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London, UK – 24 November 2017 – Samsung Electronics announced today that the company has been awarded a contract for the supply of  smartphones and related accessories by the Home Office for use on the emergency services network (ESN), which will see a new communications network rolled out to all police, fire, ambulance and other public safety users across the UK. The LTE smartphones which will be supplied by Samsung were developed through extensive R&D to provide the most suitable solution for the challenges which currently affect communication within the emergency services. Fully optimised for the emergency environment, it will have a rugged design, be water resistant and both hardware and software features that will support emergency services functionality and critical voice services.  The new network will replace the current Airwave system which is mainly limited to voice radio. ESN will provide mobile broadband data services based on LTE, allowing a huge range of additi

India is one of the markets where Samsung is running behind with security updates for flagship phones right now. The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ were updated with the October security patch in early November in the country, while mid-range phones like the Galaxy A7 (2017) followed soon after with the November patch. Well, Samsung is now rolling out the October patch to the Galaxy S7 , its 2016 flagship, in India. Galaxy S7 October security patch rolling out in India The update is only available for the regular Galaxy S7, but the Galaxy S7 edge will probably join the party soon. There’s nothing on this update other than the November security patch from what we know right now. The November patch fixes the KRACK Wi-Fi exploit , 61 Android vulnerabilities (KRACK is a Wi-Fi issue that is not exclusive to Google’s mobile operating system), and six Samsung vulnerabilities. The update is available over the air and bumps the build number up to G930FXXU1DQJB . The OTA is slightly more than 40

Now, before you reach for those pitchforks, let me say that the words in the title aren’t mine or one of my colleagues’ at SamMobile. They come straight from Samsung, or at least from the company’s Samsung Members app, from a section on official performance tips for the Galaxy Note 8 . And, frankly, if we consider what happened last year, Samsung isn’t entirely wrong, but it’s not entirely correct, either. Somewhere between fact and fiction The Galaxy Note 7 had a 3,500 mAh battery, but that phone was officially cancelled after its tendency to burn up was found to be the norm rather than an exception . The Galaxy Note 8, therefore, does have the largest battery on any Galaxy Note flagship that didn’t meet a premature end. But, I’m not sure it has the most generous battery capacity of any Note device. That statement would be 100 percent correct if the Note 8’s battery capacity were notably higher than any Note flagship before it, but that’s not true. The Galaxy Note 4 had a 3,220

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 covered today. Firmware News Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ Android 8.0 Oreo beta 3 now rolling out Galaxy S8 November security patch update is finally rolling out Phones Rumor: Galaxy S9 screen-to-body ratio may be as high as 89-90 percent Samsung is the second-largest smartphone manufacturer in the UK The Bixby button is here to stay, as evidenced by Samsung’s latest flip phone Themes Themes Thursday: Here are this week’s best themes The post SamMobile Daily Recap: November 23, 2017 — Bixby, Galaxy S9 and more! appeared first on SamMobile .

It’s Thursday, which means that it’s time for another exciting  edition of our weekly  Themes Thursday  segment. This week, a number of new themes found their way onto the Store. Unfortunately, they aren’t all worth of your attention, because the majority are priced too high. Check out four of the best new themes below: Catkiss Honeycomb & Arrows Night Sky Van Gogh Waterfall The post Themes Thursday: Here are this week’s best themes appeared first on SamMobile .

There’s been a fair bit of talk about the Galaxy S9 in the rumor mill recently, with even a near-final version of the phone supposedly appearing in case renders . The source of those case renders had said that the bezel above the display might be narrower than what is portrayed in the renders, and we have received a tip to support that claim. In fact, our tipster tells us the Galaxy S9’s screen-to-body ratio may be as high as 90 percent, nearly six percent higher than that of the Galaxy S8+. Galaxy S9 bezels could be a lot smaller than the S8’s Now, Samsung has made a point of not mentioning an exact number for the screen-to-body ratio on its flagships, but if we look at the available data, the Galaxy S8+’s ratio is around 84 percent (for beginners, screen-to-body ratio is an indication of how much surface the screen takes up compared to the whole device). With the “bezel-less” designs of smartphones today, companies have been on a mission to offer as big a screen as possible on as

Well, it looks like a good day for Galaxy S8 updates. Samsung just released a new Android 8.0 Oreo beta for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, and it has also started rolling out the November security update for the millions of regular consumers not taking part in the beta program. In fact, it seems Samsung has used the same official changelog for the beta and standard update, with both mentioning improvements to Bluetooth connectivity and the latest Google security patches. Galaxy S8 November 2017 security patch update The November security patch brings a fix for the widespread Wi-Fi KRACK exploit , along with fixes for 61 other Android vulnerabilities and six exploits found only on Samsung’s software. The latest security update, as is usually the case, seems to have gone live in the Netherlands first, but it shouldn’t be long before it spreads to other markets. It’s rolling out over the air right now as a rather big 545 MB download, and carries build number G950FXXU1AQK7. Your Galax

Samsung is rolling out the third Android 8.0 Oreo beta to the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ in the UK, with the update now available for download over the air. It’s a 600 MB+ update for at least the Galaxy S8, and it looks like the only major improvement here is to Bluetooth stability. The November security patch is also included, but that’s about it according to the update’s changelog. Galaxy S8 and S8+ Android 8.0 Oreo beta 3 now available Of course, there may be quite a few other changes, fixes, and even newer features not mentioned in the OTA changelog. Samsung will hopefully be listing a more informative changelog in the Samsung Members app soon, as it usually does for these beta releases (especially since one of the Samsung community members posted earlier this week that the company is working to make the third beta as good as possible ). We are downloading the beta right now and will report on any notable stuff we discover ourselves. If you’re on the Oreo beta program, go ahead

Samsung has secured its position as the second-largest smartphone manufacturer in the United Kingdom , trailing Apple, according to Counterpoint Research. Smartphone sales remained flat in the third quarter, while the overall market declined by eight percent year-on-year, it added. Related:  Can Samsung reclaim the Indian smartphone market from Xiaomi? “Huawei was the third largest brand, with consistent double-digit market share, leveraging a diverse portfolio across all price-tiers, but still some distance behind Samsung and Apple that represent something approaching a virtual duopoly,” said Parv Sharma, Research Associate at Counterpoint Research. Galaxy S8 was among the best-selling smartphones The iPhone 7 was the best-selling smartphone, accounting for 15 percent of  all smartphones sold during the third quarter, with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ coming in second and third, respectively. Samsung’s extensive budget-friendly line-up helped it maintain its position, Research

Need more evidence that the Bixby button is here to stay, and even with the software option to render it useless , won’t be removed from Samsung phones anytime soon? Well, you only need to look at the SM-W2018 , Samsung’s latest flip phone, which also features a dedicated button for firing up Bixby. Given the limited reach of the company’s flip phones, the SM-W2018 could have done without the Bixby key, and no one would have batted an eyelid. But it’s there, and you can see it clearly in yet another set of leaked images showing the phone in the flesh. Samsung’s latest flip phone keeps leaking out The images come from SlashLeaks , and they show what we have already seen in previous leaks. You get two displays (4.2 inches each, with Full HD resolution), a traditional keypad with a circular navigation key setup, and a design that reeks of quality. The SM-W2018 will have high-end specs, including the Snapdragon 835 SoC, 6GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, a 12-megapixel rear camera,

Samsung has already started dropping hints that artificial intelligence might be front and center on its upcoming flagship smartphone . The company is actually getting quite serious about artificial intelligence. Samsung confirmed today that it’s creating a new research center for advancing AI technology. The company hasn’t said where this artificial intelligence research center will be located. However, it did confirm that it’s going to be a joint research facility under the mobile and consumer electronics divisions. Those are two of the three main divisions of Samsung Electronics. Samsung’s artificial intelligence research center The new artificial intelligence research center is going to be led by HS Kim, the chief of the company’s consumer electronics division. Young Sohn, Samsung’s chief strategy officer, will get a “strengthened” role to find new business areas for all business groups. It’s pertinent to mention here that Sohn was the one who led Samsung’s $8 billion acquisiti

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. Firmware News Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 Oreo beta 3 could release ‘very, very soon’ Phones Case renders give us a glimpse of the Galaxy A5 (2018) Galaxy S9 could be previewed at CES in January, launched in March Galaxy S9 won’t introduce a drastic new design, tipster says ‘Mostly accurate’ case renders reportedly show Galaxy S9 design Samsung could release a Galaxy Note 8 Star Wars edition Tips & Tricks Galaxy Note 8 Tip: S Pen Translate will make your life easier Virtual Reality Samsung’s next mobile VR headset will feature inside-out positional tracking Wallpapers Wallpaper Wednesday: Material Landscapes (Part 2) The post SamMobile Daily Recap: Novemb

Samsung is planning to preview the much-anticipated Galaxy S9 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada in January, with a launch event scheduled to take place in March—as it did for the Galaxy S8—reports VentureBeat . The Galaxy S9, according to reliable tipster Evan Blass, will sport a near-identical design to the Galaxy S8 , though it will benefit from a repositioned bottom-mounted fingerprint sensor and a rear-facing, vertically-positioned dual-camera setup. Related:  Galaxy S9 won’t introduce a drastic new design, tipster says Both the Galaxy S9 (SM-G960) and Galaxy S9+ (SM-G965) are rumored to come with identical Infinity Displays to their predecessors — 5.8- and 6.2-inches, respectively. They’re also expected to feature the same 64GB of expandable storage. They should, however, pack an improved Exynos9810/ Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB of RAM as standard, AKG-tuned stereo speakers and at least a 3,500mAh battery, which will, of course, be subjected to Samsung’

Welcome to the latest edition of  Wallpaper Wednesday . This week we’re highlighting five more Material Design-esque landscape backgrounds. All of the images are available in a suitable resolution for the  Galaxy Note 8 ,  Galaxy S8 ,  Galaxy S8+  — and just about any other smartphone on the market. If any of the following images float your boat and you want to download and set one as your wallpaper, simply tap on the photo to maximise it, then click and hold to save it. Once the picture is stored locally, open up  Settings , locate and select  Wallpaper , then just press the image to set it as your background. Camel Forest Metropolis Pyramid Woods Download The post Wallpaper Wednesday: Material Landscapes (Part 2) appeared first on SamMobile .

Samsung’s mid-range lineup will soon be adding the Galaxy A (2018) smartphones to the mix. It’s unclear when the phones will launch, but it may not take much time, as we have received a tip with pictures of cases for the Galaxy A5 (2018). These renders reiterate that the Galaxy A (2018) smartphones will have an Infinity display and, as a result, a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. Should these renders be of the final product (and there’s no reason they shouldn’t be at this point), the fingerprint sensor will be placed below the single rear camera, making the Galaxy A5 (2018) and its siblings the first to fix Samsung’s awkward fingerprint sensor placement instead of the Galaxy S9. Now, these case renders do not necessarily mean an official unveiling of the Galaxy A (2018) series is imminent. Samsung could wait until January to do that, especially since the Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017) were also launched in January of this year. Only time will tell, and hopefully, upcoming leak

Samsung released the first two Android 8.0 Oreo beta builds for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ just eight days apart, but we haven’t seen any sign of the third beta, and that might be because Samsung is focusing on making the next build as stable as possible. This comes from a Samsung UK admin on the Samsung Members community, who has also said that the next beta will come out “very, very soon”, in response to a user’s query about the beta program. Now, we know that “very, very soon” isn’t a lot to go on, and Samsung’s support reps are clueless about things more often than not, but if the Samsung UK admin is part of the beta team, we should pay attention. It’s good to see Samsung is taking its time with the third beta before making it available, and the state of the third beta should be a good indication of just how far out we are from the final version of Oreo . Hopefully, the third beta release will also coincide with the beta’s second phase, wherein it will be made available to a

The Galaxy Note 8 has several features that will make your life easier and S Pen Translate is one of them. As the name suggests, the feature enables you to perform text translations quickly using the handset’s stylus. This feature was also present on the short-lived Galaxy Note 7 and it’s nice to see that it has stuck around for the Galaxy Note 8 as well. We highlight such features in our extensive coverage of Galaxy Note 8 Tips & Tricks . One cool Galaxy Note 8 feature we recently covered lets you hover S Pen to easily scroll in apps . Galaxy Note 8 Tip: S Pen Translate Step 1: The S Pen Translate feature can be accessed by opening Air Command. Step 2: Tap on Translate. Step 3: Select the Source language and the Target language. Step 4: Hover the S Pen over the text that you want to translate. That’s just how simple this is. It’s also possible to translate an entire sentence. Just tap on the teal button in the translation box and highlight the sentence. The transla

The Galaxy S9 is still a ways off from making an official appearance, but case renders leaked by BGR purportedly show the near-final design of Samsung’s 2018 flagship. Based on information “from the factory that is building Samsung’s new flagship phones”, these renders (from case maker Ghostek) are said to be “mostly accurate” and suggest that Samsung will be making a few minor but useful changes to the design that debuted with the Galaxy S8. Galaxy S9 renders: Fingerprint sensor finally where it should be? According to BGR’s sources, the back of the S9 is portrayed accurately in the renders, which means Samsung will finally position the fingerprint sensor in the proper place. In fact, the site says the dual cameras on the S9 will be positioned vertically, so the fingerprint sensor will be further down on the phone’s body and, therefore, quite easy to reach. At the front, the bezels above the display will reportedly be narrower on the final version of the S9, and the speaker at th

In less than a month, the next episode in the Star Wars saga,  The Last Jedi , will release in theaters around the world, and it looks like Samsung will be launching a special edition of the Galaxy Note 8 based on the highly anticipated movie. Well, at least that’s what we can surmise from an image that has been published on Twitter by a leakster with a good track record. Galaxy Note 8 to get the Star Wars treatment The lack of any changes to the design of the phone is a red flag, although it’s possible Samsung isn’t willing to give us a glimpse of the Galaxy Note 8 Star Wars edition just yet. Or, the company will only be adding wallpapers, ringtones and other Star Wars media to differentiate it from the regular Note 8, which would be in line with the Pirates of the Caribbean edition of the Galaxy S8 that launched in China earlier this year. Of course, we would prefer a heavily customized version akin to the Galaxy S6 edge Iron Man edition , but that probably won’t happen. The im

Taeyong Kim, Vice President of Samsung Electronics, revealed at the firm’s Developer Conference last month that its next mobile VR headset will be equipped with inside-out positional tracking and its Six Degrees of Freedom controllers. “The question is, how do we combine the benefits of [Gear VR and Odyssey] together for our next VR system?” said Kim at Samsung’s annual Developer Conference in San Francisco. “That’s the question we’re asking at this point.” Related:  Odyssey Windows Mixed Reality headset launched Announced at the beginning of October, Odyssey is Samsung’s Windows-powered Mixed Reality desktop headset. It sports dual-OLED displays with a 1,400 x 1,600 resolution per eye, a 110-degree field-of-view, and built-in AKG headphones. Odyssey Mini It’s unclear, however, if the South Korean company is working on a mobile version of Odyssey—or if it’s attempting to bring inside-out positional tracking and its Six Degrees of Freedom motion sensors to its next-generation Ge

Samsung won’t introduce a drastic new design with the Galaxy S9 , according to reliable tipster Evan Blass. The handset is, instead, expected to come with an improved CPU, a repositioned fingerprint sensor and a rear-facing dual-camera. The firm is also working on an artificial intelligence user interface —Galaxy Ai UX—that should make accessing applications and important documents a lot easier; however, there’s no confirmation it will arrive on the upcoming Galaxy S9. Related:  Galaxy S9 will be unveiled ahead of MWC, says tipster Recent rumors suggest that the handset could enter mass production next month—and if that turns out to be true, there’s a chance it will be official ahead of Mobile World Congress, complete with a 3D facial recognition feature à la iPhone X. Galaxy S9 Mini Investment information provider Valuewalk revealed last week that Samsung may be working on a 4-inch variant of the Galaxy S9, which is expected to be called the Galaxy S9 Mini, though we’re still y

1 – A recent Samsung survey found that it isn’t reality TV or soaps that make us most likely to tune in….but documentaries 1 , with 41% claiming it is their favourite TV genre.       2 – Based on the above it is probably no surprise that Blue Planet II is currently the most watched show of 2017, peaking with 14.1 million viewers 2       3 – In Australia, the iconic State of the Origin rugby match between Queensland and New South Wales drew in the most viewers of 2017 to date with 4.1 million people 3       4 – Whilst in China, it’s an internet based ‘rap reality’ show pulling in the viewers. The Rap of China showcase young and feisty contestants hoping for their big break into the world of hip hop, with more than 2.5 billion views to date 4 .       5 – Back in the UK, Only Fools & Horses was voted the most popular sitcom of all time in Samsung’s poll.       6 – The Chase is our number one game show       7 – Whilst Strictly Come Dancing beat off some s

As promised by Verizon , the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge on its network are receiving an update with the November security patch. With build number  G930VVRU4BQK2, the update includes a patch for the KRACK exploit that has put millions of Wi-Fi devices at risk. This is Verizon’s second update for the S7 and S7 edge in a month, marking an impressive turn for the North American career most infamous for delaying software updates. Verizon Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge November security update The latest security patch plugs 61 Android vulnerabilities and six exclusive to Samsung’s software, in addition to fixing the aforementioned Wi-Fi exploit. To grab the update on your S7 or S7 edge, open the settings app, go into the  Software update  menu and hit the  Download updates manually  option. The update should start downloading; if it doesn’t, wait for a few minutes and try again (you will have better luck on a Wi-Fi connection). You can also wait for the update to show up on its own or

If you have received the Value Pack update on your Gear S3 , you might have noticed a drastic change in how you operate the watch. Well, operating the watch remains pretty much the same as before, but Samsung has made one change that may put you off, at least in the initial few days: You can no longer swipe down from the top of the display to go back inside apps and menus. On Tizen 3.0, swiping down from any screen opens the toggles screen, which means you now have to use the back key any time you need to go back. It’s how the Gear Sport works out of the box, but if you have been using the Gear S3 for a few months (or are upgrading to the Gear Sport from a Gear S2 or Gear S3), you will probably find it to be an inconvenience. Some of us here at SamMobile certainly feel so. After getting used to swiping down on the screen to go back in apps and menus, it’s going to take a while to get used to reaching for the back key. Of course, it’s not like it was a fully natural experience to use

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 covered today. Bixby Samsung launches Bixby Voice in China Firmware News Galaxy Note 8 November 2017 security patch rolling out Verizon is prepping a new Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge update General Samsung trademarks ‘Voice Note’ in South Korea Phones Burgundy Red Galaxy S8 release date confirmed Samsung foldable smartphone listed on company’s own website Samsung just teased artificial intelligence for Galaxy S9 UX Samsung’s Galaxy Experience Program lets iPhone users test the Galaxy Note 8 for a month Samsung Pay Samsung Pay now available in Mexico Watches PSA: Reset your Gear S3 after installing the Tizen 3.0 update The post SamMobile Daily Recap: November 21, 2017

You may want to consider resetting your Gear S3 classic or Gear S3 frontier after installing the Tizen 3.0 Value Pack update, as failure to do so can result in it crashing whenever you attempt to open a watchface that’s been customized using Facer, Gear Watch Designer or WatchMaker. Related:  Tizen 3.0 now rolling out to the Gear S3 with Value Pack update Once you’ve reset your unit, you’ll be able to reinstall all of your customized watchfaces and continue using them like normal; however, we should probably point out that a number of developers are battling with a bug that results in numbers—and text—falling out of alignment. Samsung is said to be working on a maintenance upgrade that will transport a fix for the glitch, though there’s no word on when it will start making the rounds. What’s new features does Tizen 3.0 bundle? Tizen 3.0 brings a number of long-awaited features to the table, including a Gear VR Controller client that lets you control your Gear VR from your wrist

Artificial intelligence is the next frontier for flagship smartphones. Companies are building hardware components into their handsets to power AI features. Huawei recently launched a new smartphone that as a dedicated Neural Processing Unit inside its processor. Artificial intelligence is also expected to be front and center on Samsung’s next flagship smartphone. The company may have just teased that itself. It has possibly revealed that the Galaxy S9 UX is going to be rebranded to Galaxy Ai UX. Samsung teased this during its Bixby Voice launch event in China today. Artificial Intelligence for Galaxy S9 What this teaser suggests is that artificial intelligence might play a bigger role on the Galaxy S9. Some reports have even suggested that the Galaxy S9 will have its own neural engine . Samsung is believed to have invested in DeePhi Tech, an AI technology startup based in China. Samsung also made a $30 million investment in UK-based AI company Graphcore in September. These inves

Samsung rolled out its artificial intelligence-powered digital assistant Bixby globally a couple of months back . The assistant only supported English and Korean initially. Samsung did say that it was working on adding support for the Chinese language to Bixby Voice. Following a brief beta period, Bixby Voice Chinese support will soon be going live. Samsung conducted an event today to mark the launch of Bixby Voice in China. Bixby Voice in China It was only a matter of time before this was going to happen. Samsung’s beta for Bixby Voice Chinese support had confirmed that much. Gyehyun Kwon, president of Samsung Greater China, said during today’s event that launching Bixby Voice in China is a significant milestone for the company. With China focusing on the artificial intelligence industry to promote national development, Samsung says its “actively responding to policy directions” in hopes of making a small contribution to China’s AI development. Bixby Voice supports native Samsun