High res renders of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 grace us ahead of the device’s announcement

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is probably the worst kept secret under Samsung‘s watch, however that’s not going to stop us getting excited for it. Today, new high resolution renders of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 have dropped, giving us a great look at the device in pristine condition. Notable design features that we’ve seen plenty of now includes the dual-curved edges on the back of the device, the general Galaxy S6 design language, and the S-Pen that still looks like it’s flush with the rest of the device. SlashGear also notes that the Galaxy Note 5 is the first Galaxy Note not to have a rear-facing speaker – instead, its speaker will be facing downward, as per the Galaxy S6.

Behind its 5.7-inch Quad HD display, we’re expecting that the Galaxy Note 5 will have the brand new Exynos 7422 processor, 4GB RAM, a 3,220mAh battery and a 16MP camera. That’s not all we’ll have to look forward to on August 13th at Samsung’s Unpacked event – Samsung is also expected to be announcing the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ and the Samsung Gear A smartwatch.

Which one are you most excited to see at the Samsung Unpacked event? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: SlashGear via SamMobile

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Samsung to let Chinese users uninstall pre-loaded apps

Samsung is to let users of its smartphones in China uninstall any preloaded apps they do not want to stave off the threat of additional court cases. The Korean manufacturer – alongside Chinese counterpart Oppo – was sued by a committee in China designed to protect consumer rights as it prevented Galaxy users from deleting preloaded applications.

Related: Xiaomi and Samsung are the most faked Android phone brands in China125427

To allow customers to uninstall preloaded apps, the manufacturer will make patches available to download at after-sales centres from next month but this may not be enough, with the committee confirming there are currently no plans to drop the lawsuit.

In a statement to KoreaTimes, Samsung said:

“Chinese consumers using Samsung’s Galaxy phones can now delete applications that were pre-installed because Samsung Electronics plans to provide software patches so things get done from next month.”

Samsung was sued after the committee found that 24 of the 44 pre-installed applications on the Galaxy Note 3 – with model number N9008S – were required in order to use the smartphone. While the move to allow customers to remove preloaded applications via the patches should appease some customers, it looks like the Korean manufacturer will be held to its promise with the committee confirming:

“If Samsung fails to meet its own promise, then the legal tussle will be continued and expanded.”

On its website, Samsung China said it will allow customers to preloaded unwanted applications on all of its smartphones going forward, including the latest Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. Samsung’s new devices have less bloatware than several previous Samsung flagships and while the preloaded apps can be disabled, it looks like users, in China at least, will be able to completely remove them to free up internal storage.

As the lawsuit only focuses on devices sold in China, it’s unlikely these patches will be made available to users outside the Chinese market. Do you think Samsung need to make these available to all customers? Would you like this patch for your Samsung smartphone and should other manufacturers follow suit? Let us know your views in the comments below guys!

Samsung shipments dropped in Q2, “mounting challenges” expected for the rest of the year

Samsung announced its financial results for Q2 2015, and the news is worrying when it comes to the mobile segment.

Samsung Electronics accrued total revenues of 48.54 trillion won ($41.5 billion) in the quarter that ended on June 30, a slight increase over the previous quarter, but more than 7 percent lower than Q2 2014. Operating profit grew significantly over Q1 2015, from 5.98 trillion won ($5.1 billion) to 6.9 trillion won ($5.9 billion), but profit is still down 4 percent from the same quarter last year.

These are the company’s overall results, including the IT & mobile, consumer electronics, semiconductor, and display divisions.

The situation is less rosy if we look at the results of the flagship mobile unit. Profit increased only marginally, from 2.74 trillion won ($2.34 billion) in Q1 to 2.76 trillion won ($2.36 billion) in Q2 2015.

Despite the launch of the well-received Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, profit took a 37.6 percent plunge compared to Q2 2014.

Like in the previous quarter, strong sales in the memory chips and SoC business helped offset the decline in the mobile unit.

Samsung’s official announcement contains some clues of the reasons the mobile business is struggling. Samsung reported “increased shipments” of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, but shipments dropped overall because of “declining shipments of older middle- to low-end models.” This shouldn’t be a surprise: Chinese players have been aggressively launching affordable mid-rangers, making Samsung’s products seem overpriced and underpowered.

Samsung also blamed Galaxy S6 Edge supply difficulties (whose popularity reportedly took the company by surprise), but claimed the issues are now solved.

The company warned of “mounting challenges” for the second half of the year, with a “difficult business environment” expected to stint the growth of the mobile business. To keep sales strong, Samsung will “adjust” the price of the Galaxy S6 and release new premium devices (the Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge Plus are coming August 13).

It’s becoming increasingly clear that Samsung may not return to growth anytime soon. The industry has become too competitive, with full-on flagship phones launching at $400 and solid entry-level devices for less than $100. Samsung is still benefiting from its brand, market awareness, and distribution, but more and more consumers realize that cheaper devices from new players (or even established ones like Motorola) are a better deal. For now, the erosion is relatively slow, but the stories of former market leaders like Nokia, HTC, or BlackBerry suggest it could turn into crumbling pretty fast. That’s not to say Samsung’s days are numbered – the company is deeply embedded in the mobile landscape, and even if its market share diminishes, it can continue to reap billions off its component business.

Galaxy S6 price adjustments incoming as Samsung looks to boost sales

2015 has been a tough year so far for the established Android smartphone manufacturers, as market shares shift and revenues remain sluggish. As part of its Q2 earnings report, Samsung has stated that it will be adjusting the price of its flagship Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones, in order to maintain sales momentum.

Samsung did not give a date for the price adjustment, nor did the company state exactly what sort of reduction in price we are likely to see. It is possible that the price may change around the launch of Samsung new premium smartphones in August, when the company will launch the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus.

“the IT & Mobile Communications (IM) Division is expected to face a difficult business environment, the sales momentum for high-end products will be maintained by adjusting the price of the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge and introducing new premium smartphone models.”

Broadly speaking, 2015 has seen the market for lower cost, higher tier smartphones continue to grow, which, combined with premium product fatigue, is taking a toll on smartphone sales from LG, HTC, Samsung, and others. With more compelling products in this category announced just recently, see the OnePlus 2 or Moto X Style, it seems that even the very best phones on the market can’t hide from this price pressure.

Newly announced flagships like the Moto X Style and OnePlus 2 are sure to keep the price pressure on Samsung.

A similar effect can be spotted in the low and mid-tier markets, with local manufacturers and cheaper Chinese brands flooding emerging markets with cost effective products. While some major players, like LG, have managed to adapt, Samsung’s products have not quite kept up with the competition.

A price cut for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge is great news for anyone who has been holding out on a purchase, although we will have to wait and see if this is enough to boost Samsung’s sale figures in the remaining quarters.

Rumours say Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus will be released globally, Galaxy Note 5 only in select markets

Rumours about Samsung‘s latest flagships have been a plenty and we’re likely to see more in the coming weeks before the August 13th announcement. One such rumour has proposed a very interesting scenario, one which might not sit well with Samsung’s faithful – it’s alleged that the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus will be released globally, however the device to be announced alongside it, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, is apparently only going to be announced in select markets. From the sounds of it, “select markets” will include places like the US and South Korea where Galaxy Note sales have been historically good.

It’s not an unfamiliar rumour and it actually makes a lot of sense for Samsung – while demand for the Galaxy S6 Edge was great, many people would have passed on the more expensive S6 Edge due to the presence of the cheaper, just as competent, Galaxy S6. Similarly, restricting access to the likely cheaper Galaxy Note 5 would ideally promote greater profit for Samsung, however there are notable downsides for Samsung fans if the Galaxy Note 5 is less available – namely the S-Pen only available on Galaxy Note devices. We do have to remember that this may not be the strategy that Samsung walks out the door with, however it’s come up enough times not to be completely dismissed.

What do you think about this strategy from Samsung? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Korea Herald via Phone Arena

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First pictures of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Mini leak; August release?

With all the commotion between the Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Active, S6 Edge+, and Note 5, it’s no wonder that very little has been said -or seen- of the more “diminutive” form factored product in Samsung’s sizable stable of smartphones. Indeed, it has been assumed there would be a Galaxy S6 Mini in light of the ghosts of trends past, but we nothing solid had materialized. Until now, that is.

SamMobile

The images contained in this piece originated from a user who sent them to Phone Arena and while taken in quite poor lighting, look more-or-less legitimate. (Note that we have chosen to include the variants posted on SamMobile as they offer a clearer view of the product). It’s possible the device has markings on it which would give away the identity of the photographer hence the obscurity, or perhaps they are indeed just a hoax.

We blew out the levels to take a closer look – It appears to feature the same metal styling of the S6, suggesting continuity of design language

Assuming this is indeed the Galaxy S6 Mini, the device looks to have the same aluminum-frame and glass sandwich construction as its big brother. This alone is quite impressive given that in the past, the Mini line has always gone for mediocre specs and thus it would not have been outlandish to imagine an S6 Mini that was more like a Galaxy Alpha. We would expect the S6 Mini to be offered in the same color options as the standard model, though perhaps Samsung might get creative and issue a Green variant like the S6 Edge has exclusively.

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In light of the glass and metal, it raises the question as to just how seriously Samsung is going to take -and make- the product. While smaller size variants of flagship products are most always reductions in more ways than one, Sony’s Xperia Z3 Compact was not only every much as impressive as its’ big brother, but truly served to put all other OEMs on alert for their approach to the form factor.

If the Galaxy S6 Mini can couple this design with specs that are even on-par with last year’s Galaxy S5 it would be a major win for the device. If it was every much an S6 just smaller, Sony itself might be feeling the heat. While there is virtually nothing to support either of these ideas, at the very least the device is said to have a 4.6 or 4.7-inch screen.

The Sony Xperia Z3 Compact showed the world that “small” need only pertain to stature, not specs.

Curiously the lack of a Galaxy S6 Edge Mini is noted, though given the upcoming release of a S6 Edge+, perhaps Samsung doesn’t want to spread the unique point too thin. The S6 Edge+, along with the Galaxy Note 5, and Gear A (“Project Orbis”) are said to be launching in mid-August due to Samsung’s desire to avoid Apple-overlap. Indeed the source site of this story suggests the S6 Mini might be included in the event as well.

Only time will tell for sure, but while waiting, we want to hear from you! Are you interested in the S6 Mini? What kind of specs would it have to pack to meet your needs? Leave us a comment below!