Yesterday we reported that Samsung’s earlier-than-planned September 26th launch of its new Galaxy Note 4 had been met with complaints from customers regarding a ‘screen gap’ manufacturing issue. Today, a reference discovered in Samsung’s Note 4 manual confirms that the gap is actually a feature, not a flaw (via AndroidCentral).
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It is hard not to look at the design of this and think Samsung is skating to where the (i)puck was.
Barnes & Noble has teamed up with Samsung for its latest Nook to compete in the ebook reader+tablet space where Amazon’s Kindle Fire exists. The two companies first announced plans for the new device earlier this year in June, and teased the device in a video shared last Friday.
So what is the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook? Aside from a mouthful of words, it’s the same 7-inch Samsung Galaxy tablet introduced earlier this year with a splash of B&N’s software on the surface. That means the Nook now sports a 1,280-by-800 resolution display, 8GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot for expansion up to 32GB, both front and back cameras (1.3 megapixel on the front, 3 megapixel on the back), and the library of apps Google Play introduces.
It’s not a bad deal either if you’re in the market for an ebook reader and tablet. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook will be sold online and in Barnes & Noble stores in both black and white for $199, and B&N is taking 10% off the top at launch bringing the price to $179 for early adopters. The new Nook also comes with loads of content from Barnes & Noble including books, TV shows, and magazines as part of the deal. Check below for the latest video and the full press release…
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According to a new report from the often reliable Samsung blog SamMobile, Samsung is developing a new smartphone cover with built-in ultrasonic sensor that will provide navigation assistance to the visually impaired. The accessory will reportedly launch as a companion to the new Galaxy Note 4 that the company is expected to unveil early next month during IFA in Berlin.
Today’s report not only brings news of the ultrasonic cover, but also provides a description straight from Samsung about how it will work. “According to our sources, the cover consists of an ultrasonic sensor which detects nearby objects in front of the person and provides feedback, appropriately. Users will also be able to change the range of ultrasonic signals and choose between three levels: short, middle and long. However, as the user increases the range of ultrasonic signals, the width of the area covered by the ultrasonic sensor will get narrower.”
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Just recently, Samsung official unveiled its Galaxy Alpha smartphone and there’s already a full review to read through. We’ve already gone through most of the need-to-know information in our announcement article, but nothing beats pure human interaction and opinion, right?
Samsung has just officially announced its Galaxy Alpha smartphone. This device has been rumored for quite some time, but is now official. This is Samsung’s big iPhone killer and it’s dressed to impress with a brand new design featuring a metal frame, compact body, and solid finish. Check out Samsung’s official video and the Alpha’s specifications below.
The new Oculus Rift Dev Kit 2, or DK2 for short, started shipping this week; and as the first units begin arriving to eager gamers and developers alike, iFixIt has posted the first teardown of the device. If you don’t know much about the new DK2, its most prominent upgrade over the first edition Rift is its new, 1080P display. Speculation grew as to exactly what panel Oculus would use for the new DK2, but the teardown from iFixIt reveals in fact that the display has been provided by Samsung.
In line with what we heard earlier this month and following leaked photos of the device that surfaced last week, a new report from SamMobile claims that Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Alpha on August 4th. Despite being an all-metal smartphone, the Galaxy Alpha will not positioned as a premium device alongside the flagship Galaxy S5, but rather as a mid-tier variant that uses a mix of high-end and mid-range hardware.
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Samsung has launched a redesign of its website in Europe and with it has started selling its Android devices directly from the site. The company previously linked to other retailers and carriers, as it continues to do in the US, but now most EU countries also have the ability to add products to a cart and purchase directly from the website.
In the US, samsung.com continues to link to AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and websites of smaller carriers for its smartphones, but it does provide the ability to buy other devices direct from the website such as tablets.
The ability to purchase appears to be available in most EU countries, but you can visit samsung.com to check availability and prices in your country.
(via SamMobile)
According to a new report out of Korean news outlet ETNews, Samsung is preparing to launch an all-metal device as early as next month called the Galaxy Alpha. According to the report, Samsung intends to heavily market the device as a competitor to Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6.
According to industry insiders on July 13, the Galaxy Alpha, which Samsung will launch next month, is a premium smartphone made of a metal. It is forecast to counter the iPhone 6 scheduled to be released in September. It appears that Samsung will rebound from its recent poor performance with a new smartphone lineup, not the Galaxy S or Galaxy Note Series.
Samsung’s app store, previously called “Samsung Apps,” was announced to be getting a rebrand to be “Samsung Galaxy Apps” right around the same time as the release of the first Tizen-based smartphone. That change happened on the web side on July 1st, but is today being pushed to the smartphone side as well (via Sammy Hub).
The update not only changes the name of the service to “GALAXY Apps”, but packs a few additional performance updates as well. Notably, the interface of the store is flatter, more streamlined, and reportedly a bit more responsive during use.
If you want to grab this update, it will be pushing automatically to users over the next few days. But if you’re an avid Galaxy Apps user and especially eager to get the new design, you can go to the Version Info menu and update manually.
CNET reports that Samsung is partnering with bicycle manufacturer Trek and its factory race team to explore the options for integrating the company’s technology into future bicycles.
The company has begun testing some of its mobile products — such as the Galaxy S5, its Gear portfolio, and the Galaxy Note — on the Trek Factory Racing Team as they train for some of the world’s top races, such as the Tour de France. As they ride, the team will monitor their health stats, racing cadence, and speed, along with communicate about team strategies and race routes …
Samsung has officially announce its Galaxy S5 mini smartphone. This compact device retains everything you know and love about the original version, but with a slight decrease in specifications. The good news is, this is the best “mini” revision of a device that Samsung has released to date. Unfortunately, not everyone will be able to pick one up right away.
Samsung has officially unveiled what appears to be the rumored “Prime” or “Galaxy F” device we’ve been drooling over for the past couple of months. So where’s the big launch party and keynote? Well unfortunately, this device isn’t going to be widely available.
This is one of the most specification packed devices on the market right now, but only the lucky people of South Korea will have the opportunity to purchase it. The bad news is, your shiny new Galaxy S5 is officially outdated thanks to a device you’ll probably never have a chance to purchase…
The Samsung Galaxy S5 has been around for a bit more than a month now, but the much-expected ‘Active’ version of the phone was only just this morning released to the public—and, for better or for worse, it’s available exclusively at AT&T’s website and brick-and-mortar stores.
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Samsung is reportedly developing its own VR headset, a device that will be similar in many ways to the Oculus Rift, for use with its flagship Galaxy smartphones and tablets (via Engadget). This headset is apparently separate from the “Galaxy Glass” project that is slated to be unveiled later this year.
The VR headset is being described as a peripheral, as opposed to a stand-alone product, and will require a connection to a Samsung device in order to function.
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A Dutch appeals court today upheld a 2011 decision that banned the sale of Samsung’s Galaxy S II and Galaxy Ace phones, as noted by Re/code. The devices in question were found to have infringed on Apple’s design in an earlier ruling and blocked from sale.
Apple’s original intent was to get an injunction against all Galaxy devices, but the company was forced to settle instead for just the two devices listed above.
Even though Apple and Google recently decided to settle their differences, thus halting the “thermonuclear warfare” instigated by former CEO Steve Jobs, there’s no indication that Apple plans to stop going after Samsung or other manufacturers directly any time soon. In fact, Samsung was recently found to have infringed on Apple’s design yet again with some of its newer devices and order to pay nearly $120 million in damages.
Five months after Google released Android 4.4 KitKat, Galaxy Note 3 users on Verizon are beginning to see the update being pushed out over the air. Various people are reporting that they have received the the update on their devices. The update includes various changes and small tweaks to the user interface, as well as enhancements to the software stack to make the device more stable and perform better.
If you’d like to grab the update, start pressing that “check for updates” button, or connect your device to the nearest computer with Kies installed on it, and get downloading.
The latest update to hit the international version of the Samsung Galaxy S5 improves the overall accuracy of the fingerprinting system, and makes the camera open faster, as well as bringing various other small fixes (via SamMobile).
Improvements to the accuracy of the fingerprint scanner will be a welcome upgrade for many. Various early reviews found that the fingerprint scanner wasn’t as accurate as the part found in the iPhone 5s, though it’s difficult to prove that.
The other tweaks make for a faster overall experience with the device, and it seems that Samsung has improved the use of RAM with this update.
There’s no word on when this update might hit carrier versions of the device, though it likely won’t be for some time. If you have the international version of the Samsung Galaxy S5, you can grab the update now via Kies. The update is also rolling out OTA, though it may take some time before it hits your device.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTLBCACEX2k]
Samsung’s “Crystal Collection” Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Gear line are available on the company’s online store starting today, though only in Korea. The devices are also available for pre-order for the Chinese market.
The sparkly device will eventually be make its way to Samsung’s UK retail stores in the UK in the coming weeks. If you’re in the United States and hoping to get your hands on this handset, start looking into importing it. Chances are, Samsung will never officially release the device in the North American, as no plans have been shared thus far.
The “Swarovski for Samsung” collaboration comes on the heels of a successful accessory partnership between the two brands during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York this past season. The collection marks the first time in more than 100 years that Swarovski has participated in a collaboration of this scale, where it fully integrates its branding into the collection.
With technology and fashion so deeply intertwined, Samsung is more dedicated than ever to supporting self-expression through technological innovation and meaningful partnerships,” said Younghee Lee, Executive Vice President of Global Marketing, IT & Mobile Division at Samsung. “Collaborating with Swarovski on this stunning collection of device accessories reflects our commitment to providing people with user-experiences that express their distinct personalities and taste.
The Galaxy S5 may have just hit store shelves and the hands of users, but it seems as if Samsung is already planning an upgraded version of its flagship device. According to a report from SamMobile (via Phandroid), the Galaxy S5 Prime will launch in June. In addition to the quad-HD (2560×1440) display, the device would also feature higher-end specs than the Galaxy S5:
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When Samsung launched its entirely free “Milk Music” service for Galaxy device owners in March, the “limited time” wording in its press release made us speculate that ads or a fee for the service would come in the near future. Today Samsung has finally confirmed as much in a blog post about the service posted to its Samsung Tomorrow blog. While taking some time to highlight features of the service, Samsung revealed that a $3.99/month ad-free “Premium Service” is on the way and that a free service will stick around but include ads. It looks like it will also offer an “Ad-free special introductory offer” that will let new users trial the service for free without ads for a limited time. Samsung says the new Premium Service subscription will be “available soon.”
Photo: Android Central
Samsung has announced that the packaging for its Galaxy S5 handset will not only be recyclable, but also partly made from recycled material. So the packaging your S5 arrives in may well be partly made from recycled S4 boxes.
Samsung says that both manual and packaging are 100 percent recyclable, and the plastic elements are biodegradable.
Naturally degrading plastic packaging material and charger cases using recyclable plastic and soy ink without petroleum solvents prevent soil and marine environment contamination. In addition, 20% of the material consists of waste plastic and recycled plastic with better shock and flame resistance for charger cases. The soy ink used to print its product manual and box improves the print work environment and save annual use of petroleum solvent by 30 tons.
Samsung points to the Galaxy product series achieving eco-friendly certification in 213 cases across six countries since 2011.
Amazon and Samsung have announced that a new Kindle for Samsung app will provide a download service designed specifically for Galaxy devices, and which will allow owners to choose up to 12 free ebooks a year from a choice of 48.
The service will be available first for the Galaxy S5 later this month, then rolling out to other Galaxy devices.
“We are delighted to be able to deepen our long-standing relationship with Amazon and offer Kindle for Samsung as the perfect app for reading on a smart device. With this service we demonstrate our commitment to creating and broadening key content partnerships that deliver rich and personalized experiences for our customers,” said Lee Epting, Vice President, Samsung’s Media Solution Center Europe.
To get access to the free books, you’ll need to get a referral to Samsung Book Deals. We’ll learn more about how this works when the service launches.
