Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs. Note 5: a thorough comparison
Samsung is definitely trying something new with the Note 5. I guess they weren’t satisfied with the Note 4 sales, and dramatically overhauled the design, as well as eliminating the device from Europe altogether. I honestly have no idea why Samsung would choose to eliminate the Note line from Europe, and I am sure this is quite disappointing to those who wish to buy the Note 5. Samsung claims they have been listening to the consumers, which means the consumers have been clamoring for a drastic change in the core of the Note line. And I guess consumers in Europe must hate the Note because Samsung doesn’t want to sell it to them anymore.
Anyways, the announcement has come and gone, and now it is time for a comparison.
From the live stream, the VP of Samsung mobile said they focused on making the device easier to hold, and making it easier to fit into people’s pants who wear “skinny jeans”. Man those people with skinny jeans sure have a loud voice because they brought about a design revolution in the Note series.
The most obvious change between the Note 4 and the Note 5 is the design and build. Samsung opted to go for a premium build in the Note 5 be removing all plastic and swapping it for curved glass on the back of the phone. They also improved the strength of the metal frame. Samsung claimed to make the Note 5 smaller than the Note 4, and they did but marginally. They shaved almost 2mm from the width, 1mm for the thickness, and reduced the weight by 5g(Note 4 weighs 176g and the Note 5 weighs 171g). I’m not sure how reducing the width by 2mm, and the thickness by 1mm helps those with skinny jeans, but I wear chubby jeans so I would need help with this analysis.
In terms of design, the Note 5 looks like a blown up version of the S6 with a stylus.
As good as it looks, I am not a fan of a glass back because it is one more piece that can shatter if it is dropped and even worse, glass will attract greasy fingerprints. The soft plastic back on the Note 4 was definitely a positive when it came to durability and eliminating fingerprints.
The Note 5 is a revolution in terms of design for the Note line. I think the Note 5 and the S6 both look great, but the Note 4 was not a bad looking device either.
Storage
Like the Note 4, the Note 5 will come in 32GB and 64GB models. But unlike the Note 4, the Note 5 will NOT have expandable memory. For Note 4 users, having the ability to add 128GB of memory through a microsd card offered a cheaper alternative to paying $100 for the 64GB model. It also allowed Note 4 users to interchange memory cards if needed.
Samsung made the decision to remove expandable memory from the Note 5, bucking the trend of what other manufacturers are offering. I really don’t understand this move and I certainly do not believe they were listening to consumers as all other flagship devices offer expandable memory including the 2015 Moto X.
Stylus
The famous S Pen got a minor upgrade in how it is removed from the phone. Rather than using a fingernail to grasp the ridges at the bottom of the S Pen, like on the Note 4, Samsung added a spring loaded mechanism – now you push on the stylus and it will pop out.
In addition, Samsung continued its tradition of adding great features to the S Pen like writing on the device when the screen is off. This sounds cool, but writing without seeing is something that will be new to almost all of us. They also added “Write on PDF” which allows users to edit and annotate PDF documents using the S Pen. This sounds very useful if you deal with PDF files like I do.
CPU and RAM
No iteration would go without an upgrade to the CPU, and the Note 5 did that by taking the processor from the S6 and putting it in the Note 5. The Note 3 and Note 4 both had better processors than their S counterparts, so this is a recent change for Samsung. Benchmark tests for the Samsung Exynos 7420 show that it is the top performing CPU at the moment, although by Note standards, having the same processor as the S6 is disappointing as Note users typically want more.
Although Samsung did upgrade the RAM to 4GB which should help with some of the additional features brought to the S Pen.
Both the CPU and RAM should provide a quality experience. Although the Note 4 is no slouch and still ranks near the top of benchmark tests.
Display
The Note 4 display is fantastic. Samsung’s Super AMOLED display is the best display on the market. Contrast ratio and spectacular colors are something you just can’t appreciate until you see the display for yourself. The Note 5 maintained the Note 4’s display size of 5.7″, pixel density of 500+, and 2k resolution. Simply put, the display is the same and that is nothing to balk at. Samsung still maintains its lead on displays through the Note 4 AND Note 5.
Camera
As shown in Josh’s camera comparison test, the S6 camera is special. Samsung realized they hit the nail on the head with this camera and opted to put it in the Note 5. The camera comes as a 16MP shooter with optical image stabilization(OIS), and features a F/ 1.9 aperture which should help it take better low-light shots. The camera is also capable of shooting 4K video at 30fps, and 120fps for slow-motion. Samsung has bridged the gap between mobile devices and DSLR cameras. There really isn’t much need for a standard point-and-shoot camera these days if you can get your hands on the Note 5 camera.
The Note 4 also has a 16MP shooter with OIS, but doesn’t quite match up to the photo quality of the S6 and and Note 5. If Josh can get his hands on both Note devices, I would love to see a head to head comparison of photos between the two devices.
Battery
Sadly, this is one area where all fans will be disappointed. Samsung decided to shrink the Note 4’s 3220mAh battery down to 3000mAh for the Note 5. Samsung claims their new processor is much more energy efficient than the Snapdragon 805, which allowed them to shrink the battery. The Note 5 is rated at 21 hours of talk time whereas the Note 4 is rated at 20 hours. Regardless, Note users can never have enough power so this is a disappointment to see Samsung sacrifice .9mm in thickness for a smaller battery.
The bigger issue for most Note users is with the new design of a fixed back plate. Samsung allowed users to access their battery in the Note 4, which was a favorite for power users as all they needed to do was swap a battery to get back to 100% power.
However, Samsung did add built-in wireless charging into the Note 5, whereas the Note 4 was capable if you changed the back plate to enable wireless charging.
Summary
When I logged into the Androidguys chat group of writers, I noticed a few of them saying how they are excited about the new S6 Plus and the new Note 5. None of them are Samsung loyalists as they all use everything but Samsung, with exception to Josh Noriega who recently switched to the S6 Edge as his first Samsung device. Maybe Samsung is onto something by focusing on design over function. Those of us who have loved Samsung galaxy devices loved them for being different. We clamored over the ability to swap batteries, add SD cards, and things of that sort. Up until the Galaxy S6 Edge and now the Note 5, the writers I work with never really considered a Galaxy device.
The Galaxy Note 5 is nothing to sneeze at and it is one heck of a powerhouse. It comes with the fastest processor available today with 4GB of RAM running on Android 5.1. It is without a doubt a great phone, but not so much so when you compare it to the Note 4.
Even reading through early analysis on popular sites such as Engadget, I see that many people are excited for the Note 5 and S6 Plus, but I can tell you as an actual Samsung fan I am thoroughly disappointed. I feel unheard and unwanted by Samsung. If they can gain better profits and sales through a new customer base, then I applaud them for appeasing their shareholders. I can without a doubt say I care more about functionality over beauty. The sales numbers will speak for themselves and will prove Samsung right or wrong with their drastic changes in the Note line.
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Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs. Note 5: a thorough comparison
Samsung is definitely trying something new with the Note 5. I guess they weren’t satisfied with the Note 4 sales, and dramatically overhauled the design, as well as eliminating the device from Europe altogether. I honestly have no idea why Samsung would choose to eliminate the Note line from Europe, and I am sure this is quite disappointing to those who wish to buy the Note 5. Samsung claims they have been listening to the consumers, which means the consumers have been clamoring for a drastic change in the core of the Note line. And I guess consumers in Europe must hate the Note because Samsung doesn’t want to sell it to them anymore.
Anyways, the announcement has come and gone, and now it is time for a comparison.
From the live stream, the VP of Samsung mobile said they focused on making the device easier to hold, and making it easier to fit into people’s pants who wear “skinny jeans”. Man those people with skinny jeans sure have a loud voice because they brought about a design revolution in the Note series.
The most obvious change between the Note 4 and the Note 5 is the design and build. Samsung opted to go for a premium build in the Note 5 be removing all plastic and swapping it for curved glass on the back of the phone. They also improved the strength of the metal frame. Samsung claimed to make the Note 5 smaller than the Note 4, and they did but marginally. They shaved almost 2mm from the width, 1mm for the thickness, and reduced the weight by 5g(Note 4 weighs 176g and the Note 5 weighs 171g). I’m not sure how reducing the width by 2mm, and the thickness by 1mm helps those with skinny jeans, but I wear chubby jeans so I would need help with this analysis.
In terms of design, the Note 5 looks like a blown up version of the S6 with a stylus.
As good as it looks, I am not a fan of a glass back because it is one more piece that can shatter if it is dropped and even worse, glass will attract greasy fingerprints. The soft plastic back on the Note 4 was definitely a positive when it came to durability and eliminating fingerprints.
The Note 5 is a revolution in terms of design for the Note line. I think the Note 5 and the S6 both look great, but the Note 4 was not a bad looking device either.
Storage
Like the Note 4, the Note 5 will come in 32GB and 64GB models. But unlike the Note 4, the Note 5 will NOT have expandable memory. For Note 4 users, having the ability to add 128GB of memory through a microsd card offered a cheaper alternative to paying $100 for the 64GB model. It also allowed Note 4 users to interchange memory cards if needed.
Samsung made the decision to remove expandable memory from the Note 5, bucking the trend of what other manufacturers are offering. I really don’t understand this move and I certainly do not believe they were listening to consumers as all other flagship devices offer expandable memory including the 2015 Moto X.
Stylus
The famous S Pen got a minor upgrade in how it is removed from the phone. Rather than using a fingernail to grasp the ridges at the bottom of the S Pen, like on the Note 4, Samsung added a spring loaded mechanism – now you push on the stylus and it will pop out.
In addition, Samsung continued its tradition of adding great features to the S Pen like writing on the device when the screen is off. This sounds cool, but writing without seeing is something that will be new to almost all of us. They also added “Write on PDF” which allows users to edit and annotate PDF documents using the S Pen. This sounds very useful if you deal with PDF files like I do.
CPU and RAM
No iteration would go without an upgrade to the CPU, and the Note 5 did that by taking the processor from the S6 and putting it in the Note 5. The Note 3 and Note 4 both had better processors than their S counterparts, so this is a recent change for Samsung. Benchmark tests for the Samsung Exynos 7420 show that it is the top performing CPU at the moment, although by Note standards, having the same processor as the S6 is disappointing as Note users typically want more.
Although Samsung did upgrade the RAM to 4GB which should help with some of the additional features brought to the S Pen.
Both the CPU and RAM should provide a quality experience. Although the Note 4 is no slouch and still ranks near the top of benchmark tests.
Display
The Note 4 display is fantastic. Samsung’s Super AMOLED display is the best display on the market. Contrast ratio and spectacular colors are something you just can’t appreciate until you see the display for yourself. The Note 5 maintained the Note 4’s display size of 5.7″, pixel density of 500+, and 2k resolution. Simply put, the display is the same and that is nothing to balk at. Samsung still maintains its lead on displays through the Note 4 AND Note 5.
Camera
As shown in Josh’s camera comparison test, the S6 camera is special. Samsung realized they hit the nail on the head with this camera and opted to put it in the Note 5. The camera comes as a 16MP shooter with optical image stabilization(OIS), and features a F/ 1.9 aperture which should help it take better low-light shots. The camera is also capable of shooting 4K video at 30fps, and 120fps for slow-motion. Samsung has bridged the gap between mobile devices and DSLR cameras. There really isn’t much need for a standard point-and-shoot camera these days if you can get your hands on the Note 5 camera.
The Note 4 also has a 16MP shooter with OIS, but doesn’t quite match up to the photo quality of the S6 and and Note 5. If Josh can get his hands on both Note devices, I would love to see a head to head comparison of photos between the two devices.
Battery
Sadly, this is one area where all fans will be disappointed. Samsung decided to shrink the Note 4’s 3220mAh battery down to 3000mAh for the Note 5. Samsung claims their new processor is much more energy efficient than the Snapdragon 805, which allowed them to shrink the battery. The Note 5 is rated at 21 hours of talk time whereas the Note 4 is rated at 20 hours. Regardless, Note users can never have enough power so this is a disappointment to see Samsung sacrifice .9mm in thickness for a smaller battery.
The bigger issue for most Note users is with the new design of a fixed back plate. Samsung allowed users to access their battery in the Note 4, which was a favorite for power users as all they needed to do was swap a battery to get back to 100% power.
However, Samsung did add built-in wireless charging into the Note 5, whereas the Note 4 was capable if you changed the back plate to enable wireless charging.
Summary
When I logged into the Androidguys chat group of writers, I noticed a few of them saying how they are excited about the new S6 Plus and the new Note 5. None of them are Samsung loyalists as they all use everything but Samsung, with exception to Josh Noriega who recently switched to the S6 Edge as his first Samsung device. Maybe Samsung is onto something by focusing on design over function. Those of us who have loved Samsung galaxy devices loved them for being different. We clamored over the ability to swap batteries, add SD cards, and things of that sort. Up until the Galaxy S6 Edge and now the Note 5, the writers I work with never really considered a Galaxy device.
The Galaxy Note 5 is nothing to sneeze at and it is one heck of a powerhouse. It comes with the fastest processor available today with 4GB of RAM running on Android 5.1. It is without a doubt a great phone, but not so much so when you compare it to the Note 4.
Even reading through early analysis on popular sites such as Engadget, I see that many people are excited for the Note 5 and S6 Plus, but I can tell you as an actual Samsung fan I am thoroughly disappointed. I feel unheard and unwanted by Samsung. If they can gain better profits and sales through a new customer base, then I applaud them for appeasing their shareholders. I can without a doubt say I care more about functionality over beauty. The sales numbers will speak for themselves and will prove Samsung right or wrong with their drastic changes in the Note line.
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Samsung Debuts Galaxy Note5 and S6 Edge+ Phones, Preps for Samsung Pay and Gear S2 Watch Launches
At Samsung’s big press conference today in New York, the company announced two new flagship smartphones: the Samsung Galaxy Note5 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, both of which include large “phablet” sized screens that poise them to be direct competitors to the iPhone 6 Plus. They each include the same 5.7-inch display with 4GB of RAM, 16-megapixel rear cameras, and 5-megapixel front cameras, and even the ability to record 4K video.
The Galaxy S6 Edge+ (left) with the Galaxy Note5 (right)
The Galaxy S6 Edge+ keeps its predecessor’s curved screen design, but increases its screen size from 5.1-inches to 5.7-inches, which is even larger than the iPhone 6 Plus’ 5.5-inch screen. Otherwise, the phone’s internals are only slight bumps from the last generation, with the same rear and front cameras and only a slight RAM increase from the S6 Edge’s 3GB.
The other phone announced today, the Galaxy Note5, is being aimed at a more enterprise-friendly market, with Samsung describing the smartphone as having an “unmatched set of productivity tools” with the traditional stylus removable from the bottom of the device. Samsung notes that today’s upgrades confirm its commitment to the emerging larger-screened smartphone market, “which Samsung boldly pioneered in 2011 with the original Galaxy Note.”
Read more 
Apple’s Boot Camp 6 supports dual-booting with Windows 10
Apple began rolling out the latest version of its multi boot utility, Boot Camp 6, on Thursday. It supports newly-released Windows 10 (64-bit edition only) as well as USB 3, USB-C, Thunderbolt, SD and SDXC connections. Users will need to be running OS X Yosemite and have an authentic copy of Windows 10 installed on a separate partition. The update is still propagating, according to MacRumors, but should be available to Intel Mac owners shortly. That includes the 13- and 15-inch MBPs, 11- and 13-inch MBAs, MacBook, MacMini, and various iMacs. Users don’t actually have to do anything to get the update, as it will download automatically if you’re already running the latest rev of Boot Camp 5.
[Image Credit: Getty Images]
Via:
Mac Rumors
Source:
Apple Support
Tags: apple, bootcamp, bootcamp6, dualboot, MBA, MBP, osx, osxyosemite, windows10
Dell’s business Chromebook is good enough that consumers will like it too
Dell’s latest Chromebook, the Chromebook 13, was designed specifically for businesses. But with a high-res, high-quality screen and a durable design reminiscent of Dell’s other notebooks, it actually looks like the Chrome OS laptop we lay people have always wanted. In particular, it borrows the same carbon fiber weave you know and love from the XPS 13, and it’s built on a sturdy magnesium-alloy chassis. In fact, the only plastic to be found is in the bezel. Speaking of the sort, it features a 13.3-inch IPS display that comes standard with 1080p resolution and a high brightness rating of 400 nits. Other perks include a comfortable backlit keyboard, Precision trackpad (the sort normally only seen on select Windows systems), up to a Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM, and a battery rated for 12-plus hours. It starts at $399 with a Celeron CPU and 2GB of memory, which isn’t bad for a machine as well-designed as this, though you’ll pay around $899 for the highest-spec configuration. (Even then, it’s still less expensive than a Pixel.)Slideshow-309711
So that’s why we, a consumer tech website, are intrigued by this thing. But as you’d expect, there are other features too that are geared specifically toward companies thinking about issuing these to employees. In particular, the Chromebook 13 works with Dell’s KACE management console, making it easy for IT guys to remotely manage and track. It’s also VPN-compatible, which Dell is hoping will solve the problem of the occasional legacy program not being available as a browser app. Lastly, it’s eligible for Dell ProSupport which includes up to four years of coverage, with options like on-site service.
The Chromebook 13 will ship September 17th in the US and Canada, and will be available through all the channels where Dell usually sells business-grade laptops. Still, that probably doesn’t preclude regular old nerds from finding one, if they really wanted it.
Tags: chromebook, Chromebook13, chromebooks, dell, DellChromebook13, hands-on
FDA demands Kim Kardashian remove Instagram pill ad
The FDA sent Kim Kardashian a warning letter last week, demanding that she remove an Instagram post in which she endorsed a bottle of Diclegis morning sickness pills but failed to mention any of the potential side effects associated with the product. Kardashian is a paid promoter of the product, which is made by Duchesnay USA. Her post “misleadingly fails to provide material information about the consequences that may result from the use of the drug and suggests that it is safer than has been demonstrated,” according to the FDA.
While most of the effects that she failed to mention are relatively benign — such as drowsiness and interactions with alcohol or “excitement, irritability and sedation” in infants who breast feed from women taking the drug — one neglected fact is actually quite important: it’s never been tested for use with hyperemesis gravidarum, the most severe form of morning sickness. Faced with “FDA regulatory action, including seizure or injunction, without further notice,” Kardashian has since deleted the post, though not before it gained 434,000 likes.
[Image Credit: GC Images]
Filed under:
Internet
Via:
Salon
Source:
FDA
Tags: Diclegis, drugs, FDA, instagram, Internet, kimkardashian, morningsickness, pregnancy, regulation
Samsung has no plans to bring the Galaxy Note 5 to the UK or Europe in 2015
So, Samsung has just officially announced the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, both smartphones that carry on with the same design cues and some of the same hardware as the Galaxy S6 that was announced back in March at the MWC. Details are emerging about where and when you can pre-order both phones in the United States, but what about in the UK and Europe?
What about the UK and Europe indeed. Those of us in old blighty will be able to pre-order the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus from August 18th, with the handset becoming available from in-store from September 4th. Which brings us to the elephant in the room. Amazingly, according to Samsung representatives at the London event, the Korean handset maker has no plans to bring the Galaxy Note 5 to the UK or Europe in 2015.
Yes, you read that correctly. So, if like me, you were going to order the Galaxy Note 5 as your next handset, think again. Samsung has apparently decided against bringing the Note 5 to the UK and Europe for ‘marketing reasons‘. This is a little strange as according to data compiled by CompareMyMobile, the UK’s Galaxy Note customers would seem to be quite loyal. Over 70% of Galaxy Note 4 owners upgraded by trading in a Samsung device, with 3 of the top five traded in devices being earlier Note devices, as shown below.
Top 5 devices traded in for the Note 4
- Galaxy Note 3 – 17.22%
- Galaxy Note 2 – 16.54%
- Galaxy S4 – 12.29%
- Galaxy S3 – 7.81%
- Galaxy Note – 7.28%
So, looking as those trade-in figures, why does Samsung want to alienate its loyal Note fans? If you were planning on ordering the Note 5 in the UK or Europe, will you now order the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus instead? Or, like me, will you also be looking elsewhere, possibly waiting to see what Sony and HTC have up their collective sleeves later in the year? Why do you think Samsung has decided to hold the Note 5 back? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: AndroidCentral, BBC
Come comment on this article: Samsung has no plans to bring the Galaxy Note 5 to the UK or Europe in 2015
Here’s where you can buy Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5
Samsung announced the all new Galaxy Note 5 during its Unpacked event in New York City today, and it’s quite a showstopper! We’ve put together a comprehensive list as to where you will be able to purchase Samsung’s latest Note device and when.
Hit the break to get the full rundown.
Launch day
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is quite an impressive smartphone, featuring a gorgeous 5.7-inch 2560 x 1440 Super AMOLED display, 4GB of RAM, and a ton of new smartphone features. Unfortunately, there isn’t a single confirmed price, as Samsung is leaving it up to carriers and retailers to put a fair price tag on Samsung’s Next Big Thing.
Consumers will be able to pre-order the device as of today for around $249 on a new two-year contract or an estimated average of $799 off-contract. Some US-based carriers at the time of this writing are only advertising payment plan pricing of $40/month. The device is set to officially launch on August 21, a week from tomorrow, August 14.
United States
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 will be available for pre-order some time today, August 13, through the following major US-based carriers
- AT&T
- Verizon
- Sprint
- T-Mobile
Europe
The Galaxy Note 5 will not be available in the United Kingdom or Europe in 2015, Samsung says. While the company isn’t ruling out the device eventually coming to those markets, it’s certainly not going to happen anytime soon.
For now, those in the United Kingdom and Europe will only have the option of picking up the all-new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+.
Canada
Those in Canada will be able to pick up the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 in Black Sapphire from a wide variety of carriers:
- Rogers
- Telus
- Bell
- SaskTel
- Videotron
- WIND Mobile
Other carriers have yet to confirm the device’s availability.
Pricing
Pricing is very much up in the air. However, it seems Canadian buyers will be able to pick up the 32GB model for $300 on a two-year contract or $850 outright.
Many carriers in the United States are only advertising the device for $40/month. Sprint is advertising it for $249.99 on a new two-year contract or $720 outright. T-Mobile hasn’t revealed any pricing yet, but if you purchase a Samsung Galaxy Note 5 or Galaxy S6 Edge+, the carrier is giving away a free year of Netflix.
Obviously prices will vary depending on which model you pick up. Hopefully we’ll see some more solid pricing details soon, though.
Come comment on this article: Here’s where you can buy Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5
NVIDIA Shield Android TV gains support for This War of Mine, Xenowerk and five other great games
If you’re the owner of a NVIDIA Shield Android TV, you’ll be happy to hear that the popular set-top box is gaining support for seven more games. Two of the games are brand new titles, while five previously-announced games are just now gaining support for the Shield Android TV.
The new games coming to the platform are Windward and Killing Floor: Calamity, two action/adventure titles that will run you $9.99 and $4.99, respectively. The other five titles being added to the device’s roster are This War of Mine, Pure Pool, Flyhunter Origins, Xenowerk and Twin Runners 2. These five games range from $0.99 all the way up to $14.99, though the more expensive titles are definitely worth the premium price.
If you’ve purchased these games previously on another device, you should now be able to install them on your Android TV device. Oh, and if you don’t have a NVIDIA Shield Android TV, there’s still a pretty nice deal going on that can save you $25 off your entire order. Head to this link for more information on the promotion.
Download from Google Play:
Samsung Pay to rollout in the U.S. on Sept. 28th
We knew it was coming eventually. In conjunction with the launch of its two new phablet entries, the Note 5 and S6 Edge+, Samsung announced that Samsung Pay is ready for prime time. And it’s aiming to succeed where Google Wallet has been struggling.
The big thing is that Samsung is touting that its mobile payment system will work “virtually anywhere”. Samsung Pay will utilize not only traditional NFC but also Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST). Samsung claims that it will work with most existing point-of-sale (POS) terminals used to read credit cards.
In contrast, Google Wallet transaction have solely relied that the merchant has a NFC-compatible payment system. Unfortunately, this has yet to be widely adopted.
“We are partnering with card networks, issuers and acquirers, and Samsung Pay will also be the first to support contactless payment for store-branded credit cards. The list of partners will only grow.“
Samsung made a point of simplicity with using Samsung Pay. The feature is readily available on your phone for quick access. When you’re ready to make a payment, you will just simply swipe up and scan your fingerprint.
Your credit cards, reward cards, etc. will float on the screen, as if you had them in hand. Samsung also emphasized that the system is safe. Samsung KNOX uses tokenization along with the fingerprint authentication.
Samsung has made sure they have wide support in this venture. The partnership for Samsung Pay covers major credit card companies (American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa) and banks (Bank of America, Chase, and U.S. Bank).
As far as availability, Samsung Pay will debut first in Korea on Aug. 20th, followed by the U.S. on Sept. 28th. Other markets include the U.K, Spain, and China, but no dates have been announced for those markets yet.
The newly launched Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Note 5 will have Samsung Pay pre-loaded. But don’t worry if you have a Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge, a software upgrade in mid-August will bring you up to speed. If you’re antsy to try out the new system asap, Samsung has said that there will be beta trial from Aug. 25th for “select U.S. users”.
What are your impressions of Samsung Pay? Do you like what Samsung is trying to do or dislike the fragmentation in the mobile payment space?
Source: Samsung
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AIVAnet 