efforts have focused on education. Since 2011, Samsung has been on a mission to provide education solutions in the country, including the development of Smart Schools, eLearning Centres and Digital Libraries in rural areas across the continent, so that a greater number of children are able to access the digital technology needed to gain an

Samsung Running Festival 2017 Sees 7,000 Participants in Paraguay

Galaxy J3 (2017) specifications surface online

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We already know that it’s only a matter of time before Samsung launches the refreshed Galaxy J series. We’ve been hearing reports and rumors about the Galaxy J (2017) series devices and even saw some leaked photos of the Galaxy J5 (2017) recently. Additional specifications of the Galaxy J3 (2017) have now surfaced online. A benchmark listing reveals that the Galaxy J3 (2017) bearing model number SM-J330 is going to be powered by Samsung’s own Exynos 7570 processor coupled with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. The Galaxy J3 (2017) will feature a 5-inch 1280 x 720 pixel resolution display, a 5-megapixel front and 12-megapixel rear camera as well as the Mali-T720 graphics processor. Previous reports have already suggested that the Galaxy J3 (2017) will be running Android 7.0 Nougat when it arrives . The benchmark listing reiterates that the latest version of Google’s mobile OS will be available on the handset straight out of the box. Samsung is yet to confirm when it’s going to launch

Samsung and Qualcomm have reportedly started working on the Galaxy S9′s processor

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It has only been a few days since the Galaxy S8 was released and a new report out of South Korea is now telling us that Samsung and Qualcomm have already started working on a new mobile processor for the company’s next flagship smartphone. The next flagship will presumably be called the Galaxy S9. Given that the chip inside the existing flagship is called the Snapdragon 835 , it’s likely that the Galaxy S9′s processor is going to be called Snapdragon 845. It’s said that when the development is completed either Samsung or Taiwan’s TSMC will mass produce the processor. The Snapdragon 835 is manufactured by Samsung on its 10nm process. It promises 27 percent improvement in performance and 30 percent in energy efficiency compared to processors based on the 14nm process. The Snapdragon 845 will obviously offer more performance and efficiency gains but it’s too soon to speculate on the numbers right now. Samsung recently unveiled its second-generation 10nm process which promises a furt

The Galaxy S8 costs more to build than the iPhone 7

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Every Galaxy S8 that flies off the production line costs Samsung an eye-watering $307.50, which includes the price of materials and manufacturing, reveals an estimate released by renowned analytics firm IHS Markit on Thursday, April 20. For comparison, that’s $82.70 more than the iPhone 7 and $52.40 more than its predecessor, the Galaxy S7 . It’s hardly difficult to see why the Galaxy S8 (no figures were provided for the Galaxy S8+ ) is an expensive device to manufacture. At the end of the day, a quality product rarely comes cheap — and this is a prime example. The handset’s innovative design, gorgeous display and beefy internals all bump up the basic manufacturing costs and bill of materials quite considerably. Via Source

Samsung Galaxy Amp Prime 2 is Cricket’s new cheap phone running Android Nougat

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Even though there are some variants of Samsung’s previous generation flagship smartphones that are yet to receive the Nougat update, Cricket has announced the Galaxy Amp Prime 2, a new cheap phone running Android 7.0 out of the box. The smartphone is a successor to last year’s Galaxy Amp Prime, and a rebranded version of Sprint’s Galaxy J3 Emerge that was launched earlier this year. It is available from Cricket for $149.99 with activation. The Galaxy Amp Prime 2 features a 5-inch HD display (probably LCD), a 5-megapixel primary camera with HD video recording, and a 2-megapixel secondary camera. It is equipped with a 1.35GHz quad-core processor (probably a Snapdragon 430 chipset), 1.5GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, and a microSD card slot. It features 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and microUSB port for connectivity, and comes packed with a 2,600 mAh battery. Via Source 1 Source 2

Galaxy S8+ likely to account for more than 50% of all sales

A new report out of South Korea predicts that the 6.2-inch Galaxy S8+ is going to account for more than 50 percent of combined sales for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ . The model with the larger display is expected to sell better compared to its 5.8-inch sibling. Yuanta Securities Korea Co. released a new report today predicting that the annual combined sales of the Galaxy S8 are going to hit 50.4 million units with the Galaxy S8+ accounting for 27.1 million units or 53.9 percent of all sales. Industry analysts predict that this will be due to the rising demand for larger screens as users prefer those for consuming multimedia content and mobile gaming. Customer preference has sided with models that have larger displays for the previous Galaxy flagships as well. The edge models of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S7 both had larger displays and outsold their smaller siblings. Increased sales of the larger model are beneficial for Samsung as the higher margins on these devices will lead to inc

This app (kind of) lets you remap the Bixby button on the Galaxy S8

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Shortly after Samsung rolled out an upgrade to  patch an exploit that enabled users to remap the function of the Bixby button on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, another workaround has surfaced. Once again, it’s in the form of an application — but there’s a caveat. At present, it can only be used to remap the button to open Google Now. It’s thought that, providing the interest is there, the developer will spruce up the application’s design and add more functionality in the coming weeks. It’s already proving to be a hit over on reddit , where fellow Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ owners are both singing its praises and providing feedback for its creator to take on board for the next version. Play Store Download Link

T-Mobile Galaxy Note 5 Android 7.0 update coming soon

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It has been a while since the Galaxy Note 5 started receiving the Android 7.0 Nougat update . Even major carriers in the United States have rolled it out. T-Mobile’s rivals AT&T, Sprint and Verizon have all released Nougat for the Galaxy Note 5. T-Mobile subscribers have no reason to be concerned. The carrier has now confirmed that it will soon release the Android 7.0 Nougat update for the Galaxy Note 5. T-Mobile’s @AskDes confirmed via Twitter that the carrier has received approval of the Android 7.0 Nougat software update for the Galaxy Note 5. He also mentioned that the carrier’s customers should start seeing it on their devices early next week. Magenta subscribers will surely be happy that they will finally be able to get a taste of the latest and greatest version of Android not too long after all of T-Mobile’s rivals in the United States have already released it for their customers. Check out the video embedded down below to find out all that’s new with Nougat for the Gal

Rogers to start rolling out Nougat update for Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge next month

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Canadian carrier Rogers has announced that it will start distributing the long-awaited Nougat update for its variant of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge on Monday, May 1. This news comes more than two months after the upgrade started making the rounds for the factory unlocked model of the handsets.   In addition to a multitude of bug fixes, speed optimizations and stability improvements, the upgrade is expected to bundle all of the stock features baked into Android 7.0 , including a drastically revamped user interface. For more details on what’s new, be sure to check out the video below. VIDEO Source

Galaxy S8 iris scanner may soon be used for financial transactions

The Galaxy S8′s iris scanner might soon be used for much more than just controlling access to the device. According to a new report out of South Korea, credit card companies in the country are looking to utilize the iris scanner to enable safer financial transactions on the mobile device. Samsung Card Co. is reportedly looking to start using the iris scanner through its mobile app so that its customers can authenticate financial transactions by using the iris scanner on their Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+. These companies also wanted to use the iris scanner for authenticating financial transactions when the technology first debuted with the Galaxy Note 7 last year. However, they were only able to use it for logging customers into their accounts and not for verifying transactions. The Galaxy Note 7 didn’t stick around long enough for them to do that. Other major financial institutions in South Korea such as Shinhan, Hana and Woori are also expected to use the iris scanner for verifying t

Samsung’s 2017 QLED TV receives highest rating ever from German tech magazine

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Samsung is celebrating the fact that Video Magazin, Germany’s renowned consumer electronics magazine, has recently rated its 2017 QLED TV as the best on the market. The magazine particularly liked the QLED TV’s “less is more” lifestyle-centric features and found them to be innovative. Samsung went back to the drawing board, so to speak, to come up with the 2017 QLED TV. It worked hard on optimizing the TV’s picture quality as well as on improving its form and components to simplify use. After a series of comprehensive lab tests, the magazine awarded Samsung’s 65-inch Q9F a rating of 920 on a 1,005-point scale which is the highest score it has ever granted. The QLED TV received this rating for its advanced specifications, smart features and great design. This is also the first product reviewed by Video Magazin that has received high marks in all three evaluation categories. Aside from Innovation, the 2017 QLED TV also received a high score in the Reference category for its innovativ

Sennheiser partners with Samsung to make smart headsets for Android devices

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German audio technology brand Sennheiser has announced that it has partnered with Samsung to make smart headsets for Android smartphones and tablets. These headsets would feature the company’s proprietary AMBEO 3D audio technology that makes games and movies sound more realistic. The company already makes AMBEO headsets with Lightning connectors for iPhones. The company’s CEO Andreas Sennheiser told The Korea Herald,  “ We are working with Samsung on the AMBEO smart headset to make it available for Android devices because a dominant layer of the smartphone market is Android-based phones. We are working (with) Samsung because we need credibility, and we are doing this technology collaboration for compatibility.” Sennheiser has been operating in Korea for 30 years now, but audio firm opened a subsidiary in the country just two years ago. The company’s CEO said that Korean consumers are very tech-savvy, and the country is an important test bed for its new technologies. Andreas Sennhe

Galaxy S8 reddish tint on screen not a ‘controversial issue’

When the Galaxy S8 started making its way to pre-order customers last week we started hearing reports about a “reddish” tint on the handset’s display . The issue was limited to some early adopters but was significant enough to warrant a response from Samsung. The renowned product review publication Consumer Reports has said that this isn’t a controversial issue. It tested eight units of the Galaxy S8 and found that some of the units showed a noticeable reddish tint on their screens but also points out that the red-tinged screens were not noticeably distorted or uncomfortable to see. “Our display evaluators noted that displays of four of our test models appeared slightly more red than the other four. It’s unclear how much consumers might object to the red tint, especially if they weren’t looking at two phones side-by-side,” it mentions in its report. Samsung is going to fix this issue by way of a software update . The update is going to be out in a few days and it will regulate the c

Bixby Vision is crippled on Verizon’s Galaxy S8 and S8+

If you’ve read any recent reports about Samsung’s AI-powered personal digital assistant Bixby , you would probably know that its highly-anticipated voice recognition and voice command functionalities aren’t ready yet for is launch in the US . However, it is now being reported that its image recognition capability is crippled as well, at least on Verizon’s units. Bixby Vision , a feature that can identify text and recognize objects , is limited in functionality on Verizon’s Galaxy S8 and S8+ units in the US. According to a report from CNET , Bixby Vision doesn’t include the Amazon shopping option which lets users point the Galaxy S8′s camera at certain objects so that they can get links to shop for those objects online. Verizon has confirmed the issue, and said that it is working with Amazon to solve it. In the meantime, the carrier is asking its customers to use Amazon’s app on the Galaxy S8 and S8+ for “ the same photo and shopping experience. ” This makes Bixby even less useful

IFA chief wants Samsung to unveil the Galaxy Note 8 in Berlin

After the impressive launch and subsequent reception of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ in New York last month, IFA chief wants Samsung to unveil the Galaxy Note 8 in Berlin. Speaking at a press conference in Berlin, IFA Executive Director Jens Heithecker said that trade show would be a better place for Samsung to showcase its upcoming phablet. Traditionally, Samsung used to unveil its Galaxy Note lineup of smartphones ( including the Galaxy Note 4 ) at IFA in September every year. However, it  unveiled the Galaxy Note 5 and the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 in August at events in New York. IFA chief now wants Samsung to return to the trade show for the unveiling of the Galaxy Note 8. Heithecker also said that Samsung would have the biggest presence at IFA this year, but it is not known whether the Galaxy Note 8 would be a part of the consumer electronics giant’s product lineup at the trade show. The Galaxy Note 8 is expected to feature the same design as the Galaxy S8+, with a possible introd

Lifestyle-centric Features Propel QLED TV to German Tech Magazine’s Highest Rating Ever

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Germany’s highly regarded consumer electronics publication, Video Magazin , recently rated 2017 Samsung QLED TV as the best on the market, and deemed the devices’ ‘less is more’, lifestyle-centric features to be particularly innovative.     Following comprehensive lab tests, the magazine awarded Samsung Electronics’ 65-inch Q9F a rating of 920 on a 1,005-point scale – the highest score it has ever granted. Samsung QLED TV was honored for its advanced specs, smart features and versatile design, which together create the seamless viewing experience that Samsung has dubbed ‘Lifestyle TV’.   Samsung earned its score by thinking outside the box (or screen, as it were), not only optimizing QLED TV’s picture quality, but also honing the televisions’ form and components to simplify use and allow the devices to blend in in any home.   Products of this approach include QLED TV’s Invisible Connection cable, No Gap Wall Mount and refined One Remote Control , which earned high marks in the

Galaxy S8 Tip: How to change the color of the navigation bar

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By now, you’re probably well aware that Samsung opted for a set of on-screen keys for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ , but something you may not know is that you can change the color of them. Why would you want to, I hear you ask. Well, we’ve found that some hues provide a more immersive experience. Here’s how you do it: Open up  Settings . Tap  Display . Select  Navigation Bar. Choose the color you’d like from the  Background Color  section. That’s really all there is to it. If  you happen to run into any issues along the way, be sure to let us know in the comments section below, and we’ll do our best to get you back on track. You can also reach out to us over on  Facebook  and  Twitter , but we can’t promise an as speedy response time as we can on our own platform. Check out our other Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ tips and tricks , and be on the lookout for more in the coming days.

You can buy a 24K gold plated Galaxy S8 and S8+ from Legend

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If Samsung’s new flagship smartphones aren’t blingy enough for you (even in their golden color variants), and if you have enough money to burn, you should have a look at Legend’s 24K gold-plated, diamond-studded Galaxy S8 and S8+ . The Helsinki, Finland-based brand has developed a new way to cover the Galaxy S8′s glass back as well as its metal sides with 24K gold. The company will also add VVS1-grade diamonds around the Samsung logo at the back. The company has priced the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ at €2790 and €2890, respectively. However, if you want to spend even more, the company’s designer will help you add a custom logo, hand engraving, and even exotic leather to your device.

Watchface Friday: Here’s four of this week’s best watchfaces

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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 Elegant Classic Pro Nerd Motivation One Light Blue Gear S3 frontier Anacott Steel Wall Street Edition SamWatch AD B

SamMobile Daily Recap: April 21, 2017 — Galaxy S8, 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 published today. Deals Daily Deal: Pick up a 128GB PRO Select microSD card for 9% off Opinion Samsung’s flagships need to start getting battery life similar to its mid-range devices Phones Galaxy S8 and S8+ will not have pesky carrier branding in the US Galaxy S8, S8+, and Tab S3 users will get free three-month subscription to Google Play Music Samsung shares three short promotional videos for the Galaxy S8 Samsung will fix the Galaxy S8′s display issue by way of a software update Sprint launches Samsung Galaxy S8 with BOGO promotion The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ launch today Unlocked Galaxy S8 and S8+ are now available for preorder in the US Polls [Poll] Which Galaxy S f

Samsung will start the production of 7th generation OLED displays soon

Samsung Display , the world’s largest smartphone OLED panel manufacturer with more than 95 percent market share, is looking to expand its market share even further. The company will reportedly start the production of its seventh-generation smartphone OLED panels soon, while competitors are still trying to focus on sixth-generation OLED display panels. An analyst told The Investor that Samsung’s new A4 production line will start manufacturing seventh generation OLED panels for smartphones as early as Q2 next year. The company will reportedly add foldable OLEDs, chip-on-plastic OLEDs, and 4K (800 ppi) OLED panels in its arsenal to keep its dominating position for years to come. “ Its smaller rivals will be catching up with Samsung in production volume of sixth-generation OLED panels in the coming years. Samsung is likely to turn its eyes to the larger seventh-generation OLED panels for better productivity, ” Yi Choong-hoon, CEO of display research firm UBI Research, said in a recent

Sprint launches Samsung Galaxy S8 with BOGO promotion

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Sprint has today kicked off a BOGO deal on the newly-launched Galaxy S8. As part of the promotion, customers can snag themselves two handsets for the price of one for just $31.25 per month. The offer is available for both new and existing customers from April 21 through April 27, but they’ll need to activate a new line to be eligible. Related content:  Galaxy S8 and S8+ will not have pesky carrier branding in the US The operator is also offering those interested an opportunity to enrol in the Galaxy Forever program, which makes it possible to upgrade to the latest Galaxy smartphone any time after 12 consecutive lease payments — so if you’re looking to pick up the Galaxy S9 ( yes , Samsung’s already started working on it ) when it launches, it’s in your best interest to sign up.

The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ launch today

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After waiting for what felt like an eternity, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have finally launched. Although, Samsung’s claiming the handsets are only available in four markets — Canada, Korea, Puerto Rico and the United States — but that’s not technically true, as customers all over the globe started receiving pre-orders as early as Wednesday. Read more:  Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ review: Samsung brings us the future, but it’s not perfect yet For those in need of a refresher, the Galaxy S8 sports a 5.8-inch Infinity Display, an Exynos 8895/Snapdragon 835 processor, a 12MP rear-facing camera, an 8MP selfie shooter and a 3,000mAh battery. The Galaxy S8+ , on the other hand, packs almost identical internals, with the main differences being it has a larger 6.2-inch screen and a 3,500mAh cell.

Galaxy S8 Tip: Let the callee know that your call is important using this feature

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The Galaxy S8 or S8+ , which were officially launched today, come with a newer user interface with improved icons and a lot of new features. One of those features is the Important Call feature in its dialer app. When you want to let the other person (the callee) know that you need to talk to them urgently, you can activate this option through the dialer app. When the Important Call feature is activated by the caller, the callee can see the Important Call tag in front the caller’s name. The person will then know that it’s an important call, so they won’t miss it even if they’re in a meeting. The Important Call tag also shows up in the call log section. However, this feature just works between two Galaxy S8/S8+ devices as of now. Check out our other  Galaxy S8 and S8+ tips and tricks , and be on the lookout for more in the coming days.

Daily Deal: Pick up a 128GB PRO Select microSD card for 9% off

For a limited time only, you can pick up a 128GB PRO Select microSD card for $81.91 (9% off). What’s neat about this promotion is that it’s available worldwide, so folk in both the UK and US will be able to take advantage of the unit’s snappy transfer speeds for the reduced price. Like the sound of 128GB PRO Select microSD card and want to bag yourself one? Simply hit the Buy Now button below. We advise you to hurry, though, as Amazon only has a very limited amount of inventory available for this specific deal, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Galaxy S8, S8+, and Tab S3 users will get free three-month subscription to Google Play Music

Samsung has just announced that it has partnered with Google to offer a free three-month subscription of Google Play Music to owners of the Galaxy S8 , Galaxy S8+ , and the Galaxy Tab S3 . In addition to streaming music and podcasts, users can also upload and stream up to 100,000 songs (twice of what’s available for general users) from their offline music collection to their Google Play Music accounts. It will also be the default music player on all the Android devices launched by Samsung in 2017. Users can listen to music, free curated radio, and smart music recommendations based on their preferences, mood, or occasion. Besides, Galaxy S8, S8+, and Tab S3 owners can also watch ad-free music videos on YouTube Red (where available) during the trial period. This is Samsung’s effort to cut down on duplicate apps that coincide with Google’s offerings. Of course, you can download and install Samsung’s music player from the Play Store or the Galaxy Apps store. The company killed its Milk m

Samsung Partners with Google Play Music to Enhance the Mobile Music Experience

Never before has music been more ingrained in our lives than it is now, in the mobile era. To help consumers more easily discover, enjoy and share music on their favorite devices, Samsung has partnered with Google Play Music , a music and podcast streaming service and online music locker.   Starting April 21, with the launch of the Galaxy S8 and S8+, Google Play Music* will be the default music player and music service on Android-based Samsung phones and tablets launched in 2017.** With the service, users can enjoy free curated radio and smart music recommendations based on their preferences, and can discover and subscribe to podcasts.   In addition, Samsung has also collaborated with Google Play Music to create exclusive features for users of the aforementioned devices. For example, users can upload and stream up to 100,000 songs from their own music collection on Google Play Music – twice the number available for general service users.   With the purchase of a Galaxy S8, Galaxy

Samsung device owners can upload 100,000 songs on Google Play Music