T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S6 sales are nearly double that of Galaxy S5 sales in the first 10 days
It’s undeniable that Samsung has created one of the best phones of 2015 in the Galaxy S6. While it’s broadly expected to help Samsung claw back some of its lost market share and profits, it’s making a clear difference early in its life too. T-Mobile is reporting that in the first 10 days of availability, the T-Mobile […]
The post T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S6 sales are nearly double that of Galaxy S5 sales in the first 10 days appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Sales may be slow for the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge due to low supply of curved screens.
style=”display:block”
data-ad-client=”ca-pub-8523547931208430″
data-ad-slot=”2010118040″
data-ad-format=”auto”>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is one of the best smartphones that was announced this year and while it does not offer too much of an upgrade where specs are concerned, it does offer a new way to use your device due to its curved screen. Samsung was hoping that it would help make up for the disappointing sales of the Galaxy S5, which was released last year, and help the company recover lost revenue. Unfortunately though, it appears that won’t be the case. Endgadet reported today that Samsung is having some difficulty with being able to keep up with demand for the Galaxy S6 Edge, as they do not have enough curved screens to meet consumers. Samsung is promising to find a solution to this problem which they will hopefully find, otherwise, they may see another slow year and lost profits. It is worth noting however that the Samsung Galaxy S6 will not a shortage of supplies, at least not at the moment due to the fact that it uses a normal flat screen.
Source; Endgaget
style=”display:block”
data-ad-client=”ca-pub-8523547931208430″
data-ad-slot=”2010118040″
data-ad-format=”auto”>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
The post Sales may be slow for the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge due to low supply of curved screens. appeared first on AndroidGuys.
T-Mobile details Samsung and HTC devices coming April 10
style=”display:block”
data-ad-client=”ca-pub-8523547931208430″
data-ad-slot=”2010118040″
data-ad-format=”auto”>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
T-Mobile states that the HTC One M9, the Samsung Galaxy S6, and Galaxy S6 Edge are coming to the network’s stores and site on April 10.
Already, the S6 and the S6 Edge have already sold nearly twice as many units as the S5, and in just 10 days, the HTC One M9 has sold more than the One M8 during the same period.
All of these devices are available with a Simple Choice plan for $0 down, with a predetermined monthly rate for two years for each device. The One M9, S6, and S6 Edge have rates of $27.08, $28.33, and $32.49, respectively.
Through Carrier Freedom, T-Mobile will pay early termination fees and phone payments up to $650. For those customers who order the S6 and the S6 Edge before April 12, they will get a one-year Netflix subscription. Qualifying customers will need to visit SamsungPromotions.com in order to receive a promo code redeemable at Netflix.com/SpecialOffers.
Lastly, MetroPCS customers can expect the S6 in stores and online starting April 17 for $649.
style=”display:block”
data-ad-client=”ca-pub-8523547931208430″
data-ad-slot=”2010118040″
data-ad-format=”auto”>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
The post T-Mobile details Samsung and HTC devices coming April 10 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Japan’s best smartphone is hiding an “awful” secret (hint: it’s Korean)
A collection of Galaxy devices from an NTT docomo store in Nakano, Tokyo.
Yesterday, April 9th, Japanese mobile carriers have finally announced the release of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. This potent pair of products have been off the radar from all carriers with only Samsung itself having posted bare minimal PR information on its website. As if the consumer apathy isn’t apparent enough, Japan stands to receive arguably the most abridged line-up of all, while trying desperately to hide the fact that a Korean company, has made the product: Samsung’s name has been absolutely stripped from the device, front and back, right down to the promotional materials.
Two carriers will offer Samsung’s latest and greatest, but only one will carry both the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Neither will sell a device in a 128GB storage option.
- NTT docomo, the largest carrier, has announced the pair, however the line up itself is significantly stymied. The S6 will be available exclusively in a 32GB storage option, and only in Gold and Black color variants. The S6 Edge in turn, will be available exclusively in a 64GB option, in Gold and Green coloring only.
- KDDI au, on the other hand, will be releasing only the Galaxy S6 Edge, with either 32GB or 64GB of storage, and in Black, White, or Gold colors.
Suffice to say, this lack of choice in storage size, coloring, and even standard design is a bit disappointing. All the more so given that docomo’s questionable parring of Edge color options are decidedly not to everyone’s liking.
Subjugating Samsung
Both carriers have removed all traces of the Samsung name, something which KDDI has done before but is new for docomo, which typically left the Samsung logo on the rear cover, despite reduced visibility. Let’s explore, beginning with the beginning:
In the beginning… docomo wasn’t exactly trying to outright hide the fact that Samsung made the Galaxy S.
In truth, this is a rather puzzling reality that arguably began when NTT docomo released the original Galaxy S in November 2010: the Samsung logo wasn’t hidden but it was removed from the front entirely and moved to the lower half of the rear.
While the front face contained the docomo logo as per most devices, the back cover offered Samsung’s as well, though pushed to the bottom.
Now take a look at what had happen as of Summer 2014: no carrier logo at all on the front, and absolutely no Samsung logo period. From the KDDI au variant of the Galaxy S5:
The KDDI au Galaxy S5 line up: the first Samsung phone released in Japan without any carrier branding on the front whatsoever. The Samsung logo is also missing from the rear, as it was on the NTT docomo variant.
Curiously the NTT docomo variant opted to keep the carrier logo on the front and left the Samsung logo on the back side, though it was extremely small.
Now take a gander at the Galaxy S6 Edge. This next screen capture comes via Samsung UK’s product page:
Samsung UK’s product page for the Galaxy S6 Edge. Note the prominent branding on the front and back of the device.
And now Japan. Here is the front of the device with the KDDI au variant pictured. See the caption for details:
The front of the device is devoid of anything for KDDI au (pictured), but for NTT docomo will have the carrier’s logo under the earpiece.
Here we have the rear side. I have specifically chosen the docomo variant as NTT had previously left Samsung’s logo, despite it being relegated to a lower positioning and smaller text. It is nowhere to be seen here, rather the word “Galaxy” is present. Bizarrely enough the Qi wireless charging logo appears.
Here we have the backside, which contains not a mention of Samsung, yet has the word “Galaxy” and even the Qi logo.
As if this wasn’t odd enough, Samsung’s logo appears absolutely nowhere in NTT docomo’s 32-page product booklet for the S6 and S6 Edge. In fact, the company’s name doesn’t even appear until page 29 and 30, where it’s used for legal reasons. For all intents and purposes, “Galaxy” might as well be the manufacturer. This is indeed what Samsung appears to be doing however, as a customer representative from the company, Retsu Segawa, mentioned the desire to focus on the brand name when contacted earlier this year.
Try as you might, not a single Samsung logo is anywhere in sight.
Jaded with Japan
Behind the scenes, there is the underlying pretense that Japan, as a collective, is unwilling to accept the fact that Korea has surpassed it in terms of mobile technology. This extends to the deployed network infrastructure, wherein Japan is just now getting Category 6 LTE, something that South Korea had almost a year ago.
This is absolutely shocking given that NTT docomo was the first carrier in the world to deploy 3G network infrastructure and for ages Japan’s feature phone market was light-years beyond anything the outside world could even comprehend: NFC was introduced over a decade ago, 1SEG wireless digital TV broadcasting had been a staple from around the same time, and Japan had access to full-featured mobile e-mail services whereas the world-at-large had to make due with SMS and MMS.
Arguably, there is not a single domestically produced piece of hardware that has specs comparable with Samsung’s Galaxy. This is especially true of display technology, where Korea has not only made significant use of OLED panels, but has for the past year been curving them. Meanwhile, companies like Sony continue to rely on LCD technology; at least Sharp has made some progress with the development of its IGZO display technology. Despite all this, we have the following:
Fujitsu has a larger amount of market share than Samsung. Sharp arguably does as well. Sony has over double that. This jaw dropping astonishment is actually par-for-course in Japan, where it’s quite common to hear things like “I buy Sony because it’s Japanese.” Ironically even Japan’s patriotism doesn’t seem to hold much water when it comes to the iPhone however, with Apple once again dominating.
Wrap up
Japan is, for better or worse, a rather xenophobic country. This is largely, if not entirely, based on the fact that as a collection of islands, it’s therefore isolated. While the people here may indeed love foreign things such as Hollywood movies, American TV shows, French food, German medical practices and so on, with technology things have been largely a domestic affair. Given the unrivaled dominance of companies like Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba, and NEC during the 80’s, 90’s and even part of the 00’s, this makes sense.
With that said, it is a bit frustrating to see the manner in which Samsung is being treated here. The company should be proud to offer such a fantastic product as the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, yet instead its being made to hide behind its own branding. Can’t we all just… get along?
Early Galaxy S6 sales almost double the Galaxy S5’s, says T-Mobile
The Galaxy S6 could become Samsung’s most popular flagship smartphone yet, according to analyst forecasts and early sales indications from T-Mobile. The US carrier says that sales of the Galaxy S6 are already “nearly double” those of the Galaxy S5 during the first 10 days.
The Galaxy S5 is currently T-Mobile’s best-selling Galaxy flagship smartphone, but globally that title belongs to the Galaxy S4, which sold around 45 million units in its first year. Analysts are expecting that the Galaxy S6 may exceed that figure in its first year, partly due to overwhelming positive reviews.
A strong launch for the Galaxy S6 series is exactly what Samsung needs if it wants to improve upon its declining quarterly profits this year. Although we will have to see if the temporary limited available of the Galaxy S6 Edge will have any impact on Samsung’s second quarter sales figure.
T-Mobile also stated that HTC One M9 sales surpassed those of the One M8 during its first 10 day period, but the handset doesn’t appear to have seen the same leap in popularity as Samsung’s latest flagship.
Technically, the Samsung Galaxy S6 doesn’t launch until tomorrow, but T-Mobile is including pre-orders in its figures. What’s more, it’s likely that Galaxy S6 sales could reach even higher numbers when it becomes publicly available in stores on April 10th.
LPDDR4 – everything you need to know
64-bit, octa-core, and nanometers may be grabbing the taglines of the mobile tech world this year, but the latest and greatest mobile SoCs are also packing lightning fast LPDDR4 RAM memory. DDR4 memory has been making the rounds in the high-end PC space for a little while now, and LPDDR4, essentially the mobile equivalent of this standard, is finally here, bringing with it faster memory speeds and lower power consumption.
Read & Watch – Best Android Phones 2015
Breaking down the acronym, LPDDR RAM stands for low power double data rate random access memory, and is the memory used to store short term data used by applications. Unlike its desktop equivalent, low power RAM comes with a smaller bit bus, but this helps when it comes to power efficiency. The number, such as LPDDR3 or LPDDR4, simply marks the generation of the technology, we’ll have to dive down a little deeper into the specifications to see what has changed.
The LPDDR4 specification aims to double data rates (up to 3200 Mb/s) over last generation RAM and to save on energy consumption for mobile devices. Compared with LPDDR3’s one-channel die, LPDD4 was redesigned for a two-channel die with 16 bits per channel, for a total of 32 bits total. This lowers the core’s power, thanks to shorter data paths, and improves operational speed. The bandwidth target is 17GB/s per die, but can still be arranged in a dual-channel configuration to reach much higher speeds.
To save on energy, LPDDR4 chips lower the nominal operating voltage from 1.2V to 1.1V. The standard now also supports an improved power saving low frequency mode, which can bring the clock speed down for further battery savings when performing simpler background tasks.
Micron and Samsung are two of the industry leaders in this technology, and both are pushing their first LPDDR4 products to market this year. Micron has been instrumental in leading the definition and adoption of LPDDR4, working towards meeting consumer demands for faster boot and loading times, while fitting within the tight power constraints of the mobile platform.
Micron Low power requirements are essential for mobile and LPDDR4 is the most energy efficient memory yet.
Micron’s technology tops out the standard with a 2133 MHz clock in the standard’s 2 x16 channel configuration for a transfer rate of 4266 MT/s, which targets the standard’s peak bandwidth of 32 GB/s at x64. Samsung’s latest chip offers a 1600MHz equivalent which tops out at 3200 MT/s and a theoretical bandwidth peak of 25.6 GB/s at x64.
Memory bandwidth is a key specification to keep an eye on here. Although rarely operating at peak levels, this figure tells us how much data the memory can pass each second, which is an important statistic for low-latency gaming or when transferring very large data sets, such as 4K or slow-motion video. These numbers probably don’t mean much on their own, so the table below offers a comparison with previous LPDDR standards.
Related – Samsung switches to LPDDR4 and UFS 2.0 memory, but what does it mean?
The move to LPDDR4 also sees chip capacity take another jump forward. Micron already offers a selection of LPDDR4 memory densities for mobile applications, including 8Gb (gigabit) and 16Gb LPDDR4 packages, i.e. 1GB and 2GB densities. Samsung is also working on high density memory packages. Not long ago the company announced the start of mass production of its 8Gb (1GB) LPDDR4 modules, which will be manufactured on a small 20nm process. 24 and 32 Gb packages are also planned for the future. Fewer components with larger memory sizes allow for lower costs and larger amounts of RAM running with a high bandwidth.
LPDDR4 is architected to meet the power, bandwidth, packaging, cost, and compatibility requirements of the world’s most advanced mobile systems – Micron
While numbers are all well and good, improving the user experience is the ultimate end goal. Faster memory is key as we demand more performance at 2K and push towards 4K displays and demand higher levels of performance from mobile graphics processing units.
New media features, such as slow-motion video, face recognition, and 3D camera capture are also driving up the memory bandwidth requirements. LPDDR4 memory will allow for higher frame rate slow-motion capture and will also enable camera sensors to breach the 20MP mark. Not only that, but moving to more efficient, lower power memory designs can help squeeze extra life out of device batteries.
Mobile SoCs so far confirmed to be using LPDDR4 RAM are Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 and Samsung’s Exynos 7420, which is used in both flagship offerings of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, meaning that this year’s high-end flagships should all be making use of this improved memory technology. LG’s latest flagship, the LG G Flex 2 is also packing industry leading LPDDR4 memory, as well. However, this standard is not expected to become a mainstream mobile technology for mid-tier products until 2017.
Smartphones with LPDDR4 Memory!
.rvs_wrapper
width: 335px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
.rvs_wrapper
width: 100%;
text-align: center;
#page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
display: inline-block;
float: none;
vertical-align: top;
Record sales for the Samsung Galaxy S6 expected, shortage of S6 Edge imminent
Samsung needed a winner in its 2015 flagship and all indications are saying that Samsung is expecting record sales for the Samsung Galaxy S6. Mission accomplished, right? Well, Samsung is actually going to have its work cut out for it keeping up with the demand, not only for the flat-screened Galaxy S6, but particularly for […]
The post Record sales for the Samsung Galaxy S6 expected, shortage of S6 Edge imminent appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Samsung boss says Galaxy S6 Edge availability will be limited “for a while”
As Samsung is gearing up to launch the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S Edge, the company’s mobile boss admitted that the Edge would be available in limited quantities at launch.
Talking to the press in Seoul ahead of the Galaxy S6 Edge’s debut tomorrow, Samsung Mobile CEO JK Shin said that the phone’s curved screen is difficult to manufacture, and that will affect the initial availability of the device.
“We’re working hard to resolve the difficulty in supply,” said Shin, but the executive cautioned that the supply restraint may last “for a while.” Shin refused to provide details on the exact issues affecting manufacturing, but an older report points to the curved glass protecting the display as a potential culprit. Samsung’s glass suppliers reportedly face low yield rates, while the lengthy fabrication process and high cost further add to the challenge.
.rvs_wrapper
width: 335px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
.rvs_wrapper
width: 100%;
text-align: center;
#page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
display: inline-block;
float: none;
vertical-align: top;
It’s not clear what effect this “difficulty in supply” will have on the actual in-store availability of the Galaxy S6 Edge; the device is expected to be in high-demand, and Samsung reportedly ramped up production based on the warm reception the Edge enjoyed.
Following glowing reviews and a generally positive reaction from users, Samsung expects the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge to set a new sales record. JK Shin said he expects the S6 to outsell both the Galaxy S5, and Samsung’s all-time best-seller, the Galaxy S4. “We expect (the figure) will be a lot higher, compared with the Galaxy S5 last year or its preceding model,” Shin said.
“Making everyday functions more handy and useful for consumers and creating what is needed most at this moment rather than trying to get ahead of rivals, is what we believe was a sincere innovation,” said Shin about the “back to basics” philosophy behind the device.
The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge will go on sale from tomorrow in 20 countries from around the world. In the US, all major carriers will be carrying the S6 and S6 Edge, with T-Mobile already shipping the device to customers.
Were you planning to get the Galaxy S6 Edge? If you won’t be able to get it, will you buy the regular S6 or wait out?
Cricket Wireless offering new phone payment plans in wake of the Galaxy S6
Cricket Wireless announced earlier today that it launched new phone payment plans. The plans are “designed to help customers get the latest, premium devices.” Devices include the new Galaxy S6 and it’s designed to do so without breaking the bank. The prepaid carrier boasts that it’s the first to offer three credit financing options without an annual contract.
Qualified buyers can walk into any Cricket location and walk out with the phone of their dreams for as little as $20 down plus fees and taxes. Here are the plans:
Ter
- Tier I: Finance your device for 24 months with no interest for a $19.99 down payment.
- Tier II: The second tier has the same downpayment of $19.99 but has six months deferred interest and 29.99 percent APR for the next 18 months after. If you pay it off in six months, you accrue no interest. If it’s not paid off, you are charged the 29.99 percent interest from the point of sale. So interest on the full amount is applied to your bill.
- Tier III: The “rent-to-own” option is basically a 90-days same as cash plan. You pay $49.99 upfront then pay the value of the phone over the course of 90 days without interest charges.
For tier I and II options, you’ll be subject to approval through a standard credit check with the added caveat of adding taxes and accessory charges into the loan. Tier III doesn’t require a credit check but a third party just might be used to verify financial information.
These plans apply to phones valued at $199.99 or more like the S6 and ZTE Grand X Max+ devices. Cricket will allow up to five devices to be financed per account. You can add accessories to your plan at any time after the purchase of a qualifying device.
But what, there’s more! Cricket is giving customers a chance to switch from T-Mobile, Metro-PCS, Sprint and Boost, among others and enticing them to do so with a month of service free. The only catch is you must complete two months of service to do so.
So if that seems like something that tickles your fancy, visit a Cricket store near you to snag the new S6 at a finance plan you can stomach.
source: Cricket
Come comment on this article: Cricket Wireless offering new phone payment plans in wake of the Galaxy S6
ZAGG announced partnership with Best Buy to give your Samsung Galaxy S6 their awesome protection.
style=”display:block”
data-ad-client=”ca-pub-8523547931208430″
data-ad-slot=”2010118040″
data-ad-format=”auto”>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
Keeping your smartphone damage free is something that we all have to struggle with on a daily basis. Whether we try to prevent damage using cases, screen protectors, or by barely using the device (I have met some who follow this lifestyle..), it can be a task. Thankfully there exist great companies that love nothing more than specializing in keeping our expensive gadgets looking as great as they did when we first purchases them. Yesterday, and just in time for those that purchases the new Samsung Galaxy S6, ZAGG announced an exclusive partnership with Best Buy to offer their latest protection for the Galaxy S6 with a featured product that will only be available at Best Buy. Who better to describe their latest products but the company themselves, so here is a snippet from the official press release.
The new product line consists of:
- ZAGG InvisibleShield HD Glass protects with durable, high-grade tempered glass that provides a smooth, precision-touch sensitivity and a crystal clear image. It also includes Blue Light Eye Guard that helps block blue UV light, which can be harmful to eyes, and when viewed in the hours before bed, can interfere with sleep. The Blue Light Eye Guard maintains HD clarity and preserves a crisp, natural look.
- ZAGG InvisibleShield HDX Defense combines the scratch protection of the InvisibleShield and adds advanced, 3X shatter protection for a device screen. The film features antimicrobial additives that hHi Juan,elp reduce the buildup of microbial growth on the surface of the screen protector.
- ZAGG InvisibleShield HD Clear is an ultra-clear and ultra-durable protective film that combines military grade scratch protection with advanced clarity that preserves every pixel. Featuring advanced clarity, the InvisibleShield HD Clear provides 100% light transmission with self-healing Nano-Memory Technology™.
So if you had been on the fence about what to use to protect your latest Samsung Galaxy S6, the choices just became clearer.
googletag.pubads().definePassback(‘/8095840/146.androidguys.com_desktop_728x90’, [728, 90]).display();
The post ZAGG announced partnership with Best Buy to give your Samsung Galaxy S6 their awesome protection. appeared first on AndroidGuys.
AIVAnet 
