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Galaxy S7 Edge specs allegedly leaked on AnTuTu Benchmark, suggest 12MP camera, 5.1-inch screen

Cam Bunton Jan 11 2016 - 3:46 am PT

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Recent rumors surrounding the upcoming Galaxy S7 have indicated that we’re expecting to see two different sized smartphones. Whether it’s going to be a 5.1-inch and 5.7-inch, or 5.2-inch and 5.5-inch screen (or combination of) depends on which rumors you’ve been reading. One seemingly constant rumor has been that the Galaxy S7’s dual-curve variant, the S7 Edge, will have a larger screen than the regular S7. Today’s leak suggests those rumors might be inaccurate.

A Weibo user published an AnTuTu Benchmark information screenshot for a device with model number SM-G935A. For those unaware, the upcoming Galaxy S7 allegedly has two model numbers: SM-G930 and SM-G935. The latter of those is the Edge variant. The ‘A’ at the end of this model could indicate that it’s an AT&T variant, or at least, a particular variation built for specific carriers/markets.

Looking at the specs above, the benchmark suggests the S7 Edge will indeed have a 5.1-inch screen, not 5.5″ or 5.7″. If true, this could mean Samsung is releasing two phones with the same sized-screens which makes a lot more sense than releasing a competitor to the S6 Edge Plus so soon after it landed. It could also mean that Samsung is releasing more than two variants of the S7. There has been vague speculation that the Korean tech giant will release 3-4 different models this year, but none of it has been even close to concrete.

Other claimed specs include the Snapdragon 820 processor, Quad HD resolution screen, 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. Perhaps most interesting, however, is the 12MP camera. It’s a significantly lower resolution camera sensor than the one found in the S6 and Note 5, which boasts 16 million pixels. That said, it’s widely expected that this 12MP sensor will use Samsung’s new BRITECELL technology which produces much better quality photos, in a sensor that’s much smaller. This would make more room for other components, like the larger battery. It would also mean the protruding camera housing on the back would be visibly smaller.

As with any leak, it’s worth noting that even those which look legitimate come with the caution that they might not be genuine. File this under ‘sketchy, but interesting’ for now.

• Android
• Google Play
• smartphones
• Lenovo
• Google Play Services

Lenovo chief: Google Play Services will be in China this year

Cam Bunton Jan 11 2016 - 2:31 am PT

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According to a report by Tech.Sina, Google will finally bring its services in to China. Lenovo chief, Chen Xudong claims Google is on track to bring its Play Services to the nation at some point in 2016, and that its desire to do so isn’t a secret. Google wants its services back in China, but has faced strong opposition from the government in the past, heavily restricting its presence there.

While Android has long been the dominant smartphone platform in China, Google’s presence there is still very limited. In fact, Google Play Services are practically non-existent. Before the Nexus 6P was built, it was rumored by a reliable publication that Google had chosen Huawei specifically because of its influence in China. With Huawei being a Chinese brand, and the biggest seller of smartphones in the country, its influence is huge. What’s more, Google also recently partnered with (and took a minor stake in) Mobvoi, one of the most widely-used and advanced Chinese AI and voice recognition companies.

Clearly, with Android being the most widely-used smartphone OS in China, Play Services aren’t required or critical to the platform’s success. Bringing Play Services in to China would mostly be an effort to help end fragmentation in a country where multiple app stores exist for Android.

No specific timeframe was given in terms of when we might see Google Play back in China. One can only assume getting the service approved takes multiple jumps over political hurdles and cutting through endless miles of red tape. We’ll keep you updated when/if there’s any more to share on the issue.

• Android
• Fitbit
• Deals
• Android deals
• Google deals

FitBit’s Charge HR fitness tracker available for just $110 shipped (Reg. $150)

Stephen Hall Jan 9 2016 - 3:36 pm PT

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FitBit’s Charge HR fitness tracker has become one of the most popular of the company’s offerings in recent months, and now it’s back at just $110 shipped via eBay seller BuyDig (which has 99% positive ratings). That’s $40 off the retail price, and the lowest price we’ve seen…
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• Android
• Samsung
• smartphones
• tablets
• earnings

Samsung issues Q4 2015 guidance, profit up 15% year-on-year

Cam Bunton Jan 8 2016 - 2:50 am PT

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Samsung has issued its earnings guidance for the fourth quarter of 2015, and things look to be heading in the right direction, albeit slowly. Samsung estimates that its profit for the quarter reached 6.1 trillion Korean Won, or roughly $5.1 billion US Dollars. That was based on estimated sales worth 53.0 trillion Korean Won ($44B USD).

While other Android smartphone makers are struggling to make any progress financially, Samsung’s Q4 estimates (if accurate) will see them beat last year’s final quarter profits by 0.8 trillion Korean Won, or approximately $666 million USD. That’s an increase of 15% year-on-year.

If anything, it shows that Samsung’s 2015 focus on creating fewer, but higher quality handsets is working. A big part of that focus was moving away from the plastic flagships of the past to make solid, glass and metal handsets with market-leading specifications.

Rather unusually, however, Samsung did see a quarter-on-quarter drop from Q3 2015, in which it made 7.4 trillion Korean Won. Holiday sales are usually stronger than any other quarter for most tech companies, so Samsung may be a little worried to see the 18% drop from Q3 even if Q4 was an improvement on the same quarter in 2014. One explanation, of course, is that Samsung released its last high-end flagship smartphone right in the middle of Q3, while many other competitors waited until October/November.

As 2016 rolls in, the competitive landscape is only going to get tougher for Samsung. Companies like Huawei and Xiaomi are expected to renew their focus on markets where Samsung is normally very strong. And, if Huawei’s 2015 performance is anything to go by, Samsung should definitely be keeping an eye over its shoulder.

• Android
• developers
• Tango
• Intel RealSense
• RealSense

You can now reserve a Project Tango developer kit from Intel for $399

Abner Li Jan 7 2016 - 12:58 pm PT

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Windows 10 has a feature that can unlock a computer with a face in lieu of a password. The so called Windows Hello takes advantage of Intel’s RealSense camera and technology. Today, Intel is releasing a smartphone developer kit that has RealSense cameras, and also support for Google’s Project Tango…

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• Android
• Moto X
• Moto 360
• Motorola
• smartphones

Motorola offering $100 discount when you purchase new Moto X Pure and Moto 360 together

Cam Bunton Jan 7 2016 - 5:22 am PT

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Running up to the holidays, Motorola was offering some great discounts on its older Android and Android Wear products. Sadly, those same deals didn’t apply to the newer and rather fantastic Moto X Pure and Moto 360 from 2015. That changes this month, as the Lenovo-owned company begins offering money off for customers buying both products together.

Anyone buying the new Moto X Pure Edition (2015) and 2nd gen Moto 360 together will get $100 off at checkout. There’s no promo code to remember, just add the two products to your basket at Motorola.com in the US and the discount applies automatically. That means a package deal combining the two devices will cost you $599 for the base models, rather than the usual $699. Of course, adding extra storage to your phone or choosing a more premium material for the phone’s back or the Moto 360’s watch strap will cost extra.

This is the first time we’ve seen either of the new products with a significant discount anywhere in the US. The deal is available until January 12th, 10:59 Central Time.

• Android
• Samsung
• Samsung Galaxy S7
• smartphones
• Samsung Galaxy

Detailed Samsung Galaxy S7 renders published as Spigen cases land on Amazon

Cam Bunton Jan 7 2016 - 3:28 am PT

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With the Galaxy S7 expected to make its first official appearance next month at MWC in Barcelona, the number of leaks has increased, as has the quality of those leaks. We recently saw what claimed to be the schematics for the upcoming Android-powered flagships. More recently, some high quality renders were published by uSwitch, in collaboration with @OnLeaks.

As we’ve heard and read many times already, the S7 is unlikely to depart from the current design language of Samsung’s smartphones. It’s an all metal and glass affair, with a back which curves towards the edges a lot like the Galaxy Note 5. Not including the protruding camera, the phone is expected to measure 7.9mm thin, 142.5mm tall and 69.5mm wide. If accurate, the phone will be shorter, narrower, but slightly thicker than the Galaxy S6, more than likely to make space for the rumored bigger battery.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDd8_NrkH7I]

As well as these detailed renders which claim to accurately show the dimensions and design of the next Samsung flagship, a number of cases have already turned up for sale on Amazon, including a bunch from well-known manufacturer, Spigen. Some — like the transparent Ultra Hybrid — are available to order now with an expected release date of April 1, 2016. Cases from other manufacturers claim to be available from as soon as next month.

With the phone(s) not being official yet, it’s unlikely any of the images with the case listings are accurate. In fact, most appear to be renders of the current crop of Galaxy smartphones. What’s more, there’s always a chance the manufacturers haven’t received accurate schematics yet. We expect that once the phones are official, manufacturers will update the images.

While we expect many of these rumors and leaks to be accurate, it’s always reading with a helping of caution. Nothing is official until Samsung confirms it.