Small is not for all: Derek Zoolander embraces the Samsung Galaxy (S6)
For anyone who has seen the 2001 movie Zoolander, there is one particular part that rang true to the hearts of phone-ees: Derek Zoolander, portrayed by Ben Stiller, had an impossibly small mobile. Resembling a miniature Motorola Star-Tac, the fabulous flip phone was just one of the plethora of gags and jokes that littered the movie. Times, however, have changed, and so too have Derek Zoolander’s tastes:
“We’re holding…the GALAXY???? It looks like me!”
The above poster, teasing the United Kingdom release of the movie, has both Derek and his rival/friend Hansel (portrayed by Owen Wilson) staring into their souls, as mirrored back at them via selfies. Of course the bigger surprise is what they are holding: the Samsung Galaxy S6.
A sign of the times
Yes, this was the original phone Derek once had to deal with. How could you see anything on that?
Indeed if one thinks back to 2001, concepts of selfies and even smartphones were non-existent. In those days, people who took pictures of themselves were typically labeled as vain (I’d like to say I took selfies before they caught on), all the more so given that basically all phones – save for those sold in Japan – only had rear cameras, if that. Selfies have since gone on to become such a craze that not only are there accessories to facilitate taking them, but also an entire spin-off, referred to as belfies.
Likewise, at the turn of the century, everything mobile was about miniaturization. Zoolander itself was making an almost meta statement about how en vogue the trend was. Ironically, these days phones under 5-inches are now labeled as “Mini”, something that would be unthinkable even a few years ago, when the average display was around 3.5 or 4-inches.
Oh, and just for reference, while the Zoolander phone was never actually manufactured, there is at least one micro-mobile that did come to market:
The Frisk Phone is perhaps the smallest mobile EVAR.
Samsung Showcase
Perhaps the larger issue here is just how eager Samsung is to plant produce placement in movies. The Verge points out that the Samsung logo in the promo picture isn’t prominently visible, something that could be a result of the camera angle, or perhaps the fact that no licensing agreement is in place at the moment. Were the latter true however, it would seemingly be prudent for Paramount Pictures, the studio behind the film, to remove the logo entirely, or just use a generic product so as to avoid potential legal problems.
Either way, Samsung spends a lot of money on movie marketing, with this year’s Jurassic World having prominent placement. The company has also made it a point to sponsor the Olympic Games. It will remain to be seen as to how aggressive this kind of marketing continues given the company’s new decisions to take radical action and change things up to stay competitive.
Big Money and Marketing
The movie poster also reminds us of the recent stories about 007’s latest outing, Spectre. Leaked e-mails from Sony indicated that James Bond himself, Daniel Craig, didn’t want to use an Xperia because it wasn’t “the best”. Perhaps even more interesting however, Samsung allegedly offered up $50 million to have its Galaxy products sponsored in the new film.
Given that Sony is indeed producing a special James Bond-edition Xperia Z5, it goes to show just how these product placements and sponsorships can be used to the advantage of their creators. Also consider that Verizon had an NFL-colored back for the Moto X, and even ZTE is making an NBA-branded Axon Phone.
One need not even go into the madness that exists in Japan, where each major carrier actually has phones branded as “Disney Mobile.” In fact, the LG G4 didn’t release here at all, but it did release a lower powered, re-branded and remodeled variant which is marching proud with Mickey Mouse:
This is in addition to other marketing tie-ups, including one from Sharp featuring Neon Genesis Evangelion, and others with Sony and Hatsune Mikku.
Wrap Up
Everyone loves to see the models looking beautiful and thin.
Suffice to say, Derek and Hansel’s latest vie for vanity is certainly a fair talking point. In just one self-centered selfie, the moralistic models have spoken volumes about not only the changes in the mobile industry over the years, but also the marketing money that makes movies. It’s brilliant really, as one of the main points of modeling is to let the photographs speak for themselves.
One might even get a bit more meta and say that mobiles themselves have become models as companies like Samsung have finally made the bold decision to focus on looks over functionality, at least by some critics’ standards. This year’s flagships in particular have come under great scrutiny given their forgoing a removable battery and support for microSD.
Still, now that we known Zoolander isn’t afraid to get a Galaxy, can we expect a special edition next year from Samsung? Or, perhaps even more relevant: will the male model have a new pose to promote it?
Buying a Samsung phone? Get $349 in accessories, $50 rebate and more
Carriers and manufacturers are celebrating the holidays extra early this year. Yesterday we reported on T-Mobile offer $100 discounts on top smartphones; now Samsung and Sprint are offering some of the sweetest smartphone deals we have seen in a while.
You won’t exactly be saving much on the phone itself, but the amount of value Samsung and its partners are offering is actually quite stunning. There’s a few deals available, so let’s share them with you one by one.
Swarovski Holiday Bundle
Here’s for all of those who want to add some flash to their holidays. The Swarovski Holiday Bundle includes a Samsung battery pack, a wireless charger and a Swarovski crystal phone cover.
All of these gifts will be free with the purchase of a Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+ or Galaxy Note 5. After purchasing the device, simply go to the dedicated website to redeem your gift (have your receipt ready). By the way, you have to make sure you purchase the phone on (or before) November 19th.
Level On Holiday Bundle
This one works pretty much the same way as the Swarovski deal, but you get different accessories. Buy one of the before-listed devices and Samsung will give you a wireless charger, a portable battery pack and a set of Level On headphones.
Just visit Samsung’s Gifts of the Season website to claim your prize. And remember – get that phone before November 19 if you want in on this deal.
Activate Samsung Pay to get a $50 rebate
It’s not only cool accessories you can get. Sammy is also throwing in a $50 rebate you can claim after getting your new Galaxy device. Just go ahead and claim your $50 at the Promotions website. It’s the same deal: you have to have purchased the phone from November 5 to 19, and the form must be completed by November 26th (or postmarked by December 26th, if done by mail).
$100 in Google Play credit when switching from an iPhone!
Yes! Samsung will give you $100 in Google Play Store credit if you switch from an iPhone to one of the qualified Samsung Galaxy handset being included in this offer. But you must do this one before you actually purchase the new Galaxy phone! Pay close attention if interested in this.
- Head over to samsungpromotions.com/giftsoftheseason from a qualifying iPhone.
- Pre-register by entering your email address.
- Go trade in your iPhone for a Galaxy phone at your carrier.
- Visit the Samsung Promotions website again and submit your offer claim.
- You should get your $100 soon after!
Sign up for Samsung Pay and get $50 bill credit from Sprint
You can also get $50 of bill credit if you activate Samsung Pay on a Sprint device. Of course, this is only for those in the carrier, but it will be a nice treat if you qualify. Just head over to the Samsung/Sprint offer page and follow instructions after you have set up Samsung Pay and registered a compatible card.
This deal only works on the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+ or Galaxy Note 5. The offer is valid until November 30th, so hurry up! It doesn’t really cost anything, and you don’t even have to continue using Samsung Pay if you don’t want to.
Wrapping up
Samsung is either super excited or super desperate. The South Korean manufacturer is trying to increase its numbers, and though sales are up, they have been struggling to get revenue up. We won’t complain either way.
Do keep in mind the hotter deals usually come on, and after, Thanksgiving, though. Maybe Samsung has even more cool offers for us! Regardless, this should be a good incentive to go with Sammy. Are you signing up?
T-Mobile slashing $100 off top smartphones before the holiday deals
The holidays are coming and that can only mean one thing for avid tech shoppers – some hot deals are about to come! Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just around the corner, kickstarting Christmas shopping with some of the hottest offers you will see all year. T-Mobile doesn’t want you to wait around, though.
The Un-carrier is getting jolly with $100 discounts on top smartphones (plenty of them are on our list of best smartphones). And this discount applies whether you are buying the smartphone at full price or through an installment plan. All users have to do is access the T-Mobile Super Smartphone Deals website and click on “Apply Coupon”. After that, simply follow the usual purchase method and add your phone(s) to your cart. The discount will be applied during checkout.
Which phones are discounted?
You can’t just buy any phone. This deal is limited to 11 handsets, but they happen to be some of the best devices currently in the market. Here’s a list:
- LG G4
- LG V10
- Samsung Galaxy S6
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus
- Samsung Galaxy Note 4
- Samsung Galaxy Note 5
I know, those are only 7 phones and I said there were 11 included in the offer. This is because the other 4 are from Apple. We don’t tend to cover that kind of stuff here, but if you are into those phones it’s easy to assume which ones they are. With that said, let’s get back to talking about these hot Android smartphones.
Some of these are actually pretty hot deals. The LG G4 can be had for only $379.76, and the Galaxy Note 5 is only $599.99 after the discount.
Limitations?
There are a few things to keep in mind. For starters, we don’t know how long this deal is going for, so you should act as quickly as possible if interested. We are also not sure if this applies only to new lines, or upgrades as well. What we do know is you can’t use these deals on top of other offers and it is a web-only discount. You can’t just waltz into a T-Mobile store and get $100 off!
Are you signing up?
There you have it, guys. Winter is coming, and the deals are already arriving. Are any of you getting one of these phones? Which one?
Report suggests the Samsung Galaxy S7 will be 10% cheaper than the Galaxy S6
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Samsung is in a very interesting situation – despite releasing multiple smartphones that are widely accepted to be some of the best, the company has been unable to reattain the dizzying heights it was able to with some of its previous devices. Many pundits suggest it is because the devices are too expensive, too premium, and to combat this, a report has suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S7 will be 10% cheaper than the Galaxy S6. This report comes courtesy of analyst Pan Jiutang, who has some credibility after correctly predicting that the Huawei Nexus 6P would have a Snapdragon 810 processor and not the Snapdragon 820.
Previous rumours have suggested that the Galaxy S7 will have a slew of new features including a 3D Touch pressure-sensitive display, magnesium alloy body, a special audio chip, and will be announced earlier than usual in January. While that all sounds fine and dandy, to be able to do that and still shave 10% off their usual asking price seems challenging, even for Samsung. It will be interesting to see if this comes to pass as profit margins for Android manufacturers have been dropping for some time – Samsung is one of the few still in the positive. For now.
What do you think about a 10% cheaper Samsung Galaxy S7? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Weibo via G for Games
The post Report suggests the Samsung Galaxy S7 will be 10% cheaper than the Galaxy S6 appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Moto X Style (Pure Edition) vs Samsung Galaxy S6
When the Samsung Galaxy S6 debuted earlier this year, the Korean manufacturer surprised the world by introducing a major overhaul to the build quality and design of its flagship, which better matched the premium price the series commanded. While this was a much-needed change, it did result in some previously signature features going by the wayside.
On the other hand, the latest high-end offering from Motorola retained a lot of what made its predecessor so good, and it remains mostly familiar, save for the bump in size, slightly more refined design elements, and necessary upgrades to key hardware aspects.
How does Motorola’s inexpensive flagship fair against what is arguably the best Galaxy S smartphone that Samsung has ever produced? We find out, in this in-depth look at the Moto X Style (Pure Edition) vs Samsung Galaxy S6!
Design
In terms of design, the first thing you will notice with these two smartphones is how different they are when it comes to the overall aesthetics.
As mentioned, the Moto X Pure Edition retains a lot of the design language of its predecessor, apart from the significant bump in size, including a metal frame, and the curved corners and back that allows for the device to nestle nicely in the palm of your hand. Given its larger footprint, the handling experience isn’t the most comfortable, but the ultra-thin bezels around the sides of the display and small top and bottom chin make for a device that is a lot more manageable that what its 5.7-inch display might suggest. The standard rubbery silicone backing provides a lot of grip as well, but if that is not very important, there are plenty of other options available to you via Moto Maker.
Like the other Moto X family members before it, one of the biggest selling points of the current Motorola flagship is the level of customization available to you. Moto Maker allows you to pick and choose your own color scheme, accent colors, and material for the back cover, and you also have the ability to add custom engravings and messages on the back, for that little bit more of a personalized touch. This kind of personalization is unmatched by any other OEM, and is a very unique aspect of the Moto X experience.
On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S6 may have only a handful of color options to choose from, but the big story with the latest Galaxy S flagship was Samsung’s decision to be done with plastic, in favor of a glass and metal unibody construction. With a lot of familiar elements, it does look like a Samsung smartphone through and through, but it looks and feels far more high-end, as is expected from a flagship device of this caliber.
The glass on the back can be a fingerprint magnet, and does make the phone somewhat slippery as well, but given its more compact size, one-handed use is still very comfortable with the Galaxy S6.
Display
The Moto X Pure Edition comes with a 5.7-inch IPS LCD display, while the Samsung Galaxy S6 features a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED screen. With the resolution of both displays being 2560 x 1440, sharpness is of no concern with either. The Galaxy S6 does come with a higher pixel density of 577 ppi compared to the 520 ppi of the Moto X Pure Edition, but that is a difference that is going to hardly be noticeable. What is notable however is the distinction caused by the different underlying technologies of these two displays.
Samsung is well known for its display prowess, and once again, the Super AMOLED display of the Galaxy S6 offers the vibrant, saturated colors and high contrast that we’ve come to expect. The inky dark blacks are not only great for battery life, but also look much cleaner when compared to the grayish blacks on the LCD display of the Motorola smartphone.
That’s not to say that the display of the Moto X Pure Edition is disappointing in any way. It is a great looking screen with surprisingly great colors, viewing angles, and brightness, and while the use of AMOLED might have made more sense given some of the software features available with the Moto X, the switch to LCD is certainly not a deal breaker. Gaming and media-consumption is also very enjoyable with the Moto X Pure Edition, with users able to take advantage of the additional display real estate this is available to them.
Performance
Under the hood, the Moto X Pure Edition features a hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, clocked at 1.8 GHz, and backed by the Adreno 418 GPU, while the Samsung Galaxy S6 comes with an octa-core Exynos 7420 processor, clocked at 2.1 GHz, and backed by the Mali-T760MP8 GPU. While both devices offer 3 GB of RAM, you are dealing with the much faster DDR4 RAM with the Galaxy S6, compared to DDR3 on the Motorola device.
The Moto X Pure Edition may not be winning any specs races, but Motorola’s focus with their devices has always been on providing a great user experience, and that, fortunately, continues to hold true with their latest offering. Courtesy of a near-stock software iteration, the Moto X Pure Edition is fast, fluid, responsive, and rarely skips a beat. Swiping, scrolling, opening applications, multi-tasking, and gaming are all handled extremely well, and ultimately, that is what is going to matter the most.
On the other hand, Samsung flagships have always come with whatever was deemed the latest and greatest at the time, but unfortunately, real world performance has historically never lived up to expectations. This time around, Samsung decided to give the Snapdragons of the world a skip in favor of their in-house processing package, and that has proved to be a fantastic move.
The Galaxy S6 performs the way a flagship should, with a lot of credit going to Samsung’s optimization of their Touchwiz software suite, that comes with a lot less bloatware and unnecessary features than we’ve seen from Samsung in the past. The Galaxy S6 is easily the smoothest performing Samsung flagship that has ever been released, and while it still has its flaws, like the aggressive RAM management, it is still leaps and bounds ahead of what we’ve seen from the company over the years.
Hardware
In storage, the Moto X Pure Edition is available with 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB of storage, while the Samsung Galaxy S6 comes with 32 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB variants. The higher storage options may be the better way to go with the Galaxy S6, given the lack of expandable storage, a previous staple feature that Samsung decided to remove this time around. The story is the opposite with the Motorola flagship however, with the Moto X Pure Edition featuring expandable storage via microSD card, something that wasn’t available with its predecessors. This means that you will be able to alleviate any storage concerns, even if you opt for the base 16 GB model.
Another advantage the Moto X Pure Edition has over the Samsung Galaxy S6 is in terms of speaker quality. The former comes with a dual front-facing speaker setup which sounds fantastic, and provides a far better audio experience for gaming and watching videos when compared to the single, bottom-mounted speaker of the latter. The speaker of the Galaxy S6 is not bad by any means and can actually get quite loud, but it does pale in comparison to the Moto X Pure Edition.
The Galaxy S6 does feature a few extras in hardware that aren’t available with the Moto X Pure Edition, starting with the fingerprint scanner. If you appreciate the added benefit and security of having a fingerprint reader, then the reader on the Galaxy S6 is certainly not going to disappoint. The reader is fast, reliable, and easy to set up, and its touch type nature is a far better implementation that the swipe gesture version seen with some of Samsung’s earlier flagships. Apart from unlocking the device, the fingerprint scanner is also compatible for use with Samsung Pay and Android Pay, for that layer of extra security when using these mobile payment systems. The Galaxy S6 also comes with a heart rate monitor on the back, which is a useful addition for some.
On the battery front, the Moto X Pure Edition comes with a 3,000 mAh battery, larger than the 2,550 mAh unit of the Samsung Galaxy S6. Neither battery is replaceable, and while that is standard for the Moto X device, it is a significant departure from the norm for the Samsung flagship. The battery life is better with the Moto X Pure Edition, but not significantly so.
Both devices come with fast charging capabilities as well, making it extremely easy to get both phones up and running in a short time. The Samsung Galaxy S6 also comes with support for both standards of wireless charging, which is always a nice option to have.
Camera
The Moto X Pure Edition comes with a 21 MP rear camera, with phase detection auto focus and a f/2.0 aperture, while the Galaxy S6 features a 16 MP camera, with a f/1.9 aperture, and optical image stabilization.
Moto X Pure Edition camera samples
The Moto X series has never really been known for its camera capabilities, but the Moto X Pure Edition features some significant improvements this time around, resulting in a camera experience that can finally match up to the rest of the competition. Both smartphones are capable of taking excellent photos in most lighting situations, but the edge has to be given to the Galaxy S6 here, for its better dynamic range and low-light performance.
Samsung Galaxy S6 camera samples
Where the Moto X Pure Edition falls short is with regards to the camera application. It is far too minimalistic, especially when compared to what is available with the Galaxy S6. The GS6 camera app comes with a few more options and manual controls that really help make a difference. Futhermore, tapping on the viewfinder to take a shot on the Motorola device just doesn’t feel as intuitive as having a dedicated shutter button.
Software
On the software side of things, both smartphones are running Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, but the experience each offers is completely different from the other. With the Moto X Pure Edition, you get a near stock Android iteration with some useful features from Motorola baked in, such as twisting your wrist to open the camera, chopping twice to turn on the LED flash, glancing at notifications with Moto Display, or discreetly performing voice commands, just to name a few.
The Galaxy S6 on the other hand, comes with Samsung’s typical Touchwiz interface, and while it is a significant departure from stock Android, it is a much cleaner and toned down build of Touchwiz this time around. There is a lot less bloatware, and Samsung also got rid of a lot of unnecessary features. Those that were useful are retained however, such as multi-window, and motion gestures, like swiping your palm over the screen to capture a screen shot, or flipping the phone over to mute a call. Things may not aesthetically be very different from previous iterations of Touchwiz, but if you aren’t a fan of the look, you can now easily change it via the built-in theme store. The theme store is extremely robust, with a lot of options to choose from, and is probably one of the best features of this new version of Touchwiz.
If getting timely updates is of concern, the safer bet would be on the Moto X Pure Edition to get the official update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow first, but hopefully, we won’t be waiting too long for either of these devices to get updated.
Specs comparison
| Samsung Galaxy S6 | Moto X Style (Pure Edition) | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display Quad HD resolution, 577 ppi |
5.7-inch IPS LCD display Quad HD resolution, 515 ppi |
| Processor | 2.1 GHz octa-core Exynos 7420 processor Mali-T760MP8 GPU |
1.8 GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor Adreno 418 GPU |
| RAM | 3 GB | 3 GB |
| Storage | 32/64/128 GB | 16/32/64 GB expandable via microSD up to 128 GB |
| Camera | 16 MP rear camera with LED flash, OIS 5 MP front-facing camera |
21 MP rear camera with dual LED flash 5 MP front-facing camera with wide angle lens and front-facing flash |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.1 NFC GPS+GLONASS |
Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac Universal LTE bands Bluetooth 4.1 NFC GPS+GLONASS |
| Battery | 2,550 mAh | 3,000 mAh |
| Software | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop |
| Dimensions | 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm 128 grams |
153.9 x 76.2 x 11.1 mm 179 grams |
| Colors | White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Blue Topaz | Moto Maker Coated Silicon Rubber Horween leather and natural wood Metallic accents Engraving |
Gallery
Conclusion
So there you have it for this in-depth look at the Moto X Style (Pure Edition) vs Samsung Galaxy S6! When picking up any new smartphone, price always has an important role to play, and we’ve seen a big surge in devices that continue to offer great specifications and features at affordable price points. Considering that the Moto X Pure Edition features a large Quad HD display, great front-facing speakers, a pretty decent camera, and a lot of customization via Moto Maker, its $400 starting price makes it one of the best bang for your buck devices of 2015.
The Galaxy S6 is clearly the more expensive of the two, by a big margin, but it offers a few useful like extras, like a fingerprint scanner, wireless charging, and more powerful specifications. It is up to you as to whether these features are worth the extra cost, and if they are, then the Galaxy S6 will certainly not disappoint. However, if you are looking for a smartphone that provides a lot of value for not a lot of money, look no further than the Moto X Pure Edition.
Samsung phone sales are up, but revenue is down
A couple of years ago, Samsung was the undisputed king of the smartphone industry but in 2014, the increased competition in the smartphone industry resulted in it losing its grip on the throne. Impressive flagship devices from its rivals coupled with the Galaxy S5 which tanked resulted in the start of a crisis at the Korean OEM but one year on, the company has somewhat righted the decline.
Samsung devices in video:
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This year saw Samsung release a range of new phones including its Galaxy S6 flagship family and it seems to have worked according to new data from Counterpoint Technology Market Research. In the third quarter of 2015 ending September 31, Samsung reportedly shipped 84 million smartphones, which is a 6.3 percent increase on the same period last year and more than its key rivals – Apple and Huawei in second and third respectively – combined.
However, while the increase is good news, the joy may be short-lived as it’s not the Galaxy S6 family that’s driven the increase, but rather, Samsung’s lower-end phones. Counterpoint said that while 55% of Samsung’s sales in Q3 2014 were priced at $301 or more, this reduced to 40% in Q3 2015. Instead, phones priced at less than $200 were behind the increase and now account for 38% of overall shipments, compared with 30% last year.
A key part of Samsung’s decline last year was high prices for its devices coupled with increased competition from low-cost smartphones from Chinese players such as Xiaomi and Huawei. This year, Samsung’s Galaxy J series – and in particular, the Galaxy J5 – is believed to have been a big factor in increased sales of budget devices and shows that Samsung is willing to price its devices competitively and fight for volume over higher revenues.
Galaxy S6/Note 5 family in video:
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Whether it works for Samsung or not remains to be seen but the volume market may work for the company. In its heyday, Samsung’s profit margins were regularly between 15 and 19 percent but during its big decline last year, they collapsed to 7 percent. Samsung has promised its investors that the margins will rise up above 10 percent and during the third quarter, the company’s margins came at 9 percent.
Selling cheap phones won’t increase Samsung’s margins but it will put more Galaxy devices in more hands and this may lead to an increase in higher end sales, resulting in an increased margin. Either way, Samsung looks set to have a much better year, this year and the decline of last year could yet prove to be nothing more than a temporary blip.
Here are the videos you don’t want to miss this week – October 24, 2015
The Android world never sleeps, and that’s certainly been the case for this past week.
This week we’ve managed to bring you our unboxing and first impressions of Google’s new Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X smartphones, as well as an initial hands-on with HTC’s new One A9. That’s not all, though. We’ve brought you full reviews of the Sony Xperia Z5, Z5 Compact and Samsung Gear S2, which you won’t want to miss!
A first look at the new Nexus phones
Nexus 6P unboxing and first impressions
While we didn’t have enough time to bring you our full review, we brought you the next best thing. Don’t miss Josh’s unboxing and first impressions of Google’s new Nexus 6P.
Nexus 5X unboxing and first impressions
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Wondering what we think of the Nexus 5X so far? Check out Lanh’s Nexus 5X unboxing and impressions after 48 hours with the device.
Hands-on with HTC’s hero device
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HTC is doing something different, yet still incredibly familiar. Can the One A9 stand out from the crowd, or is it too much of a copycat? Check out Josh’s hands-on and first impressions with the HTC One A9.
- HTC One A9 first impressions: trying some new things
- HTC One A9 officially announced: everything you need to know
Reviews
Sony Xperia Z5 review
Sony’s new Xperia Z5 is one heck of a smartphone, but has it changed enough from past Sony devices? Don’t miss Krystal’s full review of the Sony Xperia Z5.
Samsung Gear S2 review
The Gear S2 may be one of the best smartwatches on the market, but are there any caveats that come along with Samsung’s newest wearable? Find out more in our full review.
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact review
If you’re in the market for a smaller handset, the Xperia Z5 Compact may be the phone for you. Check out Gary’s full review to learn more.
Tips and tricks for your S6 and Note 5
Wondering how to make the most of your Galaxy S6 or Note 5’s software? Gary walks us through some TouchWiz tips and tricks.
Android Apps Weekly
NBA 2K16, new Google Play Store, Minecraft: Story Mode is out – you don’t want to miss Joe’s newest episode of Android Apps Weekly!
Should OEMs focus on smaller phones?
Now that large-screened smartphones are here to stay, should device manufacturers make it a point to put more focus on smaller devices? Don’t miss Matthew’s written opinion piece attached below, and check out Jayce’s video for more speculation.
TLYT Energi Sliding Power case for Samsung Galaxy S6 review
For all the great things that come in the design of the Samsung Galaxy S6, one thing has proved to be bothersome for some users. Indeed, I’m talking about the non-removable battery. For reasons known only to Samsung, this generation of device includes an internal battery. Sure, the phone looks downright gorgeous and feels really nice in hand, but users are confined to a very specific amount of juice.
For some of us, we like to add an extended battery or swap in a secondary battery as the need arises. This was quite easy in past generations of Samsung but not so much for this year.
Thankfully, we have companies like TYLT who make products that work with practical solutions regardless of whether your phone has an internal or removable battery.
We recently spent time with the Energi Sliding Power Case for the Samsung Galaxy S6 and found it to be in line with other products from TYLT. Namely, it’s quality device that provides peace of mind.
The inner layer protects the Galaxy S6 but doesn’t have any extra battery.
This product comes in a two-piece setup. For the first part, it’s a protective case that protects the edges of your screen. It fits snugly around the phone and provides a moderate amount of protection against scuffs and scrape.
As you might expect, there are cutouts for the charging port, speakers, headphone port, camera and other items. Buttons can be pressed easily and the response is still just about the same as what you’d find on the phone itself.
The second part, which is where the extended battery is housed, is where you’re going to find the bulk. Once you slide your phone down inside of this second unit, you’ve added a second 3400mAh battery. In other words, this more than doubles the life that you will get out of your phone.
The rear of the outer shell has a five-light indicator so you can quickly tell how much power is left in your reserve. Each light represents 20 percent of juice.
The device itself is prone to pick up oil and scuff a little bit easier than we’d like but it wasn’t unsightly. We expect these to get natural wear and tear over time; it can be wiped down easily. In short, there’s nothing here that bothered us more than any other, similar product we’ve tested.
It is not required that you use this battery at all times, of course, so feel free to carry just the phone itself. But, for those who do not expect to be near a charger for an extended period of time, you’ll want to take both pieces with you.
If there is one area of concern it is that the two pieces do not come apart very easily. For some people this will not be a problem. For others, it could be quite the pain in the butt if you need or want to pull your phone out and keep it slim. Some users may wish to keep the extended battery in a car or somewhere where they can grab it on the go and juice up the phone. If that is you, prepare to work your hands quite vigorously to get this apart. We did find that it got easier over time but it’s still a snug fit. There could be worse problems, though.
One feature we’re particularly fond of is the built-in support for Qi wireless charging. So, if you’ve got a wireless platter or dock, you can drop your Galaxy S6 on it and not worry about fussing with cords. This is the sort of flexibility and freedom you need and expect in a flagship such as the Samsung Galaxy S6.
You can score the TLYT Energi Sluding Power Case for $79.99 directly from TYLT. Other places that offer the device include Best Buy and Amazon; both had the same price as of the time this review was published.
The post TLYT Energi Sliding Power case for Samsung Galaxy S6 review appeared first on AndroidGuys.
TouchWiz tips and tricks for the Note 5 and Galaxy S6
Samsung’s TouchWiz interface seems to be one of those things that polarizes people, you either love it or hate it. One of the criticisms of TouchWiz was that it was slow and bloated. Thankfully Samsung listened to its customers and the version of TouchWiz that is on the Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 has been slimmed down. But that doesn’t mean it has been crippled. There are lots of useful features and aids built-in to TouchWiz and so to help you get the best from the software, here are our TouchWiz tips and tricks for the Note 5 and Galaxy S6.
Power saving modes
Now that the Note 5 and the S6 have non-removable batteries, the usefulness of the built-in power saving modes has increased. The Note 5 offers two battery friendly modes: Power saving mode and Ultra power saving mode. The first saves battery power by limiting the CPU speed, reducing the screen brightness, and by turning off a few things like the touch key light and vibration feedback. You can switch it on manually by going to Settings -> Battery -> Power saving mode, or you can configure it, from the same menu, to come on when the battery is at 50%, 20%, 15 or 5%.
Ultra power saving mode is a bit more drastic, it switches the phone over to a greyscale theme, turns off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, disables mobile data when the screen is off, and restricts you to some essential apps like phone and messaging. According to the estimations you should get double the battery life out of the ultra power saving mode as you do from power saving mode.
Easy mode
When using the Note 5 or S6 in ultra power saving mode the UI is changed so that you only get access to a few selected apps, there is no app drawer and no screens to switch between. If you would like something similar during every day usage then Samsung has included Easy mode just for you.
Unlike the ultra power saving mode, non of the functionality is limited, however the home screen takes on a much simpler layout and the font size is switched to large so that icons and items can be found quickly. To enable Easy mode go to Settings -> Easy mode. You can also configure which of Samsung’s apps take on the easy mode style, which in practice means they just use the large font. The apps drawer is available, however it is moved to the first screen on the right. The first screen to the left is reserved for adding icons for people in your contacts.
Do not disturb
I don’t know about you, but one of the things that annoys me about the smartphones and tablets in our house is notifications that go off in the middle of the night. One of the Jurassic park games uses the roar of a dinosaur when it sends a notification. There have been a few nights when all is quiet, you could hear a pin drop and then this T-Rex roar comes from one of the kid’s tablets. Very annoying…
Luckily Samsung as built-in a “Do not disturb” mode into TouchWiz. Although Lollipop has its priority mode and Marshmallow has a “Do not disturb” mode, the TouchWiz version is very comprehensive. You can find it under Settings -> Sounds and notifications. You can enable and disable it manually or there is a scheduling function which allows you to configure when the phone should enter and exit the “Do not disturb” mode, say between 11PM and 7AM. Once enabled all calls will be muted and notifications will be silenced. However you can set some exceptions. By default all alarms are allowed, however you have full control over what is muted and what is not. You can let all calls through, or just calls from people in your favorites list. It is the same for messages. You can also explicly allow notifications from S Planner to come through.
If you tap on “App notifications” (under Settings -> Sounds and notifications -> Do not disturb -> Allow exceptions) you can configure apps individually to block notifications; set them as priority, which means they will appear at the top of the notification panel and they will be allowed even when in “Do not disturb” mode; or hide the notification from the lock screen. In fact it is the same functionality as you find under Settings -> Sounds and notifications -> App notifications.
One-handed operation (Note 5 only)
There is no denying it, the Note 5 is a big phone and you really need two hands to use it. However Samsung has built in a couple of helps for those moments when one-handed use is essential. If you go to Settings -> Display -> One-handed operation you will see two items which can be enabled. The first is “Reduce screen size” and the second is “One-handed input”. The former reduces the size of the display when you press the Home key three times in quick succession, like a triple click. The reduced screen size is easy to use with one hand and you have the option to switch it to the left side or the right side, depending on which hand you are using.
The other option will permanently reduce (without having to triple click the Home key) the size of the various input methods including the keyboard, the keypad, and the unlock pattern. What this means is that throughout the UI you are able to use one hand to type, regardless of the app. The only exception is apps which implement their own keyboards, like some types of game.
Your favorite apps
Note 5
One of the unique features of the Note series is of course the S Pen. By default, when you take the pen out of the phone then Air command will start, a quick launcher which gives you immediate access to some of the S Pen enabled apps. However you can also add your own apps to Air command making it easy to launch your favorite apps.
To add your own apps from within Air command, tap on the large plus sign labeled “Add shortcuts” and then tap the app you want from the apps shown. Alternatively you can tap on the settings cog on the bottom left-hand side of Air command and then tap on Shortcuts. This is the same menu as Settings -> S Pen -> Air command -> Shortcuts.
As a side note, if you don’t have the floating Air command icon enabled nor is Air command configured to launch when you remove the pen, you can always access Air command by hovering the S Pen over the screen and pressing the pen button.
Galaxy S6 Edge
Although the Galaxy S6 doesn’t have an S Pen and Air command, if you own an “Edge” version then you have access to Apps edge. To get to it drag, the Edge screen handle and then swipe to the left. Tap the plus sign to add the apps you use the most or alternatively go to Settings -> Edge screen.
In the settings you can also enable or disable Apps edge as well as People edge, plus you can set the Edge screen position or configure which Edge screen notifications are allowed.
Use Screen write to capture a long page (Note 5 only)
One of the cool S Pen apps that comes with the Note 5 is Screen write. It allows you to take a screenshot and then use the S Pen to annotate the image. This is great when everything you want to save or share is displayed on one screen. But what about a web page, most web pages don’t fit onto a single screen. Fortunately Samsung has thought about this and added a “Scroll capture” feature which scrolls the web page down and then adds the second page to the screen shot. You can keep scrolling until you have reached the bottom of the page.
First of all open up the web page you want to capture. Get out the S Pen and from Air command tap on Screen write. Once the screen has been captured tap on the Scroll capture icon on the bottom left of the page. The page will scroll down and another capture taken. You then have the option to “Capture more” to scroll down another page. When finished, hit “Done”.
The whole web page will now be presented for annotation, you can scroll up and down the image adding your scribble as needed. When you have finished your notes you can save the annotated page in the Scrapbook or in the Gallery.
Master the quick settings
TouchWiz includes a couple of places where you can access specific settings directly without having to scroll through the full Settings page. The first place is on the top of the notification shade and the second is at the top of the Settings page itself. Known as Quick Settings, they can be configured to include the settings which you use the most.
To edit the Quick Settings on the notification shade, pull down the shade and then tap on the EDIT button near the top right of the screen. From here you can drag and drop icons from the bottom half of the screen to the highlighted box at the top. If there isn’t enough room then the last icon will shuffle off (its mortal coil) and leave a gap for the new icon. When you are happy with the new arrangement, tap DONE.
To change the Quick Settings at the top of the Settings page, enter the Settings page and then tap EDIT on the small Quick settings bar. Here you can check or uncheck up to 9 different settings which will be shown in the Quick Settings panel. The default is 6 settings in two rows of three. If you add between 7 to 9 icons then the quick settings panel will grow to three rows. Once you are happy with your selection then navigate back to the Settings page by tapping the left arrow at the top of the page.
Spice things up a bit
Not only can you change the wallpaper on the Note 5 and S6 (i.e. long press on an empty part of the home screen and then tap on Wallpapers) but you can also change the whole theme of the UI including the icons and the UI color palette. To do this, long press on an empty part of the home screen and then tap on Themes.
By default there are a few themes present in the library, however the real good stuff can be found in the Theme Store. Tap on the Theme Store bar at the bottom of the Themes library page. The Theme Store app will start. Browse through the different themes and tap on one that interests you. Check out the screenshot examples and tap on Read More if you want to see any extra details.
Once you have chosen a theme, tap on Download. You will need to sign into your Samsung account (if you haven’t already done so). Once the download is complete tap on Apply.
Bonus tip – get rid of Flipboard Briefing
Swiping left from the home screen doesn’t start Google Now or display another screen, instead it takes you to the Flipboard Briefing app. You might like this and you might not! If you don’t want it then it is quite easy to remove. Long press on an empty part of the home screen to enter into the home screen editing mode. Swipe left to reveal the Flipboard Briefing and then take the check mark at the top of the page to deactivate it. Now press the Home key.
That is it, gone. However there is one small problem. Now you can’t swipe left. There is nothing there. If you are like me, you will be used to swiping to the left and right from the home screen. To fix this, long press on an empty part of the home screen again. Now tap on the home screen and keep your finger on the screen. Drag the home screen one to the right. So that the second page now swaps with the first. Press the Home key to exit.
Now when you swipe to the left you can a page and when you swipe to the right. The home screen is how in the middle. You can also add more screens from the editing mode.
Wrap up
So there you have it, my TouchWiz tips and tricks for the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S6. If you have any tips that you want to share with us please use the comments below.
Score a free Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Tab A through T-Mobile with an eligible trade-in this weekend
If you’re looking to join T-Mobile’s Jump! On Demand program and are in the market for a new smartphone, there may be quite the deal for you this weekend. T-Mobile has just announced that when you bring in an eligible trade-in from today through Sunday, October 25th, you’ll get a free Samsung Galaxy S6 and a free Samsung Galaxy Tab A through T-Mobile’s Jump! On Demand leasing program.
To score the 32GB Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Tab A free of charge, you’ll need to trade in a Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+, Note 5, Note 4, S5, Note Edge or iPhone 6. With this deal, you’ll pay $0 down and $0 per month for 18 months. And since this is through T-Mobile’s leasing program, you’ll need to return the phone to T-Mobile once your 18-month leasing period is up.
See also: Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 and Galaxy Tab A 9.7 review
The carrier notes that on Monday, October 26th, this Jump! On Demand promotional pricing will increase from $0 per month to $10 per month. With that said, if you’re interested, don’t miss out! Head to the link attached below if you’re interested.
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