We’ve been reporting on rumors surrounding Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note 5, the South Korean manufacturer’s upgraded prosumer, phablet-sized smartphone, on-and-off for the past few months. Now we’re seeing something on the company’s website that leads us to believe the phone is nearing a public unveiling and release.
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The existing Galaxy Note 4
Samsung is planning to bring forward the launch of the Galaxy Note 5 from September to August, according to the WSJ. It’s believed the change in schedule is designed to get the device on sale ahead of Apple’s anticipated September launch of the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, which is likely to dominate tech media coverage that month.
Samsung has always previously launched its Note models on the eve of the IFA conference, which takes place in Berlin in September. The WSJ cites only a single source for the claim, but it’s not the first time we’ve heard suggestions that the company may bring forward the launch this year …
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Evidence is mounting to suggest that Samsung’s next great phablet is going to take heavy design cues from the latest Galaxy S smartphone. NoWhereElse has published a bunch of CAD drawings which claim to be an accurate representation for the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. If genuine, it shows a device which essentially looks like a big version of the Galaxy S6 with a space to store a stylus.
We’ve seen several concept renders in the past, and even schematic leaks from case makers. This is one of the first which claims to be an official CAD 3D drawing. Like the S6 it features a central micro USB port on the bottom edge in between a 3.5mm headphone jack and a loudspeaker grille. Traditionally, Samsung’s Note series’ phones have the loudspeaker on the back.
Although we don’t get a good look at the materials used, it’s more than likely that — if this is a giant S6 — we’ll see heavy use of both glass and metal for the chassis and body of the device. We could also see a non-removable battery with Sammy opting to use a solid glass back which curves towards the metal edges.
Once interesting factoid to note: The 3D model points to a screen measuring 5.7-inches diagonally, suggesting that Samsung might not opt to enlarge its display real estate when the Note 5 is eventually announced and released later this year.
Check out NWE’s video of the 3D CAD drawing below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnPohJWPIJo]
At long last, action is being taken against bloatware on Android devices. Samsung and Oppo are facing lawsuits over their use of pre-installed apps. Both companies are being sued by the Shanghai Consumer Rights Protection Commission, as revealed in a report by the Shanghai Daily. In a study of 20 phones, multiple devices were found to have apps which were not only pre-installed but also unremovable.
Samsung today has officially unveiled the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge at its event in Barcelona during Mobile World Congress. The devices feature a new design as well as all sorts of updated specifications under the hood. Gone is the classic all-plastic look and feel and in is a mixture of glass and metal.
Check out our hands-on and comparison video below:
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8E4LrEKgkY]
In T-Moble’s new “Six Appeal” microsite, they throw out the above image which plainly shows the Galaxy S 6 profile with its curved display beaming out some magenta. March 1st is the day of announcement but something tells me we’ll hear more before then.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen pre-release versions of Android 5.0 running on a Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S5. Today, however, we’ll be taking a look at Google’s new mobile operating system on a Galaxy Note 3. Described as a rough draft of the Android 5.0, this alleged internal build of Lollipop for Samsung’s king-size smartphone should help give an idea what’s in store for owners of this popular handset.
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We like Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 very much indeed, but it has had one flaw: it didn’t support screen mirroring to Chromecast. Android Police noticed that this has now been fixed.
Since TouchWiz doesn’t support the transient tile to initiate a screen cast, you’ll have to fire it up manually through the Chromecast app. To get things started, just pull out the navigation drawer, tap on Cast screen, and hit the Cast Screen button. If the button is missing and there’s a warning about there being no compatible devices, you can probably get everything on the right track by restarting your phone.
Sony’s Xperia Z3v, Z2 and Z2 Tablet were also added to the list of supported devices a couple of weeks ago.
Google recently revealed that Chromecast users have used the device a total of 650 million times, with over 10,000 apps in the pipeline. Showtime Anytime and Starz Play were the most recent additions to the platform, just a few days ago.
If you’ve been waiting to get your hands on Samsung’s quirky variant on the Note 4, the Note Edge is available today from AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and U.S. Cellular – as well as through the Samsung experience stores within Best Buy stores. Best Buy pricing starts at $399.99 on a new 2-year contract with AT&T, up to $1,599 for an unlocked model without contract.
While we found the device interesting during our hands-on test, the consensus view seems to be that the novelty of the wrap-around screen probably doesn’t justify the extra $100 over the standard Note 4, which our own Dom Esposito described as “the best phablet on the block.”
The Note Edge is also due to roll out in at least 22 other countries, though probably not until sometime next month.
Samsung this evening has officially put the Galaxy Note 4 Developer Edition for Verizon up for sale on its website. The device will set you back $699 off-contract, which when compared to other devices on the market, is not unreasonable at all.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzur9xyxc6s&start=055]
Explaining some of the design choices behind the recently-released Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge, which Samsung dubs ‘Modern Sleek,’ the company said in a blog post that feel was as important as look.
Modern Sleek is not just about being modern, but also being warm and emotional. One thing the designers did not want to do was to use metal and give out the sense that the device is too hard and cold. That’s why the soft cover has a leather pattern – of the finest leather from Togo, which is considered to have one of the best feeling.
Feel was also key to the new S Pen, said the piece, involving changes to both hardware and software.
If you try out the S Pen of the Galaxy Note 4, you will definitely notice the difference. It will feel much smoother and more natural, just like handwriting. […] The designers tried using numbers of materials for the tip of the S Pen for the right feeling [and] it even recognizes how much the pen is tilted so that users can control the thickness of the writing.
Details like the curvature radius of the Edge were trickier than expected.
Finding the right curvature rate for the Edge Screen was one of the most challenging parts, [needing] to look clear from every angle [and] give the right sense of grip.
The video (in Korean with English subtitles) has a fairly cringeworthy fake interview style, but we can’t argue with the results.
If you were wondering whether or not to upgrade to a Galaxy Note 4, Samsung has just added a little sweetener: three months of free OnLive gaming (worth around $30), reports Engadget.
Samsung’s promotion is part of the Galaxy Gifts Package, a collection of free software from its own app store, and will give users access to titles from OnLive’s PlayPack bundle, such as Batman: Arkham City, Darksiders, Rogue Legacy and many more
The app you need is a free download from the Galaxy Apps store.
If you’ve currently got the Galaxy Note 3, our ultimate comparison video tells you everything you need to know about what you’ll get for the upgrade.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 is beginning to hit stores across the world and the burning question is, will it bend? Well, maybe not for everyone. Samsung originally provided its own bend test as proof that supports the Note 4’s durability, but YouTuber Unbox Therapy decided to take this test into his own hands. Literally…
Sony has confirmed in a tweet that it is rolling out the Android 4.4.4 update its older Z-series devices.
[tweet https://twitter.com/SonyMobileNews/status/509297533328584704]
Sony says there are “many improvements” in the upgrade, with better battery performance in background applications and improved email stability & performance singled out for particular note. The company recently unveiled the newest incarnations in the line, the Z3 and Z3 Compact.
SamMobile also notes that Galaxy Note 3 owners on the Sprint network should also receive a 4.4.4 update today.
The Android 4.4.4 update will bring international Wi-Fi calling, version 2.0 of KNOX, and the Kids Mode feature that debuted on the Galaxy S5, along with bug fixes and security patches from Google.
Samsung of course recently launched the Quad HD Galaxy Note 4.
Samsung just announced the Galaxy Note 4 in White, Black, and a Zune Gold and Hello Kitty Pink. Color taste aside, the update looks to be a solid one across the board.
Quick notes on standout features:
Quad HD 2560×1440 display
Snap note expands on Note’s bility to take notes, this time with a camera and some smart software.
The Galaxy Note 4 also offers an improved Fingerprint Scanner, to secure personal data and the world’s first UV sensor in a mobile device.
Our Galaxy Note 4 hands-on video:
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVdljRoD8ME]
Hit the Press release below for full details
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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txa2wUO6fvg]
Samsung Mobile has posted to its YouTube channel a second teaser video for the Galaxy Note 4, due to be launched on 3rd September at IFA in Berlin, with satellite events in New York and Beijing. Both videos highlight the S Pen that sets it apart from other tablets.
The first video focused on the concept of saving handwriting from being a lost art, while this new one showcases some of the other uses of the pen, from annotating maps through playing games, editing photos to typing on a keyboard.
If an early posting on an Indonesian retail site is genuine, the Note 4 will have a 5.7-inch 1440×2560 Super AMOLED display, a quad-core Snapdragon 805 (with a second version substituting an Exynos 5433) and 4GB of RAM. A separate report says that it will have a 16MP camera with a capacitive touch shutter button.
We’ll find out for sure in nine days on 3rd September.
Just a few weeks ahead of IFA in Berlin, an alleged image of Samsung’s virtually reality headset has been leaked. According to The Verge, Samsung is set to unveil this headset, alongside the Galaxy Note 4, at its Unpacked event in Berlin next month. The report claims that the headset, codenamed Project Moonlight, is similar to Google Cardboard in how it allows you to pair it with a smartphone display to transport you “into an immersive world” with its lenses.
LG’s flagship smartphone the LG G3 appears set to take on Samsung’s Galaxy Note series as an official promotional video just leaked a second variant, the G3 Stylus.
Appearing right at the end of the video, we learn nothing more about the device other than its name and the fact that, yep, you’d never guess, it has a stylus. We liked the G3 very much, so it’ll certainly be interesting to see whether the new device is able to put up serious competition for Samsung’s Galaxy Note …
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T-Mobile announced during its earnings report that it has now completed its US roll-out of its Voice over LTE service after its launch in Seattle back in May and expansion to 16 markets last month.
With more than 8 million VoLTE-capable devices on the T-Mobile network, our customers have made over 52 million crystal-clear VoLTE calls to date.
VoLTE offers faster call setup and better audio quality during calls through HD Voice, as well as the ability to switch seamlessly between voice and video calls. It’s supported by a limited number of handsets at present, with the Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Light and LG’s G Flex among them, but is likely to become a standard feature over time. Verizon has also announced that it will be launching its own VoLTE service nationwide later in the year.
T-Mobile also noted that JD Power just ranked T-Mobile the highest in customer service among the top four major U.S. wireless providers, AT&T taking second place, Verizon third and Sprint Nextel fourth.
Leaker @evleaks this morning posted a tweet featuring some interesting APKs from the upcoming Galaxy Note 4 that reveals information about its hardware and software.
The list includes the usual suspects, such as S Health, S Music, and Samsung Link software, but two of the APKs might pique your interest. “SStudio_WQHD_K.apk” implies the new phablet will sport a highly rumored WQHD display, giving the display a resolution of 2560×1440. Also on the list is an APK titled “FingerprintService.apk”, strongly implying the fingerprint reader currently found on the Galaxy S5 will be expanding over to the Note line as well.
Other features such as “PhotoTable.apk” and “SmartSelfShot.apk” were also leaked, but it’s no surprise Samsung is going to be adding even more photo modes to the already saturated list.
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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC8XncX0wik]
The White House has complained about Samsung retweeting a selfie Boston Red Sox player David Ortiz took with President Obama on his Galaxy Note 3.
Ortiz took the photo during a visit to the White House, and tweeted it. Samsung then retweeted it to its 5.2M followers, commenting that it was “thrilled to see the special, historic moment David Ortiz captured with his Galaxy Note 3.”
“I can say that as a rule, the White House objects to attempts to use the president’s likeness for commercial purposes, and we certainly object in this case,” said White House press secretary Jay Carney.
ABC News claims that Ortiz was paid by Samsung to take the photo, a claim which Ortiz denies.
It wasn’t anything promotional or anything like that. I mean, who knows that you’re going to get a picture with the President, a selfie? You can’t guarantee that.
Samsung already launched the Galaxy Note 12.2 tablets it announced at CES earlier this year, and today the company has announced the availability date for the Galaxy Tab 12.2 version. Starting March 9th, customers can purchase the 12.2″ Android tablet starting at $649 in black or white versions with 32GB and 64GB configurations through Samsung.com, Best Buy, Amazon, and other retailers.
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Samsung’s new Chromebooks leaked a little bit last week and again over the weekend, but now they are official. The biggest upgrades include the form factor featuring the faux leather stitching made famous by its Galaxy Note 3 and a new 1080P 13-inch display on the higher end $399 model. Both still use Exynos 5 Octocore processors that lack a little bit of the oomph of Haswell Intel processors, but they compete very well in battery life (8.5-9 hours claimed by Samsung). These machines also have wake times of less than one second and cold boots in less than ten.
Another prime area of improvement is the Hangouts video chat experience enhance by a 720P front side camera paired with improved mic and 2x 2W speakers.
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmF-1WGwdhw]
Don’t expect to learn anything new from it, as it’s just a teaser, but you can watch above the 30-second TV ad for the Samsung Galaxy S5 shown during the Oscars. The ad was clearly put together especially for the event, with an awards theme.
Samsung was one of the main sponsors of the award ceremony, but it was a tweeted photo taken by Ellen DeGeneres on a Galaxy Note 3 that probably generated the more valuable publicity for the company, with over 2.5M retweets.
If only Bradley’s arm was longer. Best photo ever. #oscarspic.twitter.com/C9U5NOtGap
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) March 3, 2014
Samsung announced its new flagship handset at Mobile World Congress last month. The water-resistant phone has a 5.1-inch full HD display, 2.5GHz quad-core processor, 16MP main camera, heart-rate sensor and fingerprint scanner. Samsung has said that the phone will be on sale “by April.”
