Who wants a gold plated Galaxy Note 5?
I thought that the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+ were already rather stylish looking smartphones, but Karalux, a Vietnamese gold-plating shop, has decided that a some additional 24K gold plating is in order for a real premium finish.
Costing VND 25 million ($1110) for a Galaxy Note 5 and gold plating, these models certainly don’t come cheap. However, if you already own the phone, Karalux will gold plate your handset for just VND 8 million ($355), which actually isn’t that unreasonable.
To construct the gold plated Galaxy Note 5, Karalux’s engineers take apart the handset piece by piece, then process and coat the case surfaces before dipping them into a tank of gold. The treatment applies to the sides of the smartphone, to the metal around the camera and LED flash modules, and to the power and volume buttons on the side.
The whole process takes 10 different steps before an additional protective layer is applied. Once the process has finished, Karalux claims that the new frame material is stronger than 7000 series aluminium and just one third as dense as stainless steel.
Karalux also gave the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge the 24K gold treatment shortly after they were released back in April. These two were priced at an even more expensive $1300 and $1500 respectively, so the Note 5 looks like quite a good deal, if you like gold.
Are there any takers out there?
Report: Samsung prepping Galaxy Grand On and Mega On
A short while ago, rumors began to spread about Samsung’s newest member of the alphabet: the mysterious “Galaxy O” series. The latest in letters, this year it has been preceded by the Galaxy A, Galaxy E, and Galaxy J, While nothing specific was spoken, new details have been leaked that offer some more concrete information as to just what Korea’s largest OEM is cooking up.
The Galaxy Grand On will go by the product code SM-G550. It will include a 5-inch HD screen, 1.3GHz Exynos 3475 SoC, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of on-board storage, an 8-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front facing camera, and a 2,600mAh battery. The device will ship with Android 5.1, will include microSD support, and will be 142×71.9×8.5mm thick and weigh 140 grams.
The Galaxy Mega On will be released with the product code SM-G600. It will include a 5.5-inch HD display, a 1.2GHz Quad Core Snapdragon 410, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of on-board storage, a 13-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front camera, and a 3,000mAh battery. It will ship with Android 5.1, include microSD support, and be 151.8×77.5×8.2 mm thich and weigh 145 grams.
How different will the Galaxy On phones look compared with the similar-specced Galaxy J5 and J7 (pictured)?
Given that the specs are quite similar to those of the Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7, it has been suggested the main differential will be related to build or design. As the Galaxy J series makes complete use of plastic, perhaps these will employ metal in some regards like the Galaxy E series, or else will have a wildly different design. There is also currently no indication of the screen type, thus it’s possible these could use LCD panels as opposed to Super AMOLED.
It is also mentioned that the name itself will depend on the area of release, with some receiving the Galaxy O, and others the Galaxy On. This would not be the first time Samsung has done this: the Galaxy K Zoom experienced a similar dual-naming nomenclature depending on if the device was sold in Korea or outside.
Samsung Galaxy J5
Perhaps the real test for these devices, assuming they do eventually materialize, will be just where Samsung plans to place them price-wise. The company has been criticized by some in recent times for charging a premium price for under-specced devices. The problem? Countless Chinese and now Indian OEMs have similar or superior hardware available at a near fraction of the cost. In particular, if Samsung were to price the Galaxy Mega On in upwards of $300, it would immediately be compared with the OnePlus Two, a device that costs only a bit more cash yet is a true flagship.
Lenovo Mobile is going to be absorbed into Motorola
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When Lenovo announced its quarterly financial results a few weeks ago, it announced that its mobile strategy would start to focus more on devices designed and manufactured by Motorola. According to a report from Lenovo Mobile Group President, Chen Xudong, it’s a lot bigger than that – the entirety of Lenovo Mobile is going to be absorbed into Motorola and Motorola executives will get to call all the shots. The ZUK label that Lenovo has recently launched will also fall under the Motorola umbrella with ZUK spearheading sales as the company’s “flagship internet brand” and Motorola will continue its sales of smartphones around the world.
This strategy makes a lot of sense given that what Motorola knows best is smartphones whereas Lenovo’s expertise has traditionally been with PCs and laptops. With Motorola’s recent release of the Moto X Play, Moto X Style, Moto G and the upcoming release of the Moto 360, there aren’t a lot of reasons not to trust Motorola, and we hope that this Lenovo-Motorola combination yields even better results going forward.
What do you think about Lenovo Mobile becoming a part of Motorola? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: XiaomiToday via Phone Arena
The post Lenovo Mobile is going to be absorbed into Motorola appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Only Sony could make this TV remote and speaker hybrid
We love Sony’s penchant for crazy products like the P clamshell Android tablet, and who can forget the Rolly music player slash robotic, LED flashing… thing? Judging by a new speaker, the company still has a whimsical side despite falling profits. The SRS-LSR100 pairs a TV remote with a wireless speaker, which receives a 2.4GHz signal from dongle attached to your TV or stereo. The idea is to bring the TV sound closer to you, whether you’re in the living room, exercise room or kitchen. And since you’re there, why not have a channel-changer?
Features include a headphone jack, large volume knob, auto power-off, drip resistance, minimal sound delay and 16-hours of battery life. Sony’s marketing it as an easy way to hear TV when you’re exercising, cooking poutine, or doing other noisy activities. It’s also “useful when it is difficult to hear in conjunction with the family,” according to the translated Japanese PR. In other words, when Grandpa tells you to shut up during his favorite program, you can just shove the speaker closer or hand him some headphones. Which actually sounds pretty useful — unfortunately, it’s only coming to Japan (next month) for 19,880 yen ($170).
Filed under:
Home Entertainment, Sony
Via:
The Verge
Source:
Sony (translated)
Tags: hybrid, RemoteControl, sony, Speaker, SRS-LSR100, TVRemote, Wireless, WirelessSpeaker
Former ‘Game of War’ exec arrested for stealing company secrets
A former manager at the company that makes Game of War — that’s the one with Kate Upton, not the one with Ned Stark — has been arrested for allegedly downloading trade secrets relating to the title. Jing Zeng was grabbed by FBI agents at the airport shortly before he was due to board a flight to Beijing on August 20th. As the Wall Street Journal reports, it’s the latest in a series of efforts by American companies to prevent the theft of sensitive data, which is often taken by rival nations. It’s not clear if Zeng had any intention to share the information with others, since at the same time he was engaged in brinksmanship with his employers concerning a severance package. The case has yet to go to trial, but we’d suggest that no matter how much you hate your colleagues, you’ll probably hate a trip to the slammer slightly more.
Source:
WSJ
Tags: China, Data, GameOfWar, JingZeng, Leak, MachineZone, Theft
ICYMI: Firework autocannon, Sony drone, and manga noodle bots
Today on In Case You Missed It, we showcase a double-barreled fireworks cannon that’s just slightly less dangerous than that personal flamethrower you’ve had your eye on. We’ve also got Sony’s first drone prototype — it’s a little remote controlled Harrier! And if you thought that explainer video from Snapchat’s CEO was terrible, just wait until you see this Alienware unboxing. Finally, an enterprising noodle shop owner in China got his hands on a refurbished Ultraman assembly robot and converted it into, what else, an automated noodle slicer.
If you come across any interesting videos, we’d love to see them. Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag @engadget or @mskerryd. And if you just want to heap praise on your handsome guest host, feel free to hit him up @mr_trout.
Filed under:
Sony
Tags: alienware, autocannon, drone, fireworks, flamethrower, icymi, incaseyoumissedit, personal, robots, sony, UAV, video
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 pre-orders start today
We know what the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 looks like, but what about the important stuff? Namely, when we’ll be able to get our paws on it and how much it’ll cost? Well, boy howdy the Korean electronics juggernaut’s answered both of those questions this morning. You can pre-order the slate starting today and the device hits “select” US retailers and carriers come September 3rd. A WiFi model packed with 32GB of storage and a 9.7-inch screen will set you back a cool $499.99 while the 8-inch model with the same capacity is $100 less.
Both sizes are available in black (AT&T, Sprint, US Cellular, T-Mobile), gold (WiFi only) and white (Verizon), and Samsung says it’s working with Amazon and Best Buy for a sort of trade-in deal where bringing in a qualifying tablet will knock $100 off the S2’s purchase price. Meanwhile, if you want something with mobile data, the required ducats will vary based on the carrier of your choice. Now, who’s ready for breakfast?
Filed under:
Tablets, Mobile, Samsung
Tags: GalaxyTab, galaxytabs2, mobile, mobilepostcross, preorder, samsung, september, tablets, whobuysthese
Meizu MX5 launched in India for Rs.19,999
A couple of months after making its latest flagship official, Chinese company Meizu has today launched the MX5 in India. Last week, the company detailed it would bring the handset to India and today’s announcement has revealed the price of the handset.
Meizu in video:
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The retailer is selling the 16GB variant of the handset in either silver black or silver white, for Rs. 19,999, which equates to around $300. If you need more storage, the 32GB and 64GB versions of the handset are not yet available but the retailer has confirmed these will launch in the near future.
The Meizu MX5 aims to pick up where the Meizu MX4 left off and features a 5.5-inch Full HD 1080p display with an octa-core MediaTek processor clocked at 2.2GHz and 3GB RAM. Under the hood, the handset packs a 3150 mAh non-removable battery with fast charging that can charge to 60% in just 40 minutes, while connectivity options include an infrared port, Bluetooth 4.1 and Wi-Fi n/ac.
On the back, the handset sports a 20.7MP rear camera with laser autofocus, dual-tone LED flash and 4K Ultra HD video recording while the front facing 5MP snapper can capture Full HD video. The handset supports dual Nano-SIM cards, comes with a fingerprint sensor and offers 4G LTE, making it an affordable yet premium LTE handset. It runs on Flyme OS 4.5, which is based on Android 5.1 Lollipop.
Related: Honor 7 & Meizu MX5 vs the competition
Do you plan to buy the Meizu MX5 when it launches in India? Let us know your views in the comments below and if you’re not sure whether this is the handset for you, check out our full Meizu MX5 review.
The Note5 Stylus design flaw is Samsung’s “Antennagate”
I’m a Samsung Galaxy Note 5 owner. I picked it up on launch day after previously owning the Galaxy S6 and still owning the Galaxy S6 Edge. I love the premium materials, design and their new take on TouchWiz (even if I still do have some issues with it). To say the least, I’m a big fan of Samsung’s recent moves.
But the issues with the S-Pen recently coming to light are a huge problem and shows a massive oversight on Samsung’s part.
If you haven’t heard of the design flaw yet here’s what the issue is. If you eject your S-Pen, flip it around and enter it backwards (clicky end first) the S Pen will catch on the stoppers that hold the pen in place and you won’t be able to pull it back out. The phone isn’t broken at this point, it’s removing the pen which destroys the sensors that tell the phone whether the pen safely inside or not. Since there’s no way to release the stoppers from outside the phone you’re forced to yank the pen out and destroy everything in it’s path. Some users have been able to wiggle it out but the fact that you can destroy a major part of your phone this easily is a big design flaw.
We’ve seen multiple professional bloggers break their Note5’s by inserting the the pen backwards. These are people who know about phones, knew about the issue in advance and are still stunned by how easy it was to break. The pen simply slides in backwards with zero issue. Such a design flaw by Samsung should not be forgiven so easily just like it wasn’t for Apple with Antennagate.
To refresh your memory, when the iPhone 4 was released there was a flaw with how the antennas were designed and if you put your hand on the break between the two bands, there were cell signal issues often times resulting in dropped calls. The initial response from Apple CEO Steve Jobs, was simply not to hold your phone like that. Obviously that consumers were disappointed with that response. Consumer Reports refused to recommend the phone to its readers and shortly thereafter recalls were issued.
Samsung apparently didn’t learn the lesson from Apple’s sins. As reports have surfaced of many people permanently breaking their new Note5’s, Samsung’s response has been as disappointing as Apple’s first was.
““We highly recommend our Galaxy Note5 users follow the instructions in the user guide to ensure they do not experience such an unexpected scenario caused by reinserting the S pen in the other way around.”“
Telling your customers they’re doing it wrong and to read the manual is a serious PR issue. Almost as serious as designing an accessory that can so easily break a major part of the feature.
Samsung, you need to redesign your phone. Issue a recall if you need to but this is a huge issue and the public shouldn’t let you off the hook just like they didn’t let Apple off the hook.
The post The Note5 Stylus design flaw is Samsung’s “Antennagate” appeared first on AndroidGuys.
(Deal) Stop losing cables with this 2-in1 charging cable
Finding cables can be annoying. Especially if you’re someone like me with multiple devices from opposite ends of the world. Most everyone knows that I use both Android and Apple, so today’s deal is perfect for those out there like me. The deal we have for everyone today is for a 2-in-1 Charging Cable.
This deal is a back to school special from AndroidGuys and StackCommerce and is a 6-foot long certified charger with both microUSB and Lightning connectors. The solid portion of the cable is a microUSB connection, but there’s an adapter attached to the end of the cable that allows you to use it for Apple’s Lightning compatible devices.
In order to switch between using Lightning and MicroUSB, you’ll just need to plug the attached adapter into the microUSB cable, and voila. You’re ready to charge an iOS device that you may have lying around. Then if you need to charge your MicroUSB device, just pop the adapter off, and you’re ready to go.
If you’re worried about the connector being flimsy, you won’t have to worry about that here. The attached connector for Lightning cable devices, is made out of a sturdy rubber/plastic so it won’t just break off easily. Also, you won’t have to worry about losing the Lightning adapter because it’s attached to the cable itself.
This cable is normally around $40, but today, you can get it for $19.99, a savings of 50%. This is a great deal for those who have multiple devices, and don’t want to have to carry around a bunch of cables around and worry about forgetting the one that you need.
If you like this deal, and want to see more of these, let us know in the comments below. Until then, head over to the AndroidGuys deal page, and grab this deal, or another one today. You can find this, and many other great tech bargains through our Deals Page. Backed by StackCommerce, there are daily promos, giveaways, freebies, and much more!
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AIVAnet 